We’re happy to announce that we’ve added support for Blackberry devices.  Easy WiFi is now available on App World.  Hurrah!

This version of Easy WiFi is focused more tightly on the cellular offload problem.  It allows users to automatically connect to the Easy WiFi Network or any other WiFi providers they might use, but it drops the map and certain other niceties.  It’s just amazing how rapidly the mobile world is evolving and how the platform lineup has shifted so dramatically over the last few years.

When we started it was all about Windows Mobile, Windows PC, and Symbian.

Then Symbian started to mean “Nokia”.

Then iPhone appeared and we saw the ascension of the smartphone but WinMo apparently was in the bathroom while everyone was getting ready to go out to the party.  It quickly became iOS, Blackberry and Windows PC and we have to invite Symbian along.

Windows PC goes to the gym and tries to lose some pounds with Atom.

Suddenly Android hits and the lineup is iOS, Blackberry, Android.  Symbian fell off a cliff, and although the PC is still huge the playing field has changed and the Netbook doesn’t allow you entry into the new mobile club.

Today, it’s all about Android and iOS.  Blackberry still is huge as is the PC, but they’re just not at the head of the pack.  WinMo and Symbian are essentially dead.  Windows Phone looks interesting but a niche for now and no momentum.

What’s next?  I don’t know, but I know we’re sick of porting!

We recently decided to deemphasize iOS and withdraw our Easy WiFi apps from the App Store.  Sadly, the iOS platform has become less and less capable of supporting our product and we felt that the functionality had become so marginalized that it frustrated users.  It was doing more harm than good to keep them available.

This is somewhat ironic given that iOS was the first mobile platform we supported.  For a while, Easy WiFi was a top app in the App Store, making it to number 4 in popularity.  We felt like rock stars for a while!  This was during the days when AT&T needed you to jump through hoops to get connected at Starbucks and users quickly discovered we were a one-click solution to that problem.  Soon after, iOS 3.x rolled out and not only made the platform hostile to Easy WiFi (and similar apps from our peers) but AT&T locations gained built-in authentication (via WISPr, for those of you who care).

This wasn’t an easy decision for us.  Apple is very relevant and we certainly feel we have huge value to add.  Their current solution for hotspots – other than the single carrier network – is truly horrible and so, well, un-Apple!  Perhaps they hired some people who designed Windows Vista’s UAC?  My guess is that most iOS users are just so sick of clearing the “auto login” popup that they simply switch WiFi off and stick to cellular, adding further to the carrier data congestion woes.

So, our apologies to those of you out there with iOS, especially the loyal enthusiasts that have helped us with Easy WiFi over the past few years.  We hope to see you again, perhaps on iOS or maybe Android…which is powerful enough to support us fully