Where is the Mobile App Going in 2016?

By Steve Anderson, Contributing Writer

The mobile app has left an indelible mark on society, so considering its future can have some clear benefit. Where will the mobile app go with the rest of 2016? There are many possibilities, but some stick out more than others.

The development of Apple's Swift (News - Alert) language is opening up app development, giving app developers access to better—both more qualified and more reliable—code right from the outset. So far, Swift—then part of a set of Xcode tools—has been downloaded 11 million times, and since Swift is pushing toward open source, that's only likely to increase.

Enterprise apps are likely to prove a big part of 2016's development, as many have discovered that the enterprise app is the more profitable. With around half of all the apps available on the Google (News - Alert) Play Store and the Apple App Store focusing on enterprise productivity, it's clear that this is the sector to beat in terms of revenue-producing apps. Businesses can commonly pay more, and often will, especially when it comes to tools that can directly impact the bottom line.

More tools will make jumps across different platforms, as already seen with a host of tools like PhoneGap and Cocos2d. Users aren't particularly comfortable with single-platform tools, and cross-platform systems accommodate that comfort while also allowing for better functionality and reduced costs to maintain the system.

Rounding out the predictions are an increased use of the Internet of Things (IoT) at the enterprise level—a development that's already been seen on several fronts—and the growth of security for mobile apps, which has also been seen fairly routinely. Projecting growth in these fields isn't particularly difficult, as it's really a continuation of developments already seen.

Mobile app development is a huge part of standard life; not only do we have developers working to bring out the next generation of tools, but we also have businesses considering how best to put these tools to work. Too often, such tools fall into the notion of “shadow IT,” where employees turn to unapproved mobile apps just to get the job done. That's a concept that can have serious ramifications for a company, and it's a point covered at ITEXPO, running through January 28 at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale. On Tuesday, January 26, Tangoe (News - Alert)'s Julie Stafford will offer an address called “BYOC and Shadow IT: Why Modern-Day Enterprises Must Monitor Cloud Usage” that will offer excellent insight into this growing problem.

Mobile app development should have plenty of development in 2016, and by 2017's arrival, we'll all see how these changes start impacting the landscape. Mobile apps are too useful to pass up altogether, and so, our understanding of changes in this market will be vital to getting the most out of such apps.