2013年，在中国移动互联网初启之际，移动应用分发被视为最重要的赛道。为获得布局移动互联网 的"船票"，百度宣布以19亿美元收购91助手及网龙旗下91无线，超过雅虎10亿美元参股阿里巴巴，成为 当时中国互联网史上最大并购案。彼时，91无线手握91助手、安卓市场两大应用分发平台，分别为国内 第一、第二大的应用分发平台。 "以几倍的溢价收购91无线，一方面在于移动应用分发是当时的大热赛道，行业共识是'得应用市场者得 天下'。为抢夺流量入口，布局更大规模的发行渠道，百度选择收购91助手这样一个现有且成熟的移动 互联平台。"互联网分析师丁道师对记者表示，另一方面，当时"BAT（即百度、腾讯、阿里）三巨 头"中，百度没有赶上移动互联网爆发的时机，正苦于寻找一款真正平台级的产品。 应用分发的时代正在远去，帮助手机"越狱"的91助手也成了"时代的眼泪"。 近日，91助手运营团队官宣，因业务调整及产品迭代优化需求，将于2025年9月27日23时59分起全面停 止所有服务，包括手机连接管理、文件传输、应用安装卸载、系统清理等功能。 官方表示，即日起至9月27日23时59分，客户端可正常使用，但会停止充值功能，并建议用户在此期间 ...

应用分发的时代正在远去，帮助手机"越狱"的91助手也成了"时代的眼泪"。 近日，91助手运营团队官宣，因业务调整及产品迭代优化需求，将于2025年9月27日23时59分起全面停止所有服务，包括手机连接管理、文件传输、 应用安装卸载、系统清理等功能。 官方表示，即日起至9月27日23时59分，客户端可正常使用，但会停止充值功能，并建议用户在此期间及时备份相关数据，服务终止后，用户在91助 手的数据将永久丢失，无法再以任何方式找回。 另外，91助手将向仍处于会员期的用户进行退费，服务有效期在8月31日之后的用户可以主动申请退款，未主动申请退费的用户将无法获得退款。 91手机助手的发展历程折射了整个移动应用分发行业的变迁。其成立恰逢手机产业史上的重大变革，曾一度成为中国手机应用下载的"代名词"。 2007年，苹果发布首款iPhone。彼时，正在台湾一家ERP软件公司任职的熊俊发现，iPhone的电脑管理功能极为不便，随后开发了一款名为"iPhone PC Suite"的工具，即91手机助手的雏形。这一工具一经上线备受好评，积攒了大批用户。随后，恰逢网龙公司上市，该公司提出以10万元人民币的价格收 购"iPhone ...

Core Points - 91 Assistant, a mobile management application, will cease all services on September 27, 2025, due to business adjustments and product iteration needs [1] - Users are advised to back up their data before the service termination, as data will be permanently lost afterward [1] - Refunds will be available for users with active memberships, but they must apply for the refund by September 15, 2025 [1] Company History - 91 Assistant was developed and launched by NetDragon in 2007, initially gaining popularity as the largest iOS "jailbreak" platform, providing services like application installation and file management [2] - By 2009, 91 Assistant expanded to the Android platform, capturing nearly 90% of the domestic mobile assistant market [2] - In 2013, Baidu acquired 91 Wireless, the parent company of 91 Assistant, for $1.9 billion, marking it as one of the largest acquisitions in Chinese internet history [2][3] Market Dynamics - After the acquisition, 91 Assistant was rebranded as Baidu 91 and integrated with Baidu's mobile products, achieving a user base of hundreds of millions and a market share exceeding 50% in 2014 [3] - The rise of official app stores from Apple and Android manufacturers diminished the need for third-party tools like 91 Assistant, leading to a decline in its relevance [3] - By 2020, Baidu announced the discontinuation of 91 Assistant and the Android market, with the latest announcement marking the final closure of the product [4]

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the evolution of Baidu Maps over the past two decades, highlighting its strategic shifts, technological advancements, and the challenges it faced in maintaining market leadership in the competitive landscape of mapping services. Group 1: Historical Development - Baidu Maps was launched in 2005, initially as a simple interface leveraging Mapbar's API, responding to over 8% of search requests related to maps [6][8] - The product underwent significant transformation in 2009 with a fully self-developed version, quickly gaining millions of daily active users [9] - By 2013, Baidu Maps had become a leading application with over 200 million users and a market share of 70%, largely due to its aggressive O2O strategy [27] Group 2: Strategic Shifts - Baidu Maps' strategy evolved from being a search traffic beneficiary to attempting to become an O2O service platform, integrating various services like ride-hailing and hotel bookings [20][21] - The transition to a more complex service model led to operational challenges, with users primarily utilizing the app for navigation rather than O2O services [28] - The competitive landscape shifted as competitors like Amap (Gaode) focused on enhancing user experience while Baidu struggled with app bloat and user retention [28][32] Group 3: Technological Innovations - Baidu Maps introduced real-time traffic features and advanced algorithms to improve navigation accuracy, setting industry standards [34] - The launch of the V20 version marked a significant technological advancement, integrating AI and enhancing user interaction through natural language processing [60][61] - The company also pursued internationalization by acquiring HERE Technologies' data to support users abroad, particularly as Chinese brands expanded globally [36] Group 4: Financial Performance and Challenges - Despite technological advancements, Baidu Maps faced financial difficulties, with annual revenues in the single-digit billion range and significant losses due to high operational costs [42] - The lack of a robust user account system hindered Baidu Maps' ability to create a comprehensive ecosystem, limiting its competitive edge against rivals like Amap [44][45] - The strategic misalignment and high marketing costs contributed to a decline in market share, prompting a reevaluation of the business model [43][46] Group 5: Future Directions - The current leadership under Shang Guobin aims to integrate various mapping services within Baidu's broader AI and autonomous driving initiatives, reflecting a shift towards a more data-centric approach [59][60] - The focus on high-precision maps and vehicle navigation systems indicates a strategic pivot towards supporting the autonomous driving sector, which is seen as a key growth area for Baidu [53][56] - The article concludes with a reflection on the enduring significance of mapping technology within Baidu's ecosystem, emphasizing its role in both consumer applications and foundational technology for future innovations [63]