2013 has been a landmark for mobile app development for some valid reasons. While major change has been observed in the field of app integration and development, the production pipeline has also undergone some serious changes in the recent past.

1. The A, B, C of Effective Mobile App Development
2013 has been a landmark for mobile app development for some valid reasons. While major change has
been observed in the field of app integration and development, the production pipeline has also
undergone some serious changes in the recent past. What has effectively been the driving force behind
these changes has been the need of the industry to stimulate cross-platform applicability of the apps.
Business requirements have shifted and so has the methodology of implementing changes in the apps
front. 2013 has been a productive year to say the least. Statistics show that in 2013 alone there are over
50 million app development- a testament of the sheer acceptability of apps in the mainstream mass. In
line with that the revenue generation has eclipsed the $25 million mark.
Mobile apps: Still a fragmented space
Though there have been unprecedented progress in the sphere of mobile apps development, it still
provides ample room for further enhancements. It is still a fragmented space needing streamlining.
Fragmentation crops from the reason of cross platform applicability and presence of too many smaller
units working simultaneously but with no interaction in-between. App developers still suffer from
confusion when it comes to selecting the right platform for their endeavors – much of them stemming
out of a lack of clarity in the use of the app by the end-user of the business. So, ‘whether to build for
iOS or Android’ - the priority quotient remains largely ill-recognized, and effects the promotional
channels. Apart from this the distribution channels also play a varying role in the exposure of the apps.
While there are no such pre-set channels to publicize the apps, various companies opt for their own
custom channels to do their bidding/marketing.
Effective monitoring and support
An app can effectively claim a fair market share by virtue of its eloquent performance. It is though
necessary to monitor and provide adequate support even after the app release to keep it viable in the
market. Negative experience in apps can adversely affect the popularity of the apps in more ways than
one. Statistics have shown that a major reason for an app’s popularity lies in referrals and negative user

2. experience is detrimental to that.
The 2014 Route Map
While a majority of the exciting new apps - about 47% of them - have come from indie experts (not
affiliated to any particular group or companies), it goes to show that with and technology know-how,
it’s the creative freedom that rules the success of an app development endeavor.
This facet also highlights the reason behind the growing world-wide prominence of the mobile
application developers from India – who too are often small teams of exciting young talents. For
other experts the trend shows the need to be flexible and open-minded in their approach.
The route map for 2014 quite possibly will be to keep things ‘simple’. The success of an app depends
on the operating devices’ hardware, OS and internet/mobile data network. A seamless performance
across the various parameters is likely to take center stage in the production pipeline for mobile apps.
Providing for dedicated support for individual apps can prove to be a determining factor - as optimized
performance for various platforms can necessitate custom support for each one of the apps developed –
and more so if used in important/sensitive data/information transactions.