Poser on the iPhone, Google's Open Handset, and Mobile Content
Here's how I see it. The planet swallowing behemoth that is Google has decided they'd like to swallow a chunk of the mobile sector. Not a Microsoft get out of the way or we'll buy you type swallow, but more like the Discovery channel, snake eating the toad swallow. Slow, painless, and with a definite precision that says "just relax honey I'll be done soon". For you cave dwellers I'm speaking of the Open Handset Alliance and more specifically the Android platform. Yes, those of you in the know are saying, "but it's an open platform, come on Steve how can you speak such rubbish about our beloved Googlesaurus?" Well, if you want to get through a locked door that you're not supposed to open, give someone else the key, convince them that there are cookies on the other side, and then quietly slip in while they're being handcuffed.
Once cell networks are IP networks and have far surpassed the dismal performance of AT&T's EDGE and the expansion of those networks has increased exponentially, we'll have a tremendous need for mobile content. Content becomes immensely important and represents the next frontier in 2D, 3D, advertising, viral video, and the "you name it". iPhone type handsets, or should I now coin the acronym "ESC's" (Ear Side Computers), capable of receiving and displaying massive amounts of information while allowing you to escape reality and annoy others, will be commonplace. Hmmm you mean more like a small computer with VOIP than a phone? Why, yes I do!
Here's where Google comes in. Software.
The people that really understand software are already starting to influence cell phones. With an open and unified development and delivery platform, the sky's the limit. Google is getting there second, arguably third if you count Windows Mobile, and he who owns the platform owns the masses. Sorry Linux nerds, without the long ARM of the Googlesaurus it just ain't happenin' for ya. So in future Mobile space we might have the Mac OS, Android, and some butcher blend of Windows. Interesting to say the least. I don't know that Google will be successful, my guess is that they will, but no matter what happens, they will accelerate innovation, and that my compadres will bring a more enjoyable experience to the consumer. We're over the cameras in our phones, mp3 players, and crappy email clients. Make our ALWAYS CONNECTED devices small enough to put up to our ears, get us away from these 2 year contracts and grossly overpriced, bundled plans, and give us software and features that we take for granted everywhere else. That's all we ask.
Most of the talk in the Poser community has been about what will happen to Poser now and what Poser does or doesn't bring to Smith Micro. Why the e frontier product line does or doesn't dry well under the Smith Micro umbrella. I'd like you to approach this from the other direction and talk about what Smith Micro might bring to Poser. Innovation? Resources? Why does the core application have to do anything other than get better at what it does and do more things? Mobile is not hard to swallow once you understand the future. It's simply another medium. I for one hope that this is Poser's ticket to the big time. We all damn sure deserve it.
So I ask you, can Smith Micro afford now NOT to make a significant investment in a tool like Poser? I don't think so.
Here's what one analyst had to say about the deal:
http://www.newratings.com/analyst_news/article_1652461.html
Again I want to stress that these are my opinions and not fact. Nor are they based on any knowledge of future plans of e frontier, Google, Smith Micro or the FCC, or any knowledge at all actually. Speculate amongst yourselves.
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Feeed-mE! 
If this is really going to somehow translate into good things of interest to the current user base then perhaps Smith Micro could fill us in on their roadmap for the future of the application.
11/17/07
So, what are you actually proposing? Are you saying that Poser could and should be used to provide content for small mobile devices? That, though not clear in your comments, would make a lot more sense in the context of a company positioning itself to prosper in a mobile revolution. And, Poser 7 can already render animations and scenes.
Arguably, the capabilities of Poser 7 as it is now would be better suited to small format devices (little pictures) than to large format devices (computer screens, TVs, etc.). If I try to render a scene large enough to print as a poster, Poser aborts before ever finishing the scene, but it would take the program only minutes to render the same scene at 2 by 2.5 inches.
Hundreds of thousands of people (if not millions) are enthralled by YOUTUBE segments, and fuzzy cell phone pictures. The quality of cinema and pictures produced my Thomas Edison were better than that trash, and Poser 7 can already produce better content. If this is what you are suggesting, I can imagine it.
LMK
Interesting perspective. Although I disagree that content on mobile phones is going to be a large market. Perhaps with Google entering the fray it may open up some more opportunities. But to believe that mobile phones will somehow become a significant platform for 3D graphics content and/or applications is an ephemeral wisp. The bigger opportunity for Poser is to engage in the growing 3D immersive metaverse market (e.g. Second Life, 3D Via, etc) and on-line 3D gaming. If Smith Micro intends to relegate Poser as a mobile 3D content creation tool, I fear for Poser's future.