Want an 'A' on this Assignment--There's An App For That!

Just when we thought Facebook was done with the changes, they pull another major switch that leaves readers baffled, confused, and down-right…interested. That’s right, this time the changes are not to their site per say, but rather an app they are developing (or assisting in development). This one would, according to John Sutter, “let people share data about how much—or little—electricity they’re using at home” (2011). Basically, it’s a way to keep people accountable for all the times they leave the light turned on or the fan switched to high over low. Our social media has become a maternal figure (and that is hard to deny).

What’s truly at debate here? Is it that Facebook is now watching our every move? Or perhaps, is it because there is an App for EVERYTHING. You can get an app to check the prices of groceries. You can get an app to look up the latest stock market change. You can get an app that shows you the latest gossip on certain celebrities. Our lives can be summed up quickly thanks to the new new media coming our way, and if it can’t, I imagine sooner or later “there’ll be an APP for that” too.

Back in December 2009, Apple filed for the trademarked phrase “There’s an App for that” and began to use it commercially on January 26, 2009. What’s the buzz about this time? It seems every time Apple does something innovative, other companies are only steps behind. The slogan refers to “Apple’s marketing and advertising initiatives around the iPhone and all other iOS devices” (Grove, 2010). For me, that was still a bit too techy, but Jim Blasingame breaks it down further, stating that “a mobile app converts content and resources that otherwise would have been consumed through a browser on a computer desktop, to the much smaller and variably shaped screens on the many different kinds of hand-held devices” (2011). In short, an app makes things easier by making them mobile.

In our current day-and-age, this is just fine. Apps are all the rage. During research for the Organizational Usage assignment, Dylan Edwards—Digital Communications Specialist for the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation—said one thing he wants to work on is getting an app. Companies are continuously trying to create apps for other companies. It’s hard to believe but this is the new supply and demand. I do not own a Smartphone (iPhone particularly) so I am not in the App scene. I imagine my next upgrade will cannonball me into an arena I won’t quite understand. But luckily, apps are easy to learn and available on whatever subject a user desires. If that’s not enough, it doesn’t take much to learn the lingo. And if it does—well, I’m sure there’s an app for that.

When Life Gives You Lemons...

Imagine for a moment that I am the owner of a lemonade stand (C). My stand, while it has been successful in the past, has never caught up to the income of my top two competitors (A and B). However, I swear I have the best product possible and I will be as good (if not better) than A and/or B within the next couple years. Why? I am completely changing my formula to something no one has really seen before. All I need is more money. You, the investor, now has to decide if my stand is worth the money.

While this is a long-shot example, let’s place this on a larger spectrum. Say, for example, my lemonade stand is now called Sprint. My competitors, A and B, are Verizon and AT&T. Obviously, the topic is not actually centered on lemonade, but 4G services. Sprint has done just what is implied above: they have declared they will be able to catch-up to Verizon and AT&T in terms of 4G service as long as they receive more income. They don’t have the money to spend the way they would like; however, Sprint Chief Financial Officer Joey Euteneuer said, “liquidity should begin to improve in 2014 once the roll-out is complete” (Goldman, 2011).

The question remains: is this a bargain worth investing in? Given their track record, is Sprint the company to trust in a situation like this? In April of this year, it was said that Sprint still lost money despite their adding 1.1 million new customers. Goldman states that a major reason Sprint is losing money is because they are not selling the iPhone 4 (2011). If one runs a search on Sprint, it would be evident that they have lost money AND customers the past three years. Can the iPhone 4 really be responsible for this? I mean, did it come out in 2008 and they still aren’t selling it?

What Sprint is attempting to do is courageous. Their business has not been able to stand up to mobile giants such as Verizon Wireless and AT&T. The fact that they are not ready to “throw in the towel” is admirable, but foolish. Or is it? The adage declares “it takes money to make money.” Perhaps if given the opportunity, Sprint will rise up and take down the competition. Take notice of the graph: Sprint is down from Verizon but up from AT&T. If customers want it, who are we to say no?

Ultimately, the world of 4G mobile coverage could be rocked in the coming months. Sprint is the third giant in wireless connectivity; if they fall out, where does that leave us? Goldman (2011) agrees that Sprint “has struggled to add new customers” but are working diligently on the problem. This little lemonade stand may be down, but it’s not out.