When I first saw the quote “Mobile app developers will ‘appify’ just about every interaction you can think of in your physical and digital worlds" (Scott Ellison, IDC mobile and wireless), I had a hard time with it. I thought it was geeky and overblown. Was my future phone going to make my future coffee? As I may have mentioned, I don't have a smartphone. Then I started to look at the trends and I started to feel like the world was becoming the one Woody Allen woke up to in The Sleeper.
I found that, according to a study commissioned by mobile application store operator GetJar, the mobile application market will reach $17.5 billion by 2012. By then, the number of mobile application downloads will have also grown to nearly 50 billion from just over 7 billion in 2009, and that a year ago January 26, The Globe and Mail reported that:
“...research firm Gartner Inc. forecast the worldwide mobile app market to surpass US$15.1-billion in revenue in 2011, an increase of 190% from the US$5.2-billion mobile applications generated in 2010. By mid-decade in 2014, Gartner is expected that figure to reach US$58-billion, marking growth of 1,000% from 2010 levels.”
1000% increase by 2014?
Then I learned that they can locate and unlock a Zip Car, act as health monitors for diabetes patients and track the development of a pregnancy. That applications are growing in the areas of mobile payments; spooky, J. Bond-like "near field communications" (contactless data transfer between compatible devices placed within 10 cm of each other); money transfer through short message services (a need in the developing world); location based services (aps that tap into your phone’s GPS to offer location based services such as directions to local businesses) and last but not least, for all the marketers: mobile search aps to drive sales and marketing opportunities on the phone.
There could easily be an app for making the coffee. Wait for it.
Probably already is an app for making coffee.
ReplyDeleteIf there is an app for making coffee, I may have to give in. Is there one for finding a car in a parking lot? I want it, too.
DeleteSarah, have you seen The Sleeper? It might give you a laugh. It's like that. A robot in every house :)
I wish there was an app for coffee, and I'm sure there is something coming!
ReplyDeleteThe research you did showing the growth of the industry are astounding. I find it interesting that apps are still quite new, but they truly are becoming ingrained in every part of our life. I only have a Blackberry, so I don't use too many apps (as I would if I had an iPhone or iPad), but I'm not sure I would want to subscribe to too many apps. Perhaps I fear becoming very depending on them, but I always think that back when our parents grew up, they did just find without apps. Clearly I need to get with the times though because it doesn't seem like apps are going anywhere! Thanks for a great post!