As per a recent survey done by SurveyMonkey, global revenues from mobile applications are anticipated to grow by a jaw-dropping 962.5% between 2011 and 2017. It is estimated that with increasing dependency on mobile apps for financial transactions and business processes, mobile application will be a $100 billion USD industry by the end of 2020. Heading into 2017, this presents a huge opportunity for entrepreneurs and consumers and the space promises to be very exciting indeed. 2017 stands to be a benchmark year for mobile, and there are several reasons why. Not only is new and exciting technology infiltrating the mobile application development sector, but the cost of adopting a mobile app for small businesses will also actually be within reach in 2017. Let us have a look at what mobile app development has to offer for 2017:
1. Continued Usage of Location Based Services– Utility apps are growing in popularity. Many of us use our smartphone apps to carry out day-to-day activities such as contact tracking, ordering groceries, searching for nearest retail shops and restaurants, etc. Location based services have been in use in such apps, making our lives easy. Leading tech giants have recently made huge purchases in the LBS space, and Beacon technology is also becoming increasingly popular. Since the service drains battery pretty fast, hardware advancements in this particular area can also enable developers and businesses to flourish in 2017.
2. Android Instant Apps To Become a Reality– Google recently announced its Instant Apps feature that delivers exactly what it promises – it enables Android apps to run instantly. Gone are the days of individually downloading every app, using mobile data and more importantly worrying about phone memory space. This “run-only-as-you-need” concept could change the android app development industry. Such apps are perfect for a quick insight and valuable experience and may well make its debut in 2017.
3. The Internet-of-Things Dominates– The potential of mobile app development and IoT has been tremendous and there is no doubt the revenue and profit from them will increase twofold by the end of 2017. The integration of IoT and mobile apps was inconceivable but we are taking the impossible to the next level. Companies in the fields of healthcare, education, security, smart homes, automobiles and more have all started experimenting and integrating with IoT advancements.
4. Rise of Augmented Reality(AR) Apps– Last year we witnessed the power of Augmented Reality apps with the popularity of Pokemon Go and other similar applications. Over time, a greater number of apps have started putting AR into use and this technology is expected to take app functioning to the next level. AR tools can be used more effectively and productively than ever before. And it’s not about entertainment industry or games as you might have thought at first. Business is no exception. In 2017, we can expect these types of apps to enter various industry sectors as retail, manufacturing or life sciences.
5. Artificial Intelligence Will Officially Go Mobile– Development teams across the world will move onto integrating artificial intelligence in mobile apps. This technology could be game changing across industries, especially, education industry. Imagine an app that can teach kids to learn based on how they learn which in turn could easily skyrocket test scores across the globe. While photo filters are relatively common, developers could soon start creating tools to suggest photo editing filters based on your face type and dimensions to get that perfect picture uploaded to your social media profile.
A new year is always an exciting time for businesses around. Everyone gets time to self-reflect on the year gone by while preparing for what lies ahead. If you are trying to boost your business’ outreach and revenue, mobile apps cannot be ignored in 2017. Not when over 50% of your competitors are doing so, you have no choice but to get on board.
Even if you do not understand what mobility has to offer for 2017, make it a New Year Resolution to learn. Remember, learning acts #6 on the top 10 New Year’s Resolutions. You might just learn something useful in the process.
