https://www.channelfutures.com/wp-content/themes/channelfutures_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • Analytics
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud
    • Data Centers
    • Desktop
    • IoT
    • Mobility
    • Networking
    • Open Source
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Virtualization
    • Voice/Connectivity
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Best Practices
    • Business Models
    • Channel 101
    • Channel Programs
    • Channel Research
    • Digital Transformation
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Leadership
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Specialty Practices
  • MSSP Insider
    • Back
    • Business of Security
    • Cloud and Edge
    • Endpoint
    • Network
    • People and Careers
    • Training and Policies
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • 2021 MSP 501 Application
    • 2020 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2020 Hot 101 Rankings
    • 2020 MSP 501 Report
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Our Sponsors
    • From the Industry
    • Content Resources
    • COVID-19 Partner Help
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • Reports
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • EMEA
  • Awards
    • Back
    • Excellence in Digital Services
    • 2021 MSP 501
    • Top Gun 51
  • Events
    • Back
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • Channel Partners Evolution
    • Channel Evolution Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
  • Channel Mentor
    • Back
    • Channel Market Intelligence
    • Channel Educational Series
Channel Futures
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • Analytics
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud
    • Data Centers
    • Desktop
    • IoT
    • Mobility
    • Networking
    • Open Source
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Virtualization
    • Voice/Connectivity
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Best Practices
    • Business Models
    • Channel 101
    • Channel Programs
    • Channel Research
    • Digital Transformation
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Leadership
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Specialty Practices
  • MSSP Insider
    • Back
    • Business of Security
    • Cloud and Edge
    • Endpoint
    • Network
    • People and Careers
    • Training and Policies
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • 2021 MSP 501 Application
    • 2020 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2020 Hot 101 Rankings
    • 2020 MSP 501 Report
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Our Sponsors
    • From the Industry
    • Content Resources
    • COVID-19 Partner Help
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • Reports
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • EMEA
  • Awards
    • Back
    • Excellence in Digital Services
    • 2021 MSP 501
    • Top Gun 51
  • Events
    • Back
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • Channel Partners Evolution
    • Channel Evolution Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
  • Channel Mentor
    • Back
    • Channel Market Intelligence
    • Channel Educational Series
    • Newsletter
  • REGISTER
  • MSPs
  • VARs / SIs
  • Digital Service Providers
  • Cloud Service Providers
  • CHANNEL PARTNERS ONLINE
 Channel Futures

Cloud


Why FaceTime? Or, How Apple is Killing Cross-Platform Apps

  • Written by Christopher Tozzi
  • August 18, 2015

"Can we FaceTime?" If I had a nickel for every time someone has asked me that, I'd almost be able to afford a new Android tablet. And yet, even then, I still would not be able to FaceTime, because I don't have an iPhone, iPad or i* anything else. This fact has had me wondering: Why does anyone useApple's FaceTime, given that it is a redundant, proprietary VoIP application?

"Can we FaceTime?" If I had a nickel for every time someone has asked me that, I'd almost be able to afford a new Android tablet. And yet, even then, I still would not be able to FaceTime, because I don't have an iPhone, iPad or i* anything else. This fact has had me wondering: Why does anyone use Apple's (AAPL) FaceTime, given that it is a redundant, proprietary VoIP application?

The fact that so many people want to connect with me over FaceTime leads me to believe that one of the following two things must be true:

  1. People with Apple products assume everyone else also has an Apple product.
  2. People with Apple products have no idea that Apple designs many of its products to be incompatible with those from other companies.

I don't know which of these possibilities is the case. And it doesn't actually matter, since, either way, I still cannot explain why FaceTime has become so popular, given that other VoIP apps—most notably Skype, though there are others, like Google Hangouts—have been freely accessible and compatible with a variety of different operating systems and hardware platforms, for more than a decade.

In contrast, FaceTime has been around for only about five years, and—although the app itself is technically free—you need to buy Apple hardware to use it.

This isn't to say I'm in love with Skype. It has its issues. For one, as a Linux user, I wish Skype were open source. (It seems unlikely that this will ever be the case, as Skype is now owned by Microsoft [MSFT].) I also wish the Linux version of Skype did not tend to lag behind the Windows one feature-wise.

That said, Skype works perfectly well on Linux, and virtually every other operating system, for both voice and video chatting. I am therefore perplexed by the fascination with FaceTime, which brings nothing novel to the table for Apple users, and which makes life more difficult for non-Apple users who can't connect with their iPhone-touting friends over FaceTime.

The Late, Great Cross-Platform App

But that's not what makes this a really big deal. What's truly interesting is how FaceTime exemplifies the way companies such as Apple have managed to make cross-platform interoperability—one of the core components of the personal-computing revolution of the 1980s and 1990s—increasingly a thing of the past. More than anything else, the cloud was supposed to let everyone run the same apps, share files seamlessly and so on, regardless of which particular operating system and hardware platform he or she used. Yet the exact opposite is happening as proprietary apps such as FaceTime have exploded in popularity.

That's perhaps the greatest irony of the IT world today. It's also a sad one.

Tags: Cloud Service Providers Digital Service Providers MSPs VARs/SIs Cloud

Related


  • VDI
    IGEL Integrates Amazon WorkSpaces DaaS with Its Virtual Endpoint OS
    Also, the new Arm-based Raspberry Pi, co-developed by Citrix, IGEL and NComputing, is generally available.
  • Job cuts
    Latest VMware Job Cuts Impact More Workers in California
    The layoffs will begin March 30.
  • Hottest Ticket in Town
    Channel Partners Virtual 2021 Is the Hottest Ticket in Town
    And that means any town, since it’s 100% online. Will you be there?
  • Partner Program Update
    Palo Alto Networks Rolls Out Latest NextWave Partner Program
    NextWave 3.0 will help partners differentiate their services.

