HP WebOS & TouchPad

Back to the future: 2012

Why bring WebOS back?

Rim is now a has-been, a nonstarter Nokia vacillated and still has nothing iPad/iPhone is a walled garden (of roses with thorns) Android is beset with inchoate versions Windows Mobile (Mango) remains blas Meego is a no-go; and Tizen, a copycat And none do multi-tasking well

But that isnt all

I owned all three major pad OS devices iOS - UGH - not really intuitive, too simplistic Honeycomb, et al. - WHEW - so messy, cumbersome WebOS - intuitive, simple, but not idiotic; also clean, organized, understandable (alas the hardware was not ready for prime-time).

Still that isnt all

Android claims lions share by OS true, but by vendor, each has smaller market share iOS has largest share by vendor to date WebOS had 2nd largest share by vendor before the axe Why the heck was the HPTP* cancelled after only a few months on the market? Think about Avis We Try Harder campaign - Isnt that true too for HP? Or does HP fold when it cannot be rst?
*For purposes of this presentation, HPTP will be used to refer to the HP TouchPad

So what to do?
With great fanfare, bring back WebOS and the HPTP Create a less expensive base unit - the $99 experience showed that it was a pricing issue, not a technology issue that hampered sales. Use the HP clout to drive BOM cost down Put a cohesive strategy around the whole WebOS/ HPTP experience Outsource the design/manufacturing of the phone handsets to one of the big boys - Samsung or HTC

So what to do?
With Whitman in (good choice btw), good reason to reverse the previous logic of killing the WebOS BU Dene the primary purpose of the WebOS/HPTP, what are its intended markets and design it to such (I know, marketing 101, but is anyone actually doing it - or are you just playing follow the leader?) Revenue from the WebOS/HPTP can come in many forms and HP is one of the few companies that can truly leverage its reach to gain revenue from multiple sources

Multiple rev sources, such as?

Sale of the device itself consider alternative sales channels other than big box retailers Licensing of WebOS to phone manufacturers AppStore embedded in devices such as Heads Up Displays, both military and civilian, adding an interactive component previously unavailable Have you considered making WebOS, CMS centric?

And if you really want to be bold

Open Source WebOS Provide support vis-a-vis the RedHat business model Use WebOS to build an extended ecosystem, use crowd sourcing to drive WebOS value higher Use this as a means to develop a HP-branded cloud infrastructure that can far exceed the value and usability of dropbox.com or box.com (maybe acquire one of them). IMHO, this shows off the real value of WebOS

Now lets talk handset strategy

Licensing to either Samsung or HTC would be a boon for both HP and either phone vendor, depending on the strategy; could consider others as well Samsung is locked in a patent battle with Apple, revenues will be declining, by as much as $5B+ over time. Though they have Bada and now Tizen, stranger things have happened. HTC is now going up against the Google/Motorola hegemony, and for that matter, so is Samsung

But have you thought about

Licensing to both or more? I mean: Why suffer the tyranny of the or when you can have the genius of the and. Like with Android, no reason why Samsung and HTC cannot both be WebOS licensees. This will drive adoption more quickly.

In the end...
iOS and Android have glaring weaknesses WebOS has extensive value that has not been marketed/touted; for example, it is far closer to windows user friendliness, and exceeds its limitations (ironically, Mango is a prime indicator of WebOS future value). Imitation is a most sincere form of attery... If at rst you dont succeed, try and try again; dont be a wimp and cop out Then there is the patent portfolio, now there is a strategy for developing even more revenue...

In short...
This is not rocket science This is an operational play, augmented by strategic M&A Steady is as steady goes Obviously, these are high-level concepts; theres more... If I were in charge, I would... :) But Im not... so as a user, if HP does these things,Ill rest easier, knowing WebOS and the HPTP will survive In case you hadnt notice: I want my WebOS! (c) DMLevy 2011