Mobile devices, and smart phones in particular, have changed the way we interact with the world around us. Today we are always connected; ready to explore, play, download and share – always one touch from the web and e-mail. Where we once asked, "Where is your website?”, today the question has become, "Is there an app for that?" You need to deliver a mobile experience that engages your clients, customers, and constituents by putting every aspect of your company or organization in the palms of their hands.
Smartphone applications are a class of user-installed software, more commonly called “apps,” that run on the mobile device operating systems such as Apple iPhone OS, Google Android, Blackberry, and Palm webOS. With the ability to connect to cellular and Wi-Fi networks, apps have proven to be powerful tools for businesses and consumers to share, absorb, and utilize information, entertainment, and productivity.
Mobile devices are used for so much more than traditional forms of communication; they can manipulate external devices, communicated with other web and desktop applications, enable mobile commerce, and provide a captivating brand experience - all through user-installed applications. The increasing utilitarian value of mobile applications continues to get people to spend more time on their mobile devices and less time with traditional communication tools and media.
Engaging your target audience through an engaging application running on a smartphone will significantly impact the way an influential, multi-generational group of people perceive your brand, use your services, buy your products, and so forth. Smartphone applications are the new portal to online news, information, services, and even entertainment.
What is the Market Potential for Apps?
The applications market will be big. No surprises there. The market will surge from 7 billion downloads last year to more than 50 billion by 2012.
The resulting revenues from these downloads will rise from $4 billion in 2009 to more than $17.5 billion by 2012.
Importantly, revenue derived from ad-funded applications – free applications funded by ads within the application – will double from 14 percent of revenues to 28 percent. This, as consumers embrace free applications and marketers embrace yet another new mobile channel to reach consumers as they flee from television, print and other established mediums.