The Future of FireFox and Mozilla

[Mr Happy]

Just to layout the reason and set the background for the new document Mozilla released yesterday.
In short FireFox was started a number of years ago as an alternative to Internet Explorer. IE used to have over 90% of the worlds Internet Users and had monopoly as it was installed by default on all computers. Over the years FireFox grew and ate away at IE's lead but now Google Chrome has over taken FireFox as the main challenger to IE and FireFox have continued to see it's numbers fall.

This presents a number of challenges. The main one is the reason FireFox was started is no longer needed as Google Chrome has taken it's job as the main challenger to IE.

So Mozilla needs a new reason to exist. A new global aim or challenge to make the web more open and that it believes is ecosystems.

Taking Apple first they have an app store where they sell apps for their iOS and iCloud that syncs it all together locking people in.
Google have a market place for their Android and a chrome app store for their Chrome OS along with Google accounts and the growing G+ Profiles. Amazon also have an app store and their Kindle with it's apps, music, books and ecommerce empire. Microsoft have an app store, live accounts, Office, Windows 7 OS which runs on desktops and its mobile phones.
Basically they all have ecosystems which try to lock users in making them sign in on multiple devices and buy products from their marketplace which is against an open source web.

This is a world FireFox can't survive.

The roadmap released yesterday outlines what they plan to do which is release a Windows Mobile version of FireFox, release a new OS and launch a new app store where you can find extensions and apps.

I don't know if this is too late though. Everyone thinks Microsoft left it late with Windows 7 Phones and it's now struggling to build up it's app store and take users from iOS and Android. I don't see how Mozilla can at this late stage. Mozilla get's most of it's money from Google by having it as the default search so it's relying on Google for money. As FireFox declines they won't have as much money to develop an OS unlike Google, Apple and Microsoft who have billions to invest in their OS's and ecosystems.


The other problem is they don't have their own phones to install their OS by default. Android is default on most phones. iOS on Apple Phones and Macs, Amazons modified version of Android on it's Kindle fire and Windows 7 on Window Phones and desktops. Mozilla doesn't have any phone to put it's products on by default so if people don't install it then it won't gain users and as a result developers won't develop apps or addons for it.



Any thoughts? What would you do if you were Mozilla to stop FireFox numbers decreasing and what would you do long term to challenge Apple, Google, Microsoft and Amazon?

Mr Happy Reviewed by Mr Happy on 13th Feb 2012. The Future of FireFox and Mozilla Just to layout the reason and set the background for the new document Mozilla released yesterday. In short FireFox was started a number of years ago as an alternative to Internet Explorer. IE used to have over 90% of the worlds Internet Users and had monopoly as it was installed by default on all computers. Over the years FireFox grew and ate away at IE's lead but now Google Chrome has over taken FireFox as the main challenger to IE and FireFox have continued to see it's numbers fall. This Rating: 5

[vizoomer]

mozilla needs to innovate .... thats the only way they can survive

[KINGTHE_ALI]

firefix is very slowww they need to do sumthng ab8 this....

[dexter786]

it is true firefox is going bad day by day

[cvrle77]

My thoughts are: If Microsoft wanted to race with Firefox, they would beat them down to the core, but they didn't want to waste money on that.
Second, the moment Google entered the game, Firefox lost it.
There's a difference between payed programmer, and those who are not being payed for their work. We are living in capitalism. Money makes the world spinning. Very sad.
However, why focusing so much on mobile phones? There are netbooks too, who are screaming for free OS, capable more than just surfing the internet, and market is huge. Beating up Microsoft again? So, make OS for netbooks first, then for mobile devices, and let users easily synchronize their data between mobile and netbook.

[Shahrukh]

Firefox is Gonna Die soon, Slowing shows! GOOGLE FTW!

[Mr Happy]

it is true firefox is going bad day by day

firefix is very slowww they need to do sumthng ab8 this....

Ya but how do they fix the problem? Even if they make it faster how do they get more people to install it on mobile phones where the future is?

However, why focusing so much on mobile phones? There are netbooks too, who are screaming for free OS, capable more than just surfing the internet, and market is huge. Beating up Microsoft again? So, make OS for netbooks first, then for mobile devices, and let users easily synchronize their data between mobile and netbook.

The number of mobile phones passed desktops sold over the holidays for the first time and continues to grow faster. It's the future and where the average person spends more time. They are also far more likely to buy apps for a mobile than a computer => more money.

[cvrle77]

Yes, I am aware of that fact, but, I would never start from the top. Start a bit lower, make cash where there is no strong competition, make a fertile ground in market for future expansion. Reinvest cash, when you are strong enough, to attack that market.

You don't cut tree from the top. Google and Apple made billions, before investing in mobile market.

[immu]

probably will sign up with Motorola or SonyEricson some mobile brands which are internationally reputated and start dealing with em to have their app store powered by Mozilla

[Carbon]

probably will sign up with Motorola or SonyEricson some mobile brands which are internationally reputated and start dealing with em to have their app store powered by Mozilla

All recent SonyEricson phones (Xperia) use Android OS. And Motorola is owned by Google