Study: Publishers Need To Look Beyond Iphone to Platforms Such As Android and the Mobile Web to Maximize Their Market Opportunity

GetJar, the world's second largest app store after the Apple (News - Alert) App Store, backed Juniper Research's latest findings about mobile apps by hosting a joint round-table meeting earlier this year with Dr. Windsor Holden from Juniper Research (News - Alert), who said in the report, "If the mobile industry wishes to introduce a model based on applications, then it must ensure that those applications are accessible by a wide range of handsets ranging from smartphones to mass market devices."

 

Patrick Mork, CMO of GetJar said, "With GetJar having just hit the one billion download mark and Juniper's predictions about the projected value of the app market, developers and brands need to take a broader view of the opportunity ahead of them. With more and more consumers embracing apps, publishers need to look beyond the iPhone to platforms such as Android and the mobile web to maximize their market opportunity.

 

"As an open, cross-platform app store, we've seen devices like the Samsung Moment and HTC (News - Alert) Hero become among our most popular devices by downloads in the United States in a very short amount of time. Both run on the Android platform. Likewise, devices like the Samsung (News - Alert) Instinct and LG Rumor II have performed exceptionally well further reinforcing the notion that mainstream consumers using feature phones with 'smartphone-like' capabilities are also becoming engaged with apps. Mobile Web is often the fastest, most scaleable and cost effective way of reaching users with these types of phones."

 

Unfortunately, Mobile Web is usually underestimated by brands too focussed on high-end devices. However, innovative companies like Facebook (News - Alert), Yahoo!, Ebay, Foursquare and Bing are complementing their high-end app strategy with a lower end mobile web strategy. By promoting "short-cuts" to their sites on various distribution channels they can easily reach consumers across devices and platforms in just one go without worrying about fragmentation since the mobile web works equally on most web-enabled phones. Yahoo! for example, has done over 4 million downloads of its "shortcut" on GetJar alone since launch.

 

A cross-platform strategy is critical as a way for brands and publishers to reach consumers. Apple has been very successful in creating a device that is engaging. However, to truly reach a wider audience, brands must also embrace multiple platforms. A survey GetJar conducted last year of 15,000 respondents indicated that 70 percent have shared their favourite apps with friends. With viral being such an important component of mobile marketing, a cross platform approach is essential to help consumers promote apps among their friends and family.

 

Read here about how Skype recently launched the new version of its iPhone application which is available for download in the Apple App Store for users in Australia/ New Zealand. By making use of this update, iPhone users are able to make and receive Skype-to-Skype calls, and to call mobiles and landlines worldwide very cheaply for the first time over their 3G data connection.