Could a case be made that the app revolution is bigger than the birth of the Internet? Another case could be made that the sharp incline of new emerging apps would be a front runner in a race between the birth of the Internet and the role of smartphone apps.
If you have not heard of the app revolution, then you just did. The app revolution, as some are calling it, is the ever-increasing amount of new and useful apps and app features. Like the birth of the Internet, companies and individuals are jumping on board to take advantage of this trend. A trend that has no sign of slowing down.
Unlike its predecessor, the website, mobile apps are now becoming the go-to form of media and customer interaction. If you have a smartphone then you know that 95% of all websites are difficult to view from a smartphone screen. Often you need to zoom in with difficulty and website navigation is choppy and confusing. In my own experience, viewing a website on a smartphone is rather difficult causing me to go to my laptop instead. In some cases, I may just give up completely.
So how did we get here?
Our society is ever evolving and the needs of our society are constantly changing. 15 years ago, having a cell phone meant that anyone could contact you instantly. You could leave the office or home but still be available if needed. A huge leap forward considering previous cell phones were large and overbearing. Carrying around a cell phone in your pocket was a concept that was amazing and intriguing.
Now let’s jump ahead 5 years later…
Text messaging becomes more popular and widely used. In fact, cell phone providers never intended text messaging to become as big as it has. Many providers had to quickly upgrade networks and infrastructure to accommodate the spike in data usage. From personal experience, my text message plan was free when I got my first mobile phone. The sales guy showed me that my phone could send texts but his response to that option was “why would anyone type a message when they can just call”. Instead of calling, society has chosen to send brief instant messages instead. Some may say the personal connections that were once formed from talking on the phone have dulled. Others will say it makes it easier to communicate what your feeling without awkwardness. Either way, text messaging changed our daily communication with one another.
Then along came the smartphone…
The birthplace of the smartphone can be traced all the way back to the early years of cell phones, around 1993. However, smartphones were more commonly used for enterprise application rather than consumer use. Since these early version smartphones were very expensive, owning one for everyday use did not make sense.
When Apple Inc launched the first iPhone around 2007 the world once again made a huge jump forward. Unlike earlier cell phones, the iPhone could do more for the user. You could download “apps” or applications which made using the phone easier. These apps also became useful for everyday problem solving and daily living. As newer versions of the iPhone were launched, more app developers came online developing apps.
The present day is seeing the upward trend of new apps and app features. Developing apps for companies like Apple and Google have become more streamlined. This streamlining has made it easier to submit apps for upload and disbursement to clients and customers. Game apps like Angry Birds have become household names and entertainment for the whole family.
If you have a smartphone then you know that there is practically an app for anything. Since tool apps have become saturated, an app revolution of company and business apps is occurring right now with no signs of slowing down. As companies begin to see the possibilities an app offers to both customers and the company, more and more business apps are emerging.
As the app revolution continues to warp ahead faster then the Star Trek enterprise, you have to ask yourself if you want to be left behind or warp ahead of everyone else.
Thanks for reading
