Managing mobile platform proliferation and Smartphone market fragmentation - Dissertation Example

s Figure 1 Wordlwide Mobile Device Sales to End Users by Vendor in 2Q11 (Gartner, 2011) 17 Figure 2 Top Five Mobile Phone Vendors, Shipments, and Market Share, Q3 2011 (IDC, 2011) 19 Figure 3 Worldwide Smartphone Sales to End Users by Operating System (Gartner, 2008) 21 Figure 4 Worldwide Smartphone Sales to End Users by Operating System in 2Q11 (Gartner, 2011) 22 Figure 5 "Very Interested" App Developers for Each Platform (Appcelerator/IDC, 2011) 27 Figure 6 Fluctuations in the Interest of App Developers in Each Platform (Appcelerator/IDC, 2011) 28 Figure 7 Normalized Share of Smartphone Market (Appcelerator/IDC, 2011) 35 Introduction All major digital technologies and media today are geared up to go mobile, thus making the industry the fastest-growing on a global scale (Ahonen, 2011).

Companies in this trillion-dollar industry experience greater growth and cut-throat competition. Product development and market acquisition are continuously occurring as existing markets demand for new features and applications, while emerging markets have become more receptive to mobile technology. Digital technologies such as computers, the internet and telecommunications are now on mobile devices. Meanwhile, everything that consumers need from entertainment (games, music, television, shopping) to necessities (banking and credit cards) has found a way to be instantly accessible.

As a whole, the industry grew by 16.5% in the second quarter of 2011 as vendors shipped 428.7 million units; and12.8% in the third quarter with 393.7 million units shipped compared to 348.9 million units in the third quarter of 2010 (Business Wire, 2011). As of February 2011, there are 5.2 billion active, fully-paid mobile subscriptions, and 3.7 billion unique mobile phone users since most users own two or. From the research it can be comprehended that in a survey conducted by IDC among developers, they have stated that the most important goal for them is to have as much reach as possible.

This may be a challenge in a fragmented market since different devices entail different user experiences. More so, these devices reflect the kind of apps that consumers are interested in. Developers cannot aim to write one software and wish it to succeed in a multitude of platforms and devices. First, consider user experience, target demographics and finally, device capabilities. For instance, the apps most popular in iPhone and Android phones are utilitarian in nature. iPad and Android tablets on the other hand leverage on the expanded screen in creating richer engagement.

Proper targeting is important in the mobile developing field. Gone are the days when what only matters are the capabilities of the device. Developers must have a profound understanding of its user, user context, cost-benefit to the user and the company, target device and the limitations of the developer. According to IDC, the 2012 mobile industry will be shaped by new content ecosystems, new demographics and lower price points. Because of the fast changing environment, developers must be always updated with the latest not only in terms of technology, but strategic moves of the big players.

These things will affect the development environment in the short term but more so in the long run.