Mobile Apps Industry to Surge

 


The mobile application world continues to expand at a breakneck pace. In an ever expanding and increasingly competitive mobile app marketplace, it’s becoming harder for developers to create apps that stand out for being more entertaining, engaging and worthy of consumers’ attention and money. There are approximately 350,000 apps in iTunes, 65,000 in the Android marketplace, and thousands more being developed every hour.


 


Consumers across the globe will download 17.7 billion applications from mobile app stores in 2011–up from 8.2 billion in 2010, translating to a 117 percent leap–according to research and advisory firm Gartner. App store revenues are anticipated to exceed $15.1 billion by year’s end, compared to $5.2 billion a year ago, with both premium app downloads and in-app advertising galvanizing revenue growth. Nevertheless, Gartner expects free applications will make up 81 percent of all downloads this year, explaining that consumers will begin paying for more applications once they’ve fully grasped the value of the mobile software experience and become more trustful of billing mechanisms.


 


So the challenge is to keep innovating. Keeping this in mind , The South Korean electronics major Samsung came up  with their own prorietary OS -bada’ which offers a feature-rich, -open’ platform for providing enhanced mobile experiences to consumers, and a complete mobile ecosystem through a developer support program that both the developers and consumers will benefit from. Based on Samsung’s accumulated expertise in developing advanced mobile phones, the company is enabling its users to enjoy ultimate mobile experience through superb application rich features.


 


 


Samsung has an objective of building the eco-system in India, wherein Indian developers are being encouraged to create apps customized for the Indian market. Samsung is working actively with over 800 application developers in India for enriching the bada platform. There have already been over 3 million downloads of bada applications from customers in India.


 


 


A mobile phone has multiple forms of use and mobile applications only add value to it. With the current explosion of new applications, it is expected that the market for mobile applications will be as big as the Internet, peaking at 10 million apps in 2020. Mobile application is seen as the next big opportunity after the ringtone market and promises a revolution in active and engaging communication. Samsung will continue to innovate and build this platform with rich localized applications made for Indian consumers this year and ahead. 


 


 


Samsung Wave i8500 was the first Smartphone that was launched on the platform and received a very positive response from the Indian consumers. As in the first quarter of 2011, Samsung strengthened its bada portfolio with Wave 525, Wave 533, Wave 723 and Wave II. Wave II is the latest addition to the bada portfolio and delivers a powerful mix of upgraded Smart performance. Today Samsung has a strong portfolio of 5 -Wave’ phones on the bada platform priced in the range between Rs 8,800 20,900.


 


 


By Ranjit Yadav, country head, Samsung Mobile & IT


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