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Topic: Mobility

Amazon app store: Launchpad for mobile dominance

Summary: Amazon is readying its app store for the grand opening, and I believe launching its own store makes perfect sense for the online retailer. It fits in perfectly with the company's core business.

James Kendrick

By for Mobile News |

Amazon is busy getting its app store ready for the grand opening, an event to take place in just a few weeks. While some question the need for yet another app store, launching its own store makes perfect sense for Amazon. It is the launchpad for a big run into the mobile space, and it fits in perfectly with the company's retail business.

I have previously expressed my belief that Amazon is readying its own tablet for the market, a product I think can be successful. The company has all of the pieces in place for a complete ecosystem to take advantage of a tablet in the market, and could seriously compete with Apple. While other companies are pushing the tablet device to compete with the iPad, Amazon can compete with an entire ecosystem. The app store is just a piece of the big picture that is the future Amazon.

I see the Amazon app store merging tightly with Amazon MP3, Video on Demand, Kindle bookstore and the Amazon Prime service. It's only a short jump to merge all of these existing operations into the app store for a seamless trip to the Amazon retail market. The merged operation fits the company's core business, online retail. With one stop the customer can get mobile apps, Kindle books, videos for entertainment and any of the millions of products that Amazon sells. This will be the only "one-stop" shopping experience.

Be prepared for Amazon to produce an online service that is tailored to provide a pleasant shopping experience that is unrivaled in either the online retail space or the mobile space. Customers will flock to buy from Amazon, all from the comfort of the Amazon mobile device. Sales will skyrocket as a result, cementing Amazon's position as a giant retail operation.

The Amazon ecosystem can be leveraged in a way that only Amazon can do it. Amazon Prime customers will get special discounts if they purchase from an Amazon device. Free shipping will be thrown about at will. Amazon's popular free daily deals will be expanded to cover the entire breadth of the operation, from free MP3s to free apps in the app store. Amazon knows how to do retail, and this will serve them well in the hot mobile space. They will be virtually unstoppable, and why I believe it is inevitable.

Topics: Mobility, Amazon

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19 comments
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  • Google might be smart to phase out their own app store after Amazon and

    others have it covered. Google should focus on what it does best, and let Amazon and others do the rest.
    DonnieBoy
    Reply Vote

  • Would love to see an Amazon Android tablet for sale too. Strip out all of

    the fancy cameras, etc, and focus on just a great color screen. How about the PixelQi dual mode screen for great reading in black and white, low power, but, color when you want it for kids books, and applications.
    DonnieBoy
    Reply Vote

  • What about Malware? will Amazon vet apps?

    everybody wants to start an app store.

    but few want to pay big bucks, spend the time or incur the wrath of 'free no barrier' advocates to get the system of checks set up.

    If no vetting: anybody want to risk root access malware that infected Google App Market? (50k to 200k estimated downloads of malware).
    Davewrite
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Amazon app store: Launchpad for mobile dominance

      Well only makes sense to start an App store, how many people these days use smart phone for their browsing? Imagine how much you can increase your market share exposure.
      peterrogers
      Reply Vote

  • RE: Amazon app store: Launchpad for mobile dominance

    Yeah, I am in favor of the App Store from Amazon but really, it doesn't mean ****... What does matter is the Video offerings for Amazon and like you I have been saying that is coming and will make Amazon the great equalizer... <br><br>Crud, knowing that Amazon is pooling a bunch of resources into Android and you can only assume that Amazon will be delivering a client for the PC, Mac and Linux within a short time... I honestly believe the thought of this has to have Jobs and Cook shiting their pants as Flashbacks of the late 80's and early 90's run through their heads.
    slickjim
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Amazon app store: Launchpad for mobile dominance

      @Peter Perry Both Google and Apple are clearly trying to march into Amazon's home turf, so a partnership with either would be suicidal. Microsoft, on the other hand, might be a plausible partner, especially if Nokia are part of the deal too. It depends on how much overlap there is in their services plans and whether or not each side would be willing to give up some pieces to the other (e.g. digital music distribution is a clear area of overlap).<br><br>Amazon and Microsoft have co-operated on web search, and Microsoft are apparently selling the Amazon Kindle in their Microsoft Stores. However, when it comes to cloud computing, Microsoft and Amazon are beginning to look like fierce rivals (but Google is also a rival to both), which could scupper any potential partnership. <a href="http://www.thesanfranciscomovers.com">movers san francisco</a> | <a href="http://www.sanfrancisco-weddingphotographers.com">wedding photographers san francisco</a>
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      • RE: Amazon app store: Launchpad for mobile dominance

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  • RE: Amazon app store: Launchpad for mobile dominance

    Sweet!
    I would like to see a Amazon Tablet - aka The New Kindle running A3.

    I have to agree they are setup to do this.
    I do the majority (or more) of all my online purchases via Amazon. Love the sales and being a Prime mem never hurts (I get my monies worth).

    Let's hope!!!

    :D
    rhonin
    Reply Vote

  • Right. Because the Kindle is totally mopping the floor

    with iPad. Oh. Wait. I didn't. Well Amazon's online music service wiped the floor with iTunes. Oh. Wait. It didn't. Well, their video on demand is wiping the floor with iTunes. Oh, wait. It isn't. But this time, THIS time, Amazon will wipe the floor with Apple.
    fr_gough
    Reply Vote

  • It could be interesting, but yet another mobile/slate platform?

    Amazon might be able succeed on their own, but there's only room for so many app stores in the market. To be compelling, they really need tight integration with the underlying platform. Unless they intend to introduce yet another mobile/slate platform, that means partnering with someone else.

    Both Google and Apple are clearly trying to march into Amazon's home turf, so a partnership with either would be suicidal. Microsoft, on the other hand, might be a plausible partner, especially if Nokia are part of the deal too. It depends on how much overlap there is in their services plans and whether or not each side would be willing to give up some pieces to the other (e.g. digital music distribution is a clear area of overlap).

    Amazon and Microsoft have co-operated on web search, and Microsoft are apparently selling the Amazon Kindle in their Microsoft Stores. However, when it comes to cloud computing, Microsoft and Amazon are beginning to look like fierce rivals (but Google is also a rival to both), which could scupper any potential partnership.

    An alternative to Microsoft might be HP, using webOS as the platform. Again, however, it depends on what HP's services plans are. With Apotheker's recent push to position HP as a provider of cloud services, the same sort of business conflict as with Microsoft arises.

    I think the real key to a successful multi-firm ecosystem is a willingness by each of the firms to accept that the pie will have to be shared amongst them, like the PC pie was when Microsoft, Intel and Compaq rose dominance in the 80s/90s. Any single-firm approach will put that firm up against Apple's entrenched dominant position, not to mention the marketing magic of Steve Jobs. Without any obvious advantages for the challenger, Apple look like the likely winner in a contest of this kind.
    WilErz
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Amazon app store: Launchpad for mobile dominance

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