From social networking to instant messaging, games to online deals, navigation searching to photo sharing…in today’s smart phone era, everyone is using apps for communicating and sharing data. An average consumer is estimated to spend approximately two hours every day using and engaging with mobile applications.
This digitized age has opened a large door for mobile operators and other service providers, who now have an almost infinite number of revenue generation opportunities at their fingertips. These include text messages, hyper local and context aware advertisements, social media interactions or even locations oriented services—all which offer a pool of monetization opportunities for those ready and willing to capitalize on them.
Mobile operators should cast an eye toward application usage for driving revenue for the following reasons:
- The space is booming: With more than 102 billion Mobile Apps downloads globally and app revenues reaching $26 billion in 2013, Mobile applications have become an essential ingredient for mobile subscribers and add immensely to their diverse needs (Source: Gartner). Also with the anytime anywhere connectivity approach, users are constantly in search of Free Wi-Fi for data access and heavy downloads. Users are eyeing for an all-in-one App which helps them with seamless 2G/3G to Wi-Fi connectivity, social media access, location specific notifications on-the-go, pop up for deals and promotions, navigation on Google map, indication for battery meter and much more. That means win-win situation for both, high quality user experience for end user with real time enablement of features and opportunity for mobile operators to generate more profits by partnering with content providers and advertisers to flash content and advertisements on Apps and instantly realize revenue.
- Maintain market relevance : To be relevant in today’s ever-competitive market, Mobile Operators are constantly looking for new opportunities to leverage applications for driving more revenue. According to a global market research firm, “Messaging apps like Viber and Line are starting to monetize their audiences by introducing innovative new business models.” Operators are coming up with add-on customized Apps for various device platforms like Android, iOS, windows etc. There is an increasing demand for a tool kit which allows the operators to customize and introduce new features in their existing app. Thus, enabling the operators to follow latest trends and establish a relevant position in this ever changing market.
