Report 3—The emerging mobile telecommunications service market in Australia
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- Application stores
- Device-based
- Mobile applications and the mobile services value chain
Mobile applicationsThe mobile applications market has expanded rapidly and it is expected to continue to grow at a very strong rate. Worldwide, downloads of mobile applications via mobile handsets are expected to increase from 8.2 billion in 2010 to 17.7 billion in 2011. The majority of applications are downloaded free of charge, although worldwide revenues of application stores from both end users purchasing applications and advertising are expected to increase from $5.2 billion in 2010 to over $15.1 billion in 2011.20 Australia makes up a small proportion of this activity, with approximately 40 million free mobile applications downloaded in Australia during 2010.21 In Australia, mobile applications are most commonly accessed by males aged under 35 years, with social networking (40 per cent of mobile phone internet users) and banking and bill payment (19 per cent of mobile phone internet users) among the most popular online activities undertaken via mobile phones during June 2011.22 In the six months to April 2011, 42 per cent of 3G mobile phone users downloaded a mobile application, compared to 72 per cent of smartphone users.23 Application storesApplication stores are a key source of mobile applications for consumers. Application stores have so far mainly been associated with smartphone devices. The two most popular stores, with a combined market share of 75 per cent in the second quarter of 2011, were Android Market, which retails mobile applications for smartphones using Android-based software, and the iTunes App Store for iPhones.24 Other organisations, such as Amazon and Facebook are also starting to offer application stores.25 Device-basedSmartphones have different software operating systems that are related to their device manufacturer. Consequently, application developers need to create different versions of an application to cater for different operating system platforms. Consumers then download the application that was created for their device. Mobile applications and the mobile services value chainMobile applications essentially increase the number of services that a mobile handset can provide. In some cases, these applications provide a substitute for communication activities, such as an application that mimics the function of a text message. In others, they are an extension of a service that already exists online or in a bricks and mortar store. Traditionally, only the mobile service provider was responsible for services provided on the mobile handset but the landscape for the mobile handset customer is now very different (Figure 3). New sources of services for mobile handsets will potentially replace roles that have previously been the responsibility of MSPs, making mobile applications alternative providers in the mobile service value chain.
At the same time, the impact of mobile applications is not restricted to the mobile service industry. For example, games applications now available for smartphone users are extremely popular; Angry Birds alone has been downloaded 500 million times worldwide. It has been suggested that some consumer segments, such as children, may replace other games sources—for example, their games consoles—with games available on mobile phones.26 Consequently, there are myriad industry sectors involved in creating and delivering mobile applications. The drivers for providing mobile applications, and the possible consequences of having many providers, are outlined in the next section. Directory: media -> Research-and-Analysis media -> Unicef voices of Youth Chat Theme: Children and aids nigeria and Zimbabwe 13 October 2006 Background media -> Tsunami Terror Alert: Voices of Youth media -> Biblical Eschatology Presentation by: D. Paul Beck May 4, 2016 Ground Rules media -> Guide to completing the collection using the Omnibus system media -> The milk carton kids media -> Events Date and Location media -> The Gilded Age: The First Generation of Historians by H. Wayne Morgan University of Oklahoma, April 18, 1997 media -> Analysis of Law in the United Kingdom pertaining to Cross-Border Disaster Relief Prepared by: For the 30 June 2010 Foreword media -> Cuba fieldcourse 2010 Research-and-Analysis -> Australia in the digital economy Download 338.67 Kb. Share with your friends:
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