Analysts believe that Apple iCloud objective is not to make money, but to use this free service to retain customers, and smart phones and tablet PCs in the market against Google's challenge.
Lock the user
On Monday, Apple CEO Steve Jobs (Steve Jobs) introduced a new cloud synchronization and storage services iCloud, and this fall will be launched simultaneously with the iOS 5, instead of MobileMe.
iCloud will be free for iOS and Mac OS X Lion users open only part of the function called iTunes Match fee, and each year is only $ 25.
Jobs said, iCloud is a music, photos, applications, documents and other data synchronization service that allows multiple users ready access to the latest equipment to buy or create content. He Monday at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), said: "We will keep the device sync crazy."
Analysts will iCloud as Apple keep existing customers and attract new users in a different way, especially the iPhone and iPad.
U.S. market research firm Forrester Research analyst Charles Galvin (Charles Golvin) said: "I think it is to enhance customer loyalty as a way for those with one or more users iOS devices will be get a better experience. Apple's thinking is: get the benefit of future sales sufficient to recover the hardware iCloud investment costs. "
Although analysts did not use the "lock" such words to describe the iCloud strategy, but its essence is true.
Galvin that, iCloud was able to retain users, because, once the user is difficult to use this service from the Apple ecosystem.
"ICloud is seamless, users need to worry about where to store their content, which will make their own smart phones and tablet PCs satisfaction has increased significantly. This also means that next time they buy similar products to , there may choose Apple. "Galvin said.
Gartner analyst Lanei Si (Carolina Milanesi) agrees with this view. She said: "The most important is that this is a completely cloud-computing services, in order to show the advantages of being Apple care."
For Google
Other experts also believe that, iCloud is Apple users to retain, and respond to Android smart phones and tablet PCs, a measure of competition.
U.S. investment firm Gleacher & Co analyst Brian Marshall (Brian Marshall) said: "Although this will not be for Apple to create short-term financial results, but we believe that iCloud is important because it will enhance the user viscosity Apple ecosystem. "
U.S. investment firm Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White (Brian White) is also a research report Tuesday, said: "These new statement further reinforces Apple's digital eco-system, to provide users with more features that simplify the use of difficult to improve efficiency and bring new cool features, which we believe will further improve in the future Apple device penetration. "
Although almost no mention of Apple executives Monday competitors, but solely emphasizing the advantages of Apple, but Galvin that, iCloud is for Google and the Android launch. He said: "This is absolutely not just for Apple added a new element in the ecosystem, it shows that Apple has been able to provide great value."
Galvin also said, iPhone and iPad users can very easily have been applied, music, photos and other data to buy a new Apple smart phones and tablet computers.
He said: "To activate the device through iTunes some trouble, but it does provide a seamless experience for only a small amount of action on the old iPhone sync all the content on the new iPhone." But Android users can not enjoy this kinds of functions.
"Apple is in full swing against Android, so any play a decisive role as iCloud such products are more meaningful." Galvin said.
Other advantages of
Galvin at Forrester colleague Frank Gilles special (Frank Gillett) view is more direct. He believes that Apple will lead the "personal cloud", and the lack of effective competition.
"As the industry's second-largest company, Google is worth attention, but still difficult to catch up with Apple, as it plans to address the introduction of Chrome browser will be applied." Gillette said, "Microsoft is significantly behind, it has no clear vision of individual cloud , but Windows 8 to be released in 2012. "
White also pointed out that Apple's other big advantage: iTunes Match of the annual fee of only $ 25 less than Amazon launched a similar service, also lower than the outside of the Google cloud music storage service general price expectations.
Earlier this year, Amazon and Google have launched cloud computing services, music, music library requires the user to upload to the remote server to use mobile devices and PC to listen to streaming music.
Apple's iTunes Match is used different ways: First, scan the user's music library, and with Apple's music library to match. After matching the music can immediately be downloaded to a maximum of 10 devices or computers. Music purchased through iTunes can be downloaded free of charge to the same number of devices.
Analysts believe that, ultimately, iCloud's purpose is to sell more hardware, rather than generate huge revenue stream. Galvin said: "Apple wants to sell more iOS devices."
U.S. market research firm Technology Business Research analyst Ezra high Zell (Ezra Gottheil), said: "Apple said, 'Do not worry about the price of the hardware, you are buying is a way of doing things.'"
Milaneisi then said: "including iCloud, Lion and iOS, including, Apple on Monday show everything that Apple's all-around nature, which are intended to provide a more rich and amazing experience, you need to have on the ecological control of the system. "
She added: "This is its ability to serve customers well because it did."
