Why not build a cross-functional web app? You then grab the trendy iPhone users, business based Blackberry, Palm & WM users and the gadget happy Google, Nokia, Sony Erickson, etc. users. Put that web app as a download in the app store’s of the applicable handsets with a pretty Windermere icon and all done at a fraction of the cost of a stand alone app for each handset.

I read this article in the beginning of the year and think it still holds true. I’m sure some of the technology has changed since then but i’d guess that the phones web browsers are coming closer together rather than further apart.

http://www.infoworld.com/d/developer-world/cross-platform-option-web-apps-smartphones-485

Just a thought.

The usership of the iPhone in the generations below baby boomers is huge and they will stick by it for years to come (not to mention many baby boomers use it as well). Not creating an iPhone app and neglecting that sector of the market would be the wrong move on WRE part.

Over the past few years WRE has taken risks in the technology world in order to stay competitive. Some have been wins and some have been loses. The iPhone is here to stay and creating a WRE app for it can only result in a win.

I agree wholeheartedly with Rahmn. Gone are the days of Windermere being the leader in technology as we are not a tech company-I get that. We can still be leaders, not followers when it comes to tech. We have always stood out for what we do, not what we DON’T do.

So what if you don’t like their data plan or coverage. (20 million others seem to think they’re ok). So what if the other leading companies in our market already have an app. Who cares if we didn’t think of it first. We at least need to be as techy as the next guy and if that means an iPhone app, then let’s develop one.

So Mike, I urge you to put aside your personal views of the iPhone and their provider and answer me this: Wouldn’t you rather see the guy on the light rail or the gal sitting in the airport using OUR iPhone app-and NOT Redfin’s? I can tell you what every one of the agents in my office would say.

P.S. I just bought an iPhone this weekend and it truly IS the cat’s meow.

I agree with Rahmn dot com on this. If you look at the graphs you provided, it shows outstanding growth by Apple and just how quickly they are eating up market share, granted maybe not as much as RIM but it’s still a significant market share and it will continue to grow as will RIM’s. Why not have app’s for both? Our marketing guru on San Juan said he could build a simple app if we buy him the apple equiptment, but why not have the rather significant power of WRE Tech get on this? For a realitively small amount of WRE Services dollars we could have an app that would benefit the whole network and capture some of the iphone market - which has got to be larger than the Seattle Times market these days. There is no reason WRE should not be ahead of JLS and Redfin other than WRE’s reluctance to invest and act.

An equally important question is *who* are the 20+million iPhone users. They are technically savvy, leading edge, with disposable income.

Otherwise know as your target audience :-).

As for the investment. About one week of newspaper paper advertising is what it would cost you to develop an iPhone app. It is and should be viewed as a marketing expense. They hype around the iPhone is simply an opportunity for *free* media.