Handango and PocketGear about Pocket PC software development
Summary
Handango and PocketGear are the leading distributors of Pocket PC software. Read their vision of the Pocket PC software market and of Pocket PC software development.
Handango
Thanks to Heather Windham Business Development, Pocket PC of Handango for these great answers.
VP: We have found that the market of Pocket PC products has grown a lot during the last 2 months. Our congratulations! Any ideas why it has? What do you think about the future of this market?
HW: We have seen our software numbers increase in anticipation for the new Pocket PC Phone and Smartphone devices. These wireless devices are definitely the market of the future.
VP: As far as I know people spend about USD 1-2 for Pocket PC products for one Pocket PC device in average. It is a very small number if you compare with desktop computers. What is your estimation of this number in the end of 2003?
HW: I suspect that number will double in the next year as Microsoft continues to promote it's "Software Matters" campaign.
VP: What do you think is the current size of the Pocket PC products market? I think you know that.
HW: There are about 3,000 - 4,000 Pocket PC applications - but that number is growing daily. I really expect to see a jump one the new .NET Compact Framework is released in a few months.
VP: What kind of Pocket PC products will be the most successful?
HW: Games - for sure.
VP: What do you think about "Designed for Windows for Pocket PC" logo certification program? How many products registered on you website have passed this certification?
HW: I am not sure of the exact number - but I do know it is growing fast. Certification is definitely where the marketing is going. I am encouraging all of my developers to get their top applications certified ASAP.
VP: What are typical mistakes in marketing of Pocket PC products?
HW: Spending too much money. There is a lot of free marketing out there. Just ask me.
VP: What could you say to Pocket PC developers? How to be successful on this market?
Two things. Try and get in close with the OEMs and make sure you have a strong relationship with Handango. We run the software stores for all of the major OEMs and have a lot of marketing power.
PocketGear
Thanks to Slawek Pruchnik, CIO of PocketGear for his answers.
1. We have found that the market of Pocket PC products has grown a lot during the last 2 months. Our congratulations! Any ideas why it has? What do you think about the future of this market?
SP: Over the last six months we have observed significant Pocket PC market growth. I think that one of the factors attributing to the growth was the release of Pocket PC 2002 hardware (significantly improved from the previous version).
VP: As far as I know people spend about USD 1-2 for Pocket PC products for one Pocket PC device in average. It is a very small number if you compare with desktop computers. What is your estimation of this number in the end of 2003?
SP: I think that this number will grow significantly. Customers who have just gotten their new Pocket PC 2002 devices (plenty of storage and great processor speed), once familiar with the capabilities of their devices, will spend $$ on things like software and accessories.
VP: What do you think is the current size of the Pocket PC products market? I think you know that.
SP: I would estimate the Pocket PC consumer software market to be in the range of $400,000 - $500,000 per month.
VP: What kind of Pocket PC products will be the most successful?
SP: Based on our previous experience - the Entertainment sector - especially different kind of GAMES.
VP: What do you think about "Designed for Windows for Pocket PC" logo certification program? How many products registered on you website have passed this certification?
SP: "Designed for Pocket PC" logo will definitely help sell Pocket PC software. If a customer has the choice to buy a picture viewer that is certified versus one that is not, this customer will choose the certified product.
VP: What are typical mistakes in marketing of Pocket PC products?
SP: The assumption that if a company writes good software, the software will sell itself. Many Pocket PC companies do not put enough time and effort into advertising and marketing campaigns.
VP: What could you say to Pocket PC developers? How to be successful on this market?
SP: Be realistic about your expectations. Don't expect to sell 100,000 copies of your software within the first 6 months. The Pocket PC software market is growing fast but as of now it is still very small ( as compared to other markets). So my advice is to plan accordingly.
http://www.pocketpcdn.com/articles/interview1.html