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Topic: Apps

How to participate in the $25 billion app economy

Summary: One developer's mini success story: Multiply by 3 million, and you have a thriving economic model for service development.

Joe McKendrick

By for Service Oriented |

As we move deeper into a service-oriented economy, the "app economy" will take on greater meaning, as entrepreneurs and mega-corporations alike spin app development into profitable business lines.

Trevor McKendrick (no relation that I'm aware of, honest!) just posted an interesting account of his year in the app business. Trevor built and launched a Spanish Bible mobile app for the iPhone in April 2012, and has so far netted more than $73,000 — after Apple's cut. The total development cost was $500.

The first version of the app was fairly basic, but, as demand grew, he was able to release a more polished update. He also released an audio version as a follow-on.

The takeaway here is that many online services — including those consumed by enterprises — are being independently produced by developers, and being made available in an open market type of environment. ABI Research estimates that the app economy will hit $25 billion this year. Call them "micro-ISVs" — representing a new attitude and opportunity, reshaping the way applications and services are being brought out to the world.

Topics: Apps, Cloud

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7 comments
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  • Good article, short

    and to the point. Wow a Spanish Bible app has already netted the dev over $73k. Not bad at all.
    DancesWithTrolls
    Reply Vote

    • For what, typing out what already exists?

      That is not "innovation", especially as Spanish bibles have existed for some time. Funny how we're praising something that isn't innovation, never mind the veracity of an old language being translated several times, and by people who may or may not be true to the original words, which may or may not have been written in good faith. After all, Leviticus still states people wearing garments of two or more thread types will be frying along with the shellfish eaters, those who don't beat their wives, anyone that didn't marry before copulating, and anyone who isn't a hetero (despite such examples being prevalent in the animal kingdom and you don't see any duck getting smote with brimstone(tm)...) So, in other words, to innovate that would pretty much muck up something that's been mucked up for centuries...

      Cortes would be happy. so would those he enslaved, so note that every time you see someone whose country has ties to that person wears a cross. Of course, the people whose necks he slit wouldn't care either way... but they were too proud to be mindless robotic slaves to the overlord of Espana...
      HypnoToad72
      Reply Vote

      • Congrats

        Congratulations, this is the most psychotic post I've read on ZDNet. And that's saying a lot, given the operating system jihadis that regularly post here, passionately defending their One True OS.
        dsf3g
        Reply Vote

  • App

    It's a good opportunity for developers, we must encourage entrepreneurship, so were born the Microsoft, Apple and others.
    http://demetalicos.com/productos_exhibidores.html
    Andres Arcesio Torres Cano
    Reply Vote

    • Thanks, spammer

      Looking up other articles that go into details about investment costs and their return on investment (on average), anyone blindly saying "go write for a cell phone toy" is misadvertising.

      If $4000 is a great "opportunity" or ROI for a what can easily amount to $2000 or far more for startup costs and equipment... it's a fool's errand.

      People need to look at all the facts. Not just hype up unsubstantiated "get rich quick" nonsense.

      Starting with looking up articles that have titles saying "fool's errand"

      And since you can put up articles hyping yourself up, here are articles that simply tell the truth for most:

      http://wmpoweruser.com/average-iphone-app-only-earns-2-per-day-or-why-the-app-store-is-a-fools-errand/

      http://articles.cnn.com/2011-03-04/tech/nintendo.apple.games_1_app-developers-nintendo-executives-game-developers-conference?_s=PM:TECH
      HypnoToad72
      Reply Vote

  • MOST developers who put out "successful product" or whatever

    still don't make the magical story you're hyping up.

    Most of the $25 billion doesn't end up in the workers' coffers, since all they did was create the entire application and only non-programmers don't have a clue (or wouldn't give a damn) over the amount of work involved... people just don't care... at least until they are personally affected by the system they used to be lah-dee-dah over...
    HypnoToad72
    Reply Vote

  • One Teenage-Band success story: Multiply by 3 million...

    ...can you really do it?
    m3e
    Reply Vote
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