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Mobile Communication - Apps run the world

With 900 million mobile subscribers in India, over 600 million in Africa and just over 1 billion in China, there are more mobiles in the developing world than any other devices for communication. This brings a treasure trove of opportunities for builders of mobile applications.

Applications or better known as Apps – essentially pieces of software that can be purchased as stand-alone modular products according to the requirements of the user, are revolutionising the way in which we consumer software products. When you think back, all software used to come from the big software companies, you had operating systems, antivirus software and business software packs.

The Netscape guys are one of the pioneers of what we today view as the App revolution and the App market. Taking nothing from Apple and its iTunes Store, they well and truly made software a wide appealing consumer product. The folks from Netscape gave us a free browser that could work on your Linux or Windows PC.

Using the new Windows 8 platform on my PC - I could not help but be impressed of the distance the whole consumer software industry has come - I searched for a software application which did what I required, received 3 relevant options in the Windows App Store and purchased the one with the reviews I liked.

All from the comfort of home, simple and quick (well the internet connection wasn't that quick) bit process was good.

Corporate South Africa

The trend is similar in corporations - users of workplace applications require highly tailored Apps that are engaging and focus on the user, no longer function only. Almost as much effort goes into the user experience of the Application, as to the functionality and role of software, within the business.

Executives of companies have specialised dashboards to track all manner of performances within an organization - on remote devices that were never thought of 5 to 8 years ago.

The emergence of BYOD (bring-your-own-device) is further complicating the function of a CIO in corporations and making small to medium companies that more robust and agile.

Opportunities

Anyone who does not see that mobile App development is and will more pronouncedly over the next few years go in the direction of web development – where 12 year olds are able to deliver a half decent product, is quite delusional about the future of this industry.

Setting one apart is becoming more and more difficult, with greater competition and more savvy clients. Consistency and delivery on innovative products for clients will prove the key to success over time.

As much as there is opportunity for commercially relevant Apps, there is a great drive towards Apps being a marketing tool for businesses - delivering a function to the user but is a marketing avenue for the owner company.

Brands are using Apps for greater engagement than what traditional marketing allows - building small mobile games to run as an App on your mobile. The user gets the utility of a game but also assimilating the message being conveyed by the brand; a form of subliminal marketing at play.

Apps are a plenty - free and largely irrelevant, but each with its niche market clearly defined can offer great success and a viable business for the owner of the App. 

As is the case in business, identifying your niche is key to success. That goes doubly for technology entrepreneurs wishing to develop the next big App.

Opportunities to commercialize and commercialize effectively are extensive - all is needed is investment in time, thought and research.

At the end of it all, whether you will build the next big thing or just offer a service for others to build it for them - a clear understanding of the market in which the product will be sold is vital in ensuring that you make  a success of it and that as a third party developer, you get the street cred and referrals for more clients to come use your services.