What is an App?

What is an App?

Apps, or mobile applications are programs that run on smartphones. An app can be anything from a game to an in-house corporate system.

Sophisticated apps often require a back-end infrastructure to communicate with.

What is an App Store?

An App Stores serve as digital distribution platforms that provide mobile software to mobile devices.

Market Share

At present Apple’s iOS App Store has over 350,000 apps available for download and accounts for over 80 percent of the total revenue across all platforms. It generated over $1.7 billion in 2010 according to technology research firm IHS.

For comparison, the Android Market Place contains 100,000 apps and generated $102 Million in total revenues in 2010.

The App Stores for BlackBerry and Windows Phone 7 continue to grow rapidly too.

IHS are anticipating the global market for mobile apps to rise by 81.5 percent in 2011 and reach $3.9 billion in total sales.

How are Apps different to Websites?

Apps, unlike mobile websites can interact with hardware in the smartphone. In many cases that means apps can take advantage of technologies like light sensors, motion sensors, GPS, sound for a much richer and interactive experience than you’d get on a PC.

Read more about iPhone app development.

Read more about iPad app development.

Read more about Android app development.

Read more about BlackBerry app development.

Latest Apps

  • nib The nib app lets customers claim by simply taking a photo of an invoice!
  • seek The SEEK app lets users search for jobs on their iPhones, giving them access to the most jobs in an intuitive interface.
  • afl The official AFL app lets users watch every game live on their iOS device.
  • mobilefoxtel Mobile Foxtel for iPhone app allows subscribers to watch more than 30 FOXTEL channels on their iPhone.
  • hin The Hort Service Finder app helps Australian horticultural growers find horticultural service providers close to them.
  • epa Report Litter is the first app in the world to allow members of the public to report people they see littering from or near motor vehicles.
  • heritage Vic Heritage explores the histories of the most important and unusual places in Melbourne and regional Victoria.
  • melbfest The Melbourne Festival app lets users fit the entire Festival into the palm of their hand.
  • msolearn MSO Learn is designed