We live in the digital era, and more and more old fashioned companies are starting to realize this, with more than 80% of companies actually spreading their content over mobile sources, like mobile phones and tablets.
This also brings light to the fact that technology that didn’t exist 10 years ago, is now the leading distribution method. 3 in 4 companies have actually said that having a mobile/tablet solution is a strategic move and one that will benefit their clients.
People want new shiny things, so when a company you like releases a free application for your phone, it gets you interacting more with them, and makes your own life quite a bit easier. This is beneficial to companies, as they are selling to you, the client, and if they make it easier for you then they benefit.
Having a bad application though reflects badly on the company, and leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of the clients (queue Standard Bank from a few weeks back.) This is then the crux of the situation, where companies no longer want to develop in house, as they are not geared towards developing mobile applications.
Outsourcing then, is the solution, but it is costly, and requires a lot of resources from both sides. So even though the mobile aspect of each business is very important, it seems that it also the last to get any attention purely due to the cost of actually getting the solution up and running, and then supporting it in terms of upgrades and fixes.
Don’t stress though, as with all things, the developer market will increase and drive down the ridiculous cost of development and benefiting all the parties involved, except the developers on the initial uptake that were riding the giant cash wave.
My final thoughts then, are get an application for mobile devices, and make sure it does what it should. Most content will be delivered via this medium, and will increase your penetration into the market as a company, and will put you head and shoulders above the competition.
*All statistics are quoted from the IAB tablet penetration survey