Happy Tuesday! Grip it and Rip it!

Last week, I was in Vancouver, BC, Canada ripping it up with the Bitzio team this past week! As I mentioned in my last blog post Bitzio (www.bitzio.com) is the name of my Mobile Apps company that got acquired this past July. Oh ya…what’s even crazier is that it’s a publicly traded company now (stock ticker symbol is btzo.ob)!

It has been all-about-apps lately! And I wanted to share some insight into the industry with you on where I see it heading in 2012 after doing a bit of research.

First, some BIG NEWS!

Somewhere at a computer Wednesday, December 7th, a developer pushed a button and the one-millionth mobile app went to market.

WOW! That’s just INSANE!

NY times says…

14 days before the release of app No. 1,000,000, about 543 apps were released each day for Android-based devices, and an average of 745 apps hit the market daily for the iPhone, iPad and iTouch. The total for the two weeks across the Apple, Android, BlackBerry and Windows platforms was 20,738!

Around 15,000 apps are released right now per week!

And, Google reported…

The Android Market app downloads hit one billion per month, but Apple said that iOS downloads surpassed 18 billion in October.

73 percent of apps created for the fourth quarter are based on iOS, compared with 27 percent for Android.

Apps are BLOW’IN UP! (Well, you knew this!)

So what do I think are the 3 BIG changes (or catapulting shifts!) coming in 2012 to the app market?

And by catapulting shift, I mean these overall shifts are massively changing the market…and FAST!

BIG SHIFT #1 – Developers moving into building apps for The Enterprise!

The consumer market is overcrowded and developers will begin to create apps for businesses!

From an SD Times article,

Since many of us are using our mobile devices to ‘do business,’ there’s an equally if not more lucrative opportunity for developers to develop & build apps to make ‘doing business’… easier! Yes!

Actually… Partnerpedia’s recent survey showed over 80% of the 200+ respondents indicated they currently are or plan to offer mobile app solutions to businesses.

AND with third-party developers entering into the Enterprise IT field… well, this is going to revolutionize and drive innovation in business apps.

This is all ultimately result in increased productivity! And more fun and cool ways to go about doing business-as-usual.

Here are a few biz apps that I think are BAD ASS:

Yammer:  Yammer allows you to share ideas, get answers and stay connected with your team through multiple communication feeds in your company.  Cost: FREE

Hashable:  Hashable allows you to track your business relationships; record meetings, calls and intros; and exchange business cards.  Cost: FREE

Whiteboard Capture:  Allows users to filter pictures of whiteboards to remove undesirable artifacts and get a near-perfect digital image.  Cost: $ 1.99/user

The Next Biggest SHIFT…

Big SHIFT #2- Apps will not only generate revenue ($ 15.9 billion in expected end-user spending in 2012) but … INNOVATION.

An overcrowded market means app developers are going to start getting very, very innovative and creative! Mobile carriers are no longer at the helm! With more of us using smartphones, internet players in the mobile space, and the rising-up of application stores, we’re reducing the dominance of the BIG mobile carriers! And this means, fewer rules! Anyone can bring an awesome app to the market now.

This takes me to my next point!

Big SHIFT # 3 - Apps with VERY unique features that cater to the mobile environment are keys to success in this over-crowded market!

The apps that will win our hearts will have wicked features, and WILL NOT simple be an extension of the ‘online’ version.

Innovative apps and technologies at the interface layer will have the competitive edge, for sure.

Over the next 24 months, Gartner Inc. expects the mobile functions, such as the ability to “check in” to a store to alert a retailer that you are there, or the ability to add items to a shopping cart simply by taking a photo of it in the store!

Wicked new features also means… SUPER advanced searching and a TON of entertainment-filled and productivity-fueled functions!

For the FULL report on trends for 2012 from Gartner, go here: http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1230413

That’s all for now! Just thought I’d share some cool insights to where the mobile market is going!

Amish Shah

Technorati Tags: Apps, Blow’in