Mobile Apps market wars set in as demand goes up

To the world of mobile phone software applications, the last week of December 2011 represents a huge milestone. The period saw the highest number of application downloads in history.

Data released by mobile research firm Flurry Analytics shows that both iOS and Android App downloads peaked at 1.2 billion during the last week of 2011 — making it the biggest week for app downloads for both smart phone and handset devices.

US led the holiday week download at 509 million, followed by China at 99 million, and UK with 81 million downloads.

According to Google, Kenya is only second to South Africa on the continent in regard to Android developer statistics.

This has prompted tech trend watchers to predict that consumer appetites for apps can only grow in 2012.

According to a Digital Life report by TNS Research International released in 2010, Kenya has over 51 per cent of Internet users who are highly engaged online via their mobile phones.

Businesses in the country are now challenged to align their operations with this in mind as more and more users access services through their handsets.

In response, businesses have adapted to this trend, setting up systems such as mobile payment options, accessing services such as mobile banking, mobile health applications and paying of utilities via the same mode.

Developers too have been busy coding, in a bid to fill the rapidly growing app market.

Particularly, the Android platform has seen many developers coming up with apps such as Vipi Vipi, Olalashe, and Shopper’s Delight.

Kenya’s Android market share stands at almost eight per cent of total mobile platforms in the country.

In recognition of the need to grow the smart phone market share, mobile phone and technology firms have been launching competitions aimed at spurring app development in Africa.

The availability of apps means that companies that have been putting out smart phones and devices will have a ready market for users to install apps — “They won’t buy it if they can’t customise it”.

The winning apps are usually placed in the company’s app store. Sony Ericsson, Samsung and Google have been head to head on this front.

For example, there was the Google-Android Developer challenge forsub-Saharan Africa, where the winning applications bagged $25,000 (Sh2.6 million) each.

The app market space is big and developers in Kenya should bear in mind that they are not only creating for the local market, but globally too.

This is important if local developers are to gain from the increasing space.

Even with the popularity of Android in Kenya, boosted largely by the availability of low cost Android phones such as Huawei Ideos and San Fransico ZTE, developers who are in it for the money may not be flocking to Android just yet.