Apple's innovation has attracted many followers of the myth.Terminal manufacturers from Nokia, the Canadian telecommunications company RIM, Palm, handheld device manufacturers, to the operating system vendors Microsoft and Google search for the boss, and the operators, China Mobile, are eyeing Apple's invariably a pocketbook: Software Store App Store.
July 2008, formally launched Apple's application store, in less than a year, the downloads to over 1 billion times, the total number of over 50,000 applications.It is estimated that at least the application store sales this year will reach 365 million.For many businesses really feel the phone applications and content industry tremendous opportunities.
Popular application software also stores application software from the mobile consumer demand is high.3G network construction and the popularity of smart phones make it possible for more mobile applications, consumer applications demand increased significantly.Applications support rich smartphone into a bright spot in the mobile phone market, strong corporate smart phone market share continues to rise.According to Informa estimates that in 2009, smart phones will account for 13.5% share of the mobile phone market, but by 2013 this proportion is also expected to increase to 38%.
With the growth of smart phone sales, mobile application software may be a great potential market.In 2008, the mobile application store sales of 10 billion U.S. dollars, and by 2014, according to consulting firm Juniper Research estimates that this market will reach 250 billion U.S. dollars.The success of Apple's applications store chain to further promote the industrial enterprises of all types into the store for application software.
Apple's software store is a secret of success
Apple for the App Store's success depends on two important factors: the scale developers and users.Only a large number of developers in order to ensure supply of rich applications, which attracting a large number of users.On the other hand, there is only willing to buy a large number of applications and content, users can ensure that the developer's profit.
In fact, Apple is the demand from these two aspects of supply and lay the basis for the success of App Store.
On the demand side, Apple iPod products across time talking about just a playback device, in order to facilitate the users to download music and other content offerings, Apple and 2001, upstream content providers, so that iPod users to download music through iTunes, playback devices and content to achieve the perfectcombined, then Apple will extend this model to mobile phones.April 2007, Apple has sold 100 million iPod, iTunes has sold 2.5 billion songs, 50 million TV shows and over 130 million movies.It was also in 2007, Apple launched the first iPhone, iPod music player containing, iPhone users can also access music through iTunes.
It can be said, precisely because the majority of Apple iPhone users can provide rich content and applications to choose iPhone, and they used to obtain these through iTunes content and applications.
In 2008, Apple opened the main selling games, application software and other products of the App Store, and integration with iTunes, iPhone users use iTunes to buy music by the past, the way, you can easily download mobile content and applications.From iTunes to the App Store, Apple has trained consumers to use application software spending habits, and growth of the consumer group.Therefore, in the open App Store, Apple already has a number of high-quality content and applications consumers.
In a well driven by consumers, Apple actively through various means to attract developers to ensure adequate supply of the application.In addition to application software developers outside of a few individuals enthusiasts, most of the professional program developers, only a sufficiently large group of consumers can be fully guaranteed return on development investment.
Meanwhile, Apple also by lowering the threshold for cost, software testing services to provide efficient means to attract developers.Apple App Store to be a developer, just pay $ 99 to upload unlimited amount of applications and application of its own prices, and will receive 70% of sales.
In contrast, Microsoft's developers to pay $ 99 a year after the application can only upload 5, RIM developers will need to pay 200 dollars.Of course, there are some companies added after further reduce the entry costs, such as Google Android developers need to pay 25 dollars.According to statistics, the Apple App Store has about 13,700 developers, the daily average can provide nearly 300 new applications.
Apple in the industrial chain through the effective participation of all sectors, successfully built between the end users and developers a virtuous circle.Apple App Store through iTunes and the platform enabling end users to access rich content and applications, and to attract a large number of developers involved.
Can copy Apple?
Can be said that the vast majority of iPhone users because Apple is able to provide rich content and applications to choose iPhone, and they used to obtain these through iTunes content and applications.According to comScore in January 2009 a survey of British mobile phone users, iPhone users browse news by phone, mail, mobile music, download the application rate to be much higher than other smart phone users and the general mobile phone users.
