It's a post-PC world, and mobile development is the name of the game. According to a report from Appcelerator and IDC, businesses and developers are racing to define a winning mobile strategy, while keeping an eye on platforms and business models.
The first-quarter report, garnered from a survey of 2,235 Appcelerator Titanium developers, shows that while the iPhone and iPad are still the leaders of the pack, Android smartphones and tablets are gaining large amounts of developer interest. Google has nearly caught up to Apple in smartphones and is closing the gap on tablets.
Businesses are increasingly taking a multi-platform approach. On average, respondents said they plan to deploy apps on at least four different devices.
The report also shows that for enterprises the days of mobile app exploration are drawing to a close and companies are moving, or have moved, into an acceleration phase, with an eye toward greater innovation. This year, developers and businesses expect to triple their app development efforts, and the average developer is now building for four different devices.
In addition, there is a dramatic increase in the integration of geo-location, social, and cloud connectivity services, along with increased plans to integrate advertising and in-app purchase business models.
With the growth in the market, Appcelerator and IDC have developed a "Mobile Maturity Model" to describe the three phases of mobility adoption -- exploration, acceleration, and innovation.
Last year, most respondents (44 percent) said they were in the exploration phase of their mobile strategy. A simple app or two -- typically on iPhone -- and a focus on free brand-affinity apps was standard practice. This year, 55 percent of respondents said they are now shifting into the ‘acceleration’ phase.
Summary of findings
Other findings from the report:
In addition to cloud services, integration of social and location services will explode in 2011 and will define the majority of mobile experiences this year.
A mobile strategy
What do Appcelerator and IDC recommend for business trying to develop a mobile strategy? It's a four pronged approach:
What starts as a tactical outsourcing of development “to get an app done fast” quickly turns into a more strategic discussion.
A copy of the full report is available from the Appcelerator site.
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