6 ms·

Google voice denied and Line2 accepted? Interesting steve...

by stevederico 17y ago

niravs 17y ago
It's quite clear that the Google Voice rejection had nothing to do with app itself.
- jrockway 17y ago
  Good thing Apple also rejected Google Maps.
  - stanleydrew 17y ago
    I know you're being sarcastic, but I'm not sure what you're getting at.
    - jrockway 17y ago
      If Apple was trying to spite Google, why is Google Maps in the default install? Why not Bing maps, or Yahoo! maps, or Mapquest maps, or ... ?
      - jfarmer 17y ago
        Plausible deniability?
      - stanleydrew 17y ago
        Well the decision on Google Maps was made when the iPhone first came out right? Before Android even existed, so before Apple even had any reason to fear Google. That doesn't explain why Apple hasn't now switched to something else though. Maybe cause Google Maps is just too good to leave out? I don't know. What I do know is that Google Maps isn't attempting to commoditize smart phones like Google Voice is. So Apple has more reason to spite Google by rejecting Voice than Maps.
rationalbeaver 17y ago
Interesting indeed. In my book that smells like the 'unfair trade practices' type of interesting.
- jws 17y ago
  There was a well publicized policy change between the two events.
  - jey 17y ago
    Which policy change?
    - houseabsolute 17y ago
      It's the policy change where Steve would like to fuck Google up and doesn't care who knows it.
    - jws 17y ago
      Google Voice was rejected in July of 2009. In October of 2009 AT&T unilaterally (maybe after seeing how the FCC was thinking) amended their customer agreements to allow VOIP over the cellular network. Once that camel nose came under the tent the difference between VOIP phones and the builtin phone started to go away. Now in March of 2010 Line2 has been altered and accepted to deliver VOIP on the cellular network. As submitted, Google Voice had several problems, including a massive privacy violation that would have held up any app. It is reasonable to think that they could have worked through those. The "duplicates the dialer, voicemail, and SMS" seems to be the key objection that Google could not, or chose not, to work around, but at least for voice calls that is changing as evidenced by Line2. I never saw SMS come up explicitly, but surely AT&T would not be happy to see that cash cow vanish. The question is if they had enough foresight and clout to get it protected in their agreement with Apple.
      - stanleydrew 17y ago
        But Line2 was originally accepted, with all it's iPhone-duplicating functionality, in September 2009: http://techcrunch.com/2009/09/02/google-voice-alternative-line2-is-now-live-on-the-app-store/ http://techcrunch.com/2009/09/02/google-voice-alternative-li... And, at least if you believe the statements to the FCC, AT&T has never had anything to do with the acceptance or rejection of the Google Voice app. So Apple ends up looking rather hypocritical here, when all of it's stated reasons for rejecting Google Voice also apply to Line2's app and yet that app was accepted.
Groxx 17y ago
Interesting, but I highly doubt Steve Jobs personally approves every application. I find it strange that people keep quoting "wtf, Jobs?" and similar when he's the guy at the top, and isn't doing the job of every employee who makes a decision. And I'm one of the crowd who is wondering how long it'll last. It seems designed to be denied / ejected.
- stanleydrew 17y ago
  Well he does probably determine long-term strategy with respect to competitors like Google, so he can set the tone under which the Google Voice rejection took place. And you never know, he might have been personally involved in a decision like that.

Google voice denied and Line2 accepted? Interesting steve...

niravs 17y ago

It's quite clear that the Google Voice rejection had nothing to do with app itself.

jrockway 17y ago
Good thing Apple also rejected Google Maps.
- stanleydrew 17y ago
  I know you're being sarcastic, but I'm not sure what you're getting at.
  - jrockway 17y ago
    If Apple was trying to spite Google, why is Google Maps in the default install? Why not Bing maps, or Yahoo! maps, or Mapquest maps, or ... ?
    - jfarmer 17y ago
      Plausible deniability?
    - stanleydrew 17y ago
      Well the decision on Google Maps was made when the iPhone first came out right? Before Android even existed, so before Apple even had any reason to fear Google. That doesn't explain why Apple hasn't now switched to something else though. Maybe cause Google Maps is just too good to leave out? I don't know. What I do know is that Google Maps isn't attempting to commoditize smart phones like Google Voice is. So Apple has more reason to spite Google by rejecting Voice than Maps.

rationalbeaver 17y ago

Interesting indeed. In my book that smells like the 'unfair trade practices' type of interesting.

jws 17y ago
There was a well publicized policy change between the two events.
- jey 17y ago
  Which policy change?
  - houseabsolute 17y ago
    It's the policy change where Steve would like to fuck Google up and doesn't care who knows it.
  - jws 17y ago
    Google Voice was rejected in July of 2009. In October of 2009 AT&T unilaterally (maybe after seeing how the FCC was thinking) amended their customer agreements to allow VOIP over the cellular network. Once that camel nose came under the tent the difference between VOIP phones and the builtin phone started to go away. Now in March of 2010 Line2 has been altered and accepted to deliver VOIP on the cellular network. As submitted, Google Voice had several problems, including a massive privacy violation that would have held up any app. It is reasonable to think that they could have worked through those. The "duplicates the dialer, voicemail, and SMS" seems to be the key objection that Google could not, or chose not, to work around, but at least for voice calls that is changing as evidenced by Line2. I never saw SMS come up explicitly, but surely AT&T would not be happy to see that cash cow vanish. The question is if they had enough foresight and clout to get it protected in their agreement with Apple.
    - stanleydrew 17y ago
      But Line2 was originally accepted, with all it's iPhone-duplicating functionality, in September 2009: http://techcrunch.com/2009/09/02/google-voice-alternative-line2-is-now-live-on-the-app-store/ http://techcrunch.com/2009/09/02/google-voice-alternative-li... And, at least if you believe the statements to the FCC, AT&T has never had anything to do with the acceptance or rejection of the Google Voice app. So Apple ends up looking rather hypocritical here, when all of it's stated reasons for rejecting Google Voice also apply to Line2's app and yet that app was accepted.

Groxx 17y ago

Interesting, but I highly doubt Steve Jobs personally approves every application. I find it strange that people keep quoting "wtf, Jobs?" and similar when he's the guy at the top, and isn't doing the job of every employee who makes a decision. And I'm one of the crowd who is wondering how long it'll last. It seems designed to be denied / ejected.

stanleydrew 17y ago
Well he does probably determine long-term strategy with respect to competitors like Google, so he can set the tone under which the Google Voice rejection took place. And you never know, he might have been personally involved in a decision like that.