In contrast, although there are about 50 million around the world can use Nokia Ovi Store, but one will really be into Ovi Store proportion of consumption is very small.
Also, because the application based on some operating systems tend to only use the system to use mobile phones, Apple's own operating system using a single OS X, only 3, iPhone, App Store platform, which makes the operation relatively simple.In contrast, both the majority of the terminal operators or other manufacturers, will be faced with a variety of product type, multiple operating system types of problems.For Apple,, App Store's success not only in itself can bring sales, more critical is its ability to promote the sales of mobile phones.June 19, 2009 Friday, Apple released the new version 3Gs mobile phone, it is estimated that the first weekend of sales to reach 70 million units.
For the terminal manufacturers, Nokia has the largest market share of smart phone operating system Symbian and smartphone users, but in games, music, business applications and so are not salient competitive, and its end consumers in the habit of spendingapplications and content ratio is not high.Although the Google Android system by the outside world, get a lot of device manufacturers and operators support, but now the number of users is still small, every day new applications are only 15-20.
As the strongest mobile operator, China Mobile also plans to launch in the second half of the applications store.He has a huge user base, but the application needs of consumers in the understanding and application software development capability does not have a competitive advantage, so the need to develop some of the research and development capabilities, and more open to extensive cooperation with the upstream.
Apple's model implied conflict
Apple App Store's success has its unique environment for industrial development, the future is still uncertain whether the continued success.Apple products to provide consumers with rich applications, forward-looking, through the (iTunes + App Store) + (iPod + iPhone) business model innovation, into an almost empty market.
Apple's model implies a contradiction with operators, mobile Internet access, streaming media applications such as operators often spend a lot of bandwidth, operators need to invest a lot of follow-up to the network construction costs.According to Alcatel - Lucent's wireless network in North America the use of the survey, Internet browsing occupy 69% of the bandwidth, and e-mail account for only 4% of the bandwidth.Apple's mobile phone users Internet browsing, downloadable games, streaming rate to be much higher than other mobile phone users.November 2008, Cast Catcher Internet Radio software may lead to too large because the data stream by Apple to prohibit the sale.
Apple's own operating system, closed its long-term development may be detrimental to the open source Google Android system reduces the terminal operators to use the operating system's cost, the number of end users may be growing rapidly.According to Informa estimates, is expected to 2012, Google Android smart phone will outsell Apple's iPhone.HTC, China Mobile, Lenovo, Huawei and other companies have already or are preparing to launch Android-based phone.Currently the largest market share in smart phone operating system Symbian is also gradually moving towards open source.
With the platform and application developers to increase the number of developers in order to achieve a certain degree of profitability will be increasingly difficult.Pinch Media, according to research software development company in 6 months time, App Store application to appear in the Top 100 list, the required downloads increased from 1000 5000.The long term, successful application store belong to has a strong ability to integrate content providers and application development capabilities of participants.
Then enter the field of application in the industrial chain stores in different areas of business, like Apple's success is difficult to obtain.
Nokia has the largest market share in smart phone operating system Symbian and smartphone users, but in games, music, business applications and so are not salient competitive.Google opened its Android system, get a lot of device manufacturers and operators to support, but the current number of users is still small, every day new applications are only 15-20.Application software store operators have a huge user base, but the application needs of consumers in understanding and application software research and development capabilities have a competitive advantage does not need to be more open to extensive cooperation with the upstream.
Moreover, compared to Apple, RIM and other companies for market segments, the company was to enter the industry are often targeted the mass market, the ability to integrate applications and content, platform, operating capacity requirements higher.It is because of the content and applications for the integration of R & D capacity is critical for the application store, various types of participants will be expected to increase the attention for the operating system.Microsoft, Google, Apple and Nokia now has a proprietary operating system as a software development platform.In order to more easily customize the terminal implant in their own applications, China Mobile has also developed its own Google Android-based operating system OMS.