Quote of the Day: Performance

"The overall use of a system is directly proportional to the ease-of-use of that system."
Andrew Carton
alteraxion

RELEVANCE I have recently found myself trying to explain and advise companies as to how to best improve the overall performance of their Internet initiatives and the above rule has helped me to illustrate a complex issue in simple terms that can be understood by all internal and external stakeholders.

As an example, I believe that a significant reason for Apple's success with both iTunes and the iPod can be attributed to the company's determination to reduce the complexity of its offerings and thus facilitate a more fluid usage of its 'systems'.

Among others this quote can help explain the success (or failure) of companies such as:
- Netflix holding 95% market share versus over 100 competitors
- iTunes being the overwhelmingly largest music download service
- The rapid adoption of FreeView in the UK
- The small (relative) penetration of TiVo
- The slow growth of the wireless network "3" across Europe

Please note that by 'system' we refer to a complete business system and not simply a hardware or software solution. It is the ease-of-use of the overall business system that needs to be addressed within the context of a complete consumer experience.