Disruptive Technologies And The Future Of Online Trading

Mary Meeker, the Morgan Stanley analyst who will soon be joining VC firm Kleiner Perkins, was recently recognized by Fortune magazine as the technology industry’s “smartest analyst.” So, I certainly paid close attention to what she had to say during her Web 2.0 Summit presentation.

What really caught my eye was Mary’s analysis of the mobile internet space. Take a look at this chart that shows a key inflection point. Sometime in 2012, it is projected that there will be more smart phones shipped than the number of notebook and desktop PCs combined.

Her peek into this tectonic technology shift is exciting for you and me, of course. As many of you know, we’re putting the finishing touches on our new Zecco mobile trading app.

Massive disruption leads to new innovations

I’ve worked in the brokerage and technology industries for many years – and have enjoyed helping to shape many new applications and platforms.

What I enjoy the most about new technology is its potential to cause massive disruption in the way we communicate, gather information, analyze data, entertain ourselves, and more. In fact, that’s why I joined Zecco, to help shape the future of online investing and trading.

A fast moving target

The rapid pace of innovation and disruption continues to amaze me. Consider for example that, when Zecco was founded in 2006, Twitter was barely in its infancy. Only a few thousand daily tweets went out in those early days. Today, millions of Twitter users (including Zecco) send that many tweets in just a few minutes.

And great new ideas snowball into others. Twitter led to new investment tools such as StockTwits, a service that lets you join or follow real-time conversations on investing and trading. Which, in turn is integrated with one of Zecco’s very own innovations, Zap Trade.

Apple vs. Android: It’s not one or the other

The flip side to disruptive technologies is that you’re never quite sure which devices and software platforms the market will embrace, and which will be left behind. Remember the battle between VHS and Betamax? Or more recently, Blue-Ray and HD-DVD?

When we began designing our mobile trading app, we had to make some key business decisions. One of which was to create an iPhone app first, and then add apps for other platforms, such as Android.

I can certainly understand why that disappoints the many Android users who have left comments on this topic on my previous posts.

But does that decision mean we’ll never develop an Android app?

Of course not. If that’s the technology that takes off in the smart phone market, that’s what we’ll respond to. And whatever app we release, for any device, I’m going to make sure it’s the best app available.

You see, ultimately our mission at Zecco is about building an exceptional online trading and investing experience – not to take sides in a “platform war.”

Besides, a year or two from now, the technology landscape will quite likely be undergoing even more rapid change. There will be new services, new devices, and new platforms that haven’t been invented or even imagined yet.

I’m not exactly sure what form these technologies will take – and I’m not sure Mary Meeker knows either. But I am sure of one thing. If these new technologies can help give our customers an edge in trading and investing, that’s exactly what we’ll be working on.

Important Note

Twitter, StockTwits, iPhone, and Android are registered trademarks and are the property of their respective owners.