Disqus
Information Week is reporting on some research by In-stat, that says the number of mobile application store users will grow by 4x to more than 100mn, within just 5 years!
In-stat’s report is called “The Apps Store Is Born” – and clearly informed heavily by Apple’s App Store – which has seen 800mn+ downloads in the last year. There are of course new entrants in to the field (RIM), some old hands (Handango), and even some free players (GetJar), but the trailblazer (certainly from a PR point-of-view anyway) has been Apple.
The extent to which “Apps” have taken over has even meant that industry commentators are writing pieces on whether Apps are the future – well, my perspective is, only if they have something useful to do – that usefulness might be entertaining you (games), being productive (office-like apps), or maybe something of general interest (translator), but it seems at any rate that consumers are getting that there is more to content that just static ringtones and wallpapers.
At any rate, the research sees a rosy future for App Stores, so long as business models can be clearly defined. Certainly if people continue to invest in applications at the rate they have been, I’ve got to agree!
[Via: Information Week]
About The Author
Ben Robinson
Ben is a 10+ year veteran of the Mobile industry – starting his career when SMS was a still a relatively new concept for most people (!), he has now consulted on everything from bleeding-edge Mobile content, to the next-gen accessories you might view it on. As a result he has a broad and deep knowledge in numerous areas of Mobile – from network operators to device vendors, to infrastructure and middleware vendors (not to mention content delivery) – and has worked for companies in all of these areas! He is based in the UK, a hotbed of activity for mobile, and recently became a father for the second time – as oppose to in his younger years when he was happy spend time tweaking all manner of mobile devices to 'nth' degree, he now looks for services and hardware that provide the most efficient, compact, and reliable improvements to his already manic life! It’s his opinion that Mobile solutions should be there to help to make your life better – if a particular solution (be it service or device) isn’t doing this, he believes you need to ask the very important question of why you continue to use it... His focus at IntoMobile is mainly on Mobile content, services, and infrastructure, particularly as regards the UK market – and with the occasional look at devices. Additionally, using his extensive experience in the industry, he will provide commentary on the industry at large, with regular (and hopefully thought-provoking) articles.
