Developers like having their software run on many different computing platforms. Cobalt likes having popular applications run particularly well on its own platform. Meanwhile, Cobalt sees itself operating on another kind of platform, a global one. That's also the kind of thing more and more technology companies are understanding these days. Being global is increasingly not an option, but a necessity, and a company that thinks of itself as global from Day One has an edge on competitors that try to bolt on their international strategy later on.
Cobalt is up against some of the industry's toughest competitors.
I won't predict whether it'll be standing, much less thriving, in five years. But this is one smart company. About this article Reposted with permission. Dan Gillmor's column appears each Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday. Inc. All rights reserved.