Report Shows Apple App Store Miles Ahead of Competition

The Global Intelligence Alliance Group (GIA) today released an analysis of Mobile Application Marketplace initiatives, which indicate Apple's App Store is miles ahead of the Android by Open Handset Alliance and Ovi by Nokia. This is based on timeliness and the number of variety and appeal of application made available to consumers.

The analysis was conducted along five parameters which GIA deem to be key success factors; time to market, the ability to attract developers, the rate of device adoption, an efficient interface and user experience, and having a critical mass of attractive applications.

Competition among handset manufacturers and operators is intense, with different market players rushing to add features related to 3G and 3.5G connectivity. Features include multimedia tools, GPS location based services and initial tests for Near Field Communication. Market players have been taking different approaches to nurturing and consolidating their application ecosystems, some of which have been more successful than others, said Mr. Erwin Baumgartner, Head of GIA's Information Technology Practice in Asia-Pacific. Applications can make all the difference, and manufacturers like Apple, who see the smart phone more as a software platform than as a set of hardware features have the ability to position themselves miles ahead of the competition.

Based on the five categories that were utilized in the report, Apple beat the Android and other competitors in all five of them. The Android tied the iPhone with 'Time to market', 'Attracting developers', and 'Interface'. The only two categories the Android didn't tie Apple with was the 'Device Adoption / Rollout' where the Android scored 0 and the iPhone scored 1. The other category was 'Appeal of Apps' where the iPhone scored 2 and the Android came slightly behind at 1.

Apple lead the pack scoring 9 for the report. The Android Marketplace and Ovi Apps Store came in second place, tied with 7 points. Followed behind in second place was Windows Mobile Skymarket at 6, Blackberry Apps Storefront at 5, and webOS Software Store closing out the last place spot at 3.

Overall, Apple scores the highest, ahead of Android and Ovi. Newcomers such as RIM and Palm have yet to show that their storefront launches will drive success for their platforms. Veteran Microsoft has to reinvent and redesign their current setup of mobile application distribution in order to keep up with the pack. Industry players have to look closely at how and where an application marketplace fits within their own strategies. Some intend to generate revenue, some plan to strengthen the user community, and some even work to create a demand pull for the corresponding handset brands and models. Furthermore, mobile carriers need to be convinced that these marketplaces will work more efficiently at a platform level, not at individual operator level, added Baumgartner from GIA.

More Information can be found at GIA Report