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The App Store turns six: Where does the future lead?

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App Store

App StoreWhile the release of the iPhone was no doubt a huge moment in the way consumers interact with technology, it was arguably the App Store which had a bigger impact on commerce and technology in general.

That launch occurred six years ago today. And during that time, the store has surged – there have been 75 billion downloads with $US15 billion sent to developers. As of today there are more than one million apps in the store – a far cry from the few hundred which appeared back in 2008.

Of course, not all of those apps are receiving the same amount of popularity. According to a recent report, 80% of those apps aren’t receiving much attention – it’s only the top of the pile that earn significant downloads. It’s much harder for app studios to get ahead.

So where will the future of apps take us? Already, we’ve seen the transformation from apps as gimmicks to full-blown enterprise-grade products, such as Evernote. This is where the concept of an “app” begins to blur – instead of the app being the end-product, it’s merely another channel through which a service can be provided.

The exact same situation is occurring in the retail sector. Bricks and mortar, mobile and tablets – these are merely channels through which a service can be provided. As apps have developed, the concept of a standalone mobile program has disappeared. Instead, the app is just the mobile representation of a product.

Six years ago, it would be enough to have an app. Now, to achieve full market penetration, it isn’t enough.

With that in mind, the future of apps means different things for different markets:

  • For developers, the continual adding of technology means apps must change in order to adapt to these technologies. This is more than simply adding a new user interface – the way an app interacts with Google Glass is entirely different to the same service on a Samsung Galaxy smartphone. This requires constant rethinking of what apps are, what they do, how they work and who uses them.
  • For businesses, there are always more opportunities to create apps and to have them service specific needs for customers. Especially as new technology such as wearables become available, more industries have the opportunity to create apps both for themselves and for the public.

The App Store has shown within a short amount of time it is more than just a place to find fun software – it is an industry cornerstone. The next six years will surely solidify that position, but also present new challenges. Are you ready?

 

 

The post The App Store turns six: Where does the future lead? appeared first on Digital Pulse - Disruption, Innovation and Industry Change.


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