Last week I was speaking on Android at SMX West an Internet Marketing conference in Santa Clara California just outside San Jose.
Keynoting the SMX West conference was Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer, when Q&A was opened to the audience I asked him his vision of Microsoft in the mobile space going forward.
At the 1 hour 21 minute 50 seconds point in the Ustream video below I spoke to Steve Ballmer.
I first complemented the Windows Phone 7 which does look impressive although I believe Android & the iPhone will leapfrog it by the time it actually comes out at the end of the year.
I then asked Mr Ballmer where Microsoft sees the monetization play in mobile as they won’t remove their licensing fees with Windows Mobile 7 while at the same time scoffing at Android with its no licensing fee as “free as a puppy“.
His answer was a summation of focusing on licensing fees along with subscription services and advertising.
When he didn’t mention mobile applications, I asked is that because of HTML5, and he said HTML5 IS apps and there will always be a need for local applications but didn’t specify how Microsoft will approach it.
I then spoke on a Mobile Search Apps & Opportunities panel as I talked about Android and its emergence not just in units sold but mind-share.
The audience was Internet marketers and marketers in general so its purpose was to make sure they divert internal resources and focus to producing Android applications for marketing purposes.
The slidedeck from my presentation is below although I verbally added many points not in the slides themselves.
Please let me know anything I should add or update as I will be speaking on Android in April across the border in Canada at SMX Toronto.