4 comments

  1. Avatar Anonymous August 18, 2015 @ 8:26 pm
    Reply

    In my experience, Skype is
    In my experience, Skype is more complicated to set up – many users have multiple user names or accounts, finding the right contact… Whereas FT is just right there on your phone and will find the contacts for you. No need to set up accounts and play around with looking for and verifying a contact.

  2. Avatar Luc Prefontaine March 24, 2016 @ 11:43 pm
    Reply

    Why use Facetime ?
    Because it

    Why use Facetime ?
    Because it works everywhere, does not degrade abruptly like Skype
    and is by far more reliable.

    I do most of my work with Ubuntu but when it comes to communications, voip, mail, … it’s all done on my ipad2 which is old and ridiculously under-powered but works everywhere.

    I can’t spend time debugging day to day utilities like this. It has to work.

  3. Avatar Anonymous May 16, 2016 @ 5:15 pm
    Reply

    As someone who hates apple
    As someone who hates apple products, facetime is the most reliable and highest video quality “free” voip product I’ve used. I run osx at work and linux on my cheap macs at home. I’m honestly looking at buying a gen 1 ipad _just_ to facetime.
    That’s from a 100% linux for 4 years user.
    I’ve tried skype, oovoo, opentocrtc, hangouts, and a couple others. Facetime wins hands down on quality and reliability.

  4. Avatar Petr January 21, 2017 @ 12:58 am
    Reply

    Also, FaceTime uses end to
    Also, FaceTime uses end to end encryption, which I find most important together with high reliability and quality of communications. I’m not aware of Hangouts or Skype using it. FaceTime is easy to use, it’s well integrated into iOS environment and “just works”. Yeah, I would love to have it open-sourced, too, but I guess you just can’t have everything.

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your Channel Futures account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • New Commvault EMEA Channel Exec Outlines Plans for Channel
  • Productivity During ‘Work from Wherever’: Choosing the Right Back-Office Tools for a Distributed Workforce
  • From Salesperson to Trusted Adviser: 3 Tips for Mastering Consultative IT Sales
  • AppNeta Launches Global Alliances Program

Galleries

View all

From The Second City: How to Use Improv as a Business Tool

March 3, 2021

Industry Perspectives

View all

5 Ways XDR Can Improve Operational Efficiency for MSPs

March 4, 2021

Multi-Cloud: Strategy or Inevitable Outcome? (or both?)

March 3, 2021

Backup Vulnerability: 4 Targets Hackers Might Utilize to Infiltrate Your Backup Solution

March 2, 2021

Webinars

View all

A Partner’s Perspective on Channel Success in 2021

March 23, 2021

XDR and Why it Matters to MSPs

March 24, 2021

Top Security Trends Impacting Technology Security Providers In 2021

March 25, 2021

White Papers

View all

Why Fortinet for my MSSP?

March 2, 2021

Small and Mid-Size Business Security: 4 Steps to Success

March 2, 2021

How SMBs Can Secure Endpoints and Remote Workers for the Long Haul

March 2, 2021

Upcoming Events

View all

Channel Partners Conference & Expo

November 1, 2021 - November 4, 2021

Videos and Fastchats

View all

FASTCHAT: How SOAR Eliminates Security Challenges and Elevates Service Provider Revenues

January 6, 2021

Happy Holidays from Channel Partners & Channel Futures!

December 21, 2020

FASTCHAT: How Old, Unpatched Technologies Are Creating New Security Threats for MSPs and Their Customers

December 3, 2020

Twitter

ChannelFutures

#XDR can improve operational efficiency for #MSPs. @TrendMicro #security #endpoint #AI #threatintelligence… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

March 4, 2021
ChannelFutures

.@IBM adds two senior execs to leadership team at infrastructure IT spinoff, NewCo. @IBMNews @IBMPartners… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

March 4, 2021
ChannelFutures

RT @ChannelEurope: Craving more #EMEA news? Get the latest headlines, insights and commentary in EMEA directly to your inbox. Subscribe to…

March 4, 2021
ChannelFutures

Kelly Leonard of @SecondCity talks to us about how improv can be used as a business tool to improve the company cul… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

March 4, 2021
ChannelFutures

Another amazing day at #CPVirtual. Here's what you missed and what's on tap for Day 3. @Channel_Expo… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

March 4, 2021
ChannelFutures

Learn how @VMWare can help you build and deliver a #multicloud strategy. #hybridcloud #cloud #AWS… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

March 3, 2021
ChannelFutures

Learn about the merging of our media websites; plus, a new #MSP Summit this fall. @Channel_Expo… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

March 3, 2021
ChannelFutures

.@KnowBe4 acquires @MediaPROInc to beef up #cybersecurity training. dlvr.it/RtvdpB https://t.co/FzseCn4K6A

March 3, 2021

MSSP Insider

Newsletters and Updates

Sign up for The Channel Report, Channel Futures Update, MSP 501 Newsletter and more.

Live Channel Events

Get the latest information on the next industry-leading Channel Partners event.

Channel Partners Online

Want more? Find more channel news and analysis on our sister site, Channel Partners.

Media Kit And Advertising

Want to reach our audience? Access our media kit

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • Channel Partners Online
  • Channel Partners Events
  • MSP 501
  • MSSP Insider
  • IoT World Today
  • Webhostingtalk

WORKING WITH US

  • Contact
  • About us
  • Advertise
  • Newsletter

FOLLOW Channel Futures ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2021 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X