The summary of ‘Breaking the OS duopoly – Kirt McMaster, Cyanogen & David Gilbert, International Business Times’

This summary of the video was created by an AI. It might contain some inaccuracies.

00:00:0000:17:15

The video delves into Cyanogen's journey, from its beginnings as an open-source modification of Android to its aspirations to disrupt the iOS and Android-dominated mobile market. The company's strategy emphasizes deeper service integrations and enhancing machine intelligence on open platforms. Key discussions include the importance of developing intelligent service integrations, exemplified by partnerships with companies like Microsoft to incorporate services such as Skype and Truecaller. The video outlines plans to target both emerging markets with affordable devices and high-end markets with premium offerings, highlighting the need for strategic OEM partnerships and effective marketing to rival giants like Apple and Samsung. Challenges facing large tech firms like Google, particularly the dilution of focus across multiple projects, are contrasted with the focused innovation potential of smaller companies like Cyanogen. The video concludes by discussing potential market differentiations and revenue models, with Cyanogen aiming to establish more global partnerships and expand its presence as a default Android platform on various devices.

00:00:00

In this part of the video, a representative from Cyanogen explains the company’s origins, developments, and objectives. Cyanogen started as an open-source project with alterations to the Android framework, gaining popularity for its additional features. The company’s strategy is to evolve Android differently from Google’s direction while remaining compliant with Google services. They are preparing to announce new platforms that will integrate deeper with other services. Despite the dominance of Android and iOS, the representative expresses confidence in Cyanogen’s potential to disrupt the current market dynamics.

00:03:00

In this segment of the video, the speaker discusses the commoditization of operating systems like Android and iOS. Despite their similarities, deeper application and service integrations are seen as opportunities to boost machine intelligence, especially on open computing platforms. While iOS and Android favor their own services, an open platform could enhance intelligence by integrating multiple services and capturing comprehensive signals. Android’s large user base positions it as a key player for such development. The speaker also compares current Android devices’ declining costs and improving functionality to expensive iPhones, hinting at future industry shifts. The segment concludes with an example of a phone running Cyanogen OS, illustrating ongoing efforts in platform diversification and integration of machine intelligence.

00:06:00

In this part of the video, the discussion centers around developing developer platforms for service integration and building intelligence teams to understand user behavior on devices globally. The speaker highlights that some integrations, such as incorporating communication services like Skype into the phone dialer and integrating Truecaller for spam number blocking, have already been implemented. The data shows higher engagement and take rates when these services are deeply integrated into the operating system. The conversation also touches on a significant partnership with Microsoft, emphasizing their ability to build large-scale graphs and intelligence, which is beneficial for creating services comparable to those of Apple and Google. The integration of Microsoft’s services, including Cortana, is mentioned as a potential enhancement, showcasing its capabilities compared to Siri and Google Now.

00:09:00

In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the strategy for launching competitive mobile devices in the next 12 months. They are focusing on two primary market segments: the sub-$100 market in emerging regions like India and producing high-end, flagship devices targeting Android enthusiasts. The goal is to create devices that can rival iPhones and Galaxy phones. The conversation highlights the necessity of partnering with large-scale OEMs to achieve this scale and the importance of leveraging marketing and branding strategies. The speaker acknowledges the significant investments in marketing by competitors like Apple and Samsung and suggests that collaboration with partners could help amplify Cyanogen’s market presence. They also concede that while the Cyanogen brand is strong among tech enthusiasts, it may require additional efforts to appeal to the broader mass market.

00:12:00

In this segment, the discussion revolves around the challenges and opportunities faced by large tech companies like Google in terms of innovation and focus. It is mentioned that Sundar Pichai, who has a background in Android and Chrome, is in charge of Google. The dialogue highlights that Google is still very innovative but is spread across multiple projects, which can dilute its impact compared to startups that have a single focus. There’s commentary on the shifting focus of talented individuals towards new tech areas like IoT and VR, despite the significant growth potential that still exists in smartphones. Concerns are raised about whether Google could potentially enhance Android in response to new competitive innovations, but challenges in forming partnerships and signal exchanges with large companies like Facebook are noted as barriers.

00:15:00

In this segment, the discussion highlights how being a smaller company offers unique opportunities that larger incumbents cannot exploit. It’s noted that the company, built on Android, does not have an explicit relationship with Google, with some ambiguity about mutual sentiments. The speaker doubts any acquisition interest from Google. The focus then shifts to differentiating within the commoditized Android ecosystem and creating new revenue models through partnerships with OEMs. It mentions ongoing efforts to distribute Cyanogen as the default Android version on various devices, expecting multiple new partnerships in 2016, including bigger brands beyond the small brand, Wileyfox.

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