More often than not, people refer to 2007 and the launch of the iPhone as the key milestone that changed forever the mobile industry.
Despite an incredible device, Apple struggled the first few months because its business model relied on sharing revenues with telecom operators instead of letting them subsidize its smartphones.
The key milestone was in fact July 2008 and the launch of the Apple App Store because it symbolized a new era: the shift from hardware to software in the mobile industry.
While Apple was not the first app marketplace, it is fair to say it created the App economy. Five years and 50 billion downloads later, where do we stand?
App stores: A unique opportunity to engage consumers directly
Ask console gaming companies what they think of disruption created by app stores (now a generic term following the end of the “app store” name lawsuit between Apple and Amazon) and you’ll get a sense of what the app economy is.
We’re scratching the surface of changes to come but clearly the app economy enables brands (including those who do not have a retail presence) to get insights on consumer behaviors to create new products and to distribute them at much lower cost.
Numerous consumer app stores have flourished (more than 70 different Android-based app stores in China!) but few are really succeeding. Google Play has surpassed the Apple App Store when it comes to the sheer number of available apps and both have surpassed 50 billion downloads leaving competitors in the dust.
However, volume does not matter so much any more. This is all about usage, personalization and recommendation.