108 billion mobile apps to be downloaded in 2017 - report

According to a report titled “The Mobile Application Market” issued by analyst firm Berg Insight, revenues from applications, including direct revenues and in-app ad revenues, reached EUR 6.4 billion in 2012. Additionally, app revenues are predicted to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 17 percent to reach EUR 14.1 billion in 2017.

The report has also found that the increase in app downloads during 2012 comes mainly from Apple App Store, Google Play and some of the third party app stores. Third party app stores pushed Android to become the leading platform in terms of app downloads during 2012. While many Western third party app stores are struggling, the situation is different in other parts of the world. Monetisation is however particularly challenging in these markets, even though free to download strategies such as in-app advertising and in-app payments are promising and have been moderately successful.

Finally, the report has shown that the most important trends on the app market today are the popularity of free to download apps and multiplatform support. Furthermore, publishers commonly incorporate social features, where some build their own social platforms and others use existing social networks in order to expand their application user base and increase engagement. The mobile app market is highly competitive, but the economical upside can be great for the successful publishers.