Today marks the sixth anniversary of the opening of a store that has changed the world. No, it’s not a brick and mortar operation and you won’t find it on your GPS. But the Apple App Store has changed our world in just a few short years, so let’s get out the candles and consider our burgeoning app economy.
Some forget that the original iPhone which launched in 2007 did not have apps designed by third party developers. It was an amazing device in its own right (and it retailed for $599) but in typical Steve Jobs fashion, the idea of outside software development ran against Apple’s philosophy. After people started “jailbreaking” iPhones, the App Store opened a little more than a year later on July 9, 2008, and the rest – as they say – is history.
Google opened the Android Market to the public a bit more than 100 days later (now known as the Google Play Store), and the smartphone industry has been forever changed. Notably, brands and companies that failed to realize the potential power of apps have been left behind – specifically BlackBerry, Nokia, and Microsoft – and have never recovered. Essentially, the two big companies that had the insight to incorporate apps into their smartphone operating systems have thrived, while those that did not have suffered.
Apple (and Jobs) figured it out quickly, and you probably remember the ad that they ran in early 2009 – “There’s An App For That.” Today, apps are standard features in many of their ads, because they realize that slick handsets can be replicated, but the user experience with that hardware cannot.
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At their first Worldwide Developers Conference in June 2009, Apple ran a video that featured iPhone users with their favorite apps from around the world. In the middle of the video, they actually showcased an app for a radio station – Pulse 87.7 – that we developed at jacAPPS. In that very short sequence, they recognized the importance of radio apps to the app ecosystem. For all of us at jacAPPS, it was a two second orgasm; but seriously, it was validation that our bet on apps was going to pay off.
We have all benefitted from Apple’s app launch, and the most recent stats I was able to find show that 1.2 million apps are in the store, having generated 70 billion downloads. Apple clearly changed the face of how we perceive and use our smartphones.
From a radio brand standpoint, apps have been game changers for thousands of stations. AM and FM radio stations can occupy some of the most valued digital space available for a minimal investment. While broadcasters were shut out of satellite radio and iPods (for the most part), the ability to participate in the smartphone revolution has been a priceless opportunity.
We spent a lot of time in this year’s Techsurvey better understanding the mobile relationship, from smartphone addiction to the power of apps. As your station embarks upon research studies for the remainder of 2014, consider questions that expand your mobile IQ and understanding of the space.
Both Google and Apple continue to see mobile and apps as the ultimate future. And companies that have missed the mobile mark are scrambling to catch up. Smart radio brands are now in the process of developing multiple apps – for everything from games to information to concerts to local entertainment.
Radio has the opportunity to participate in this mobile tsunami. And as the sixth anniversary of appdom goes by, it’s a great time to review your mobile strategy and your approach.
Let us know if we can help you mobilize.
P.S. Crain’s Detroit Business app ranker was released yesterday, showing that jacAPPS is once again the second largest developer in the state of Michigan (based on number of downloads), second only to Lochbridge (formerly Compuware’s Professional Services group). As you can see below, based on number of apps developed, it’s a different story. Our little group here in Bingham Farms, Michigan, led by Bob Kernen, continues to accomplish amazing things in this space. Congrats to all, and thanks to the radio broadcasting industry for “leaning forward” with mobile apps.
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DP says
Very cool read. Mucho congrats!
Fred Jacobs says
Thanks for that. Much appreciated, Dave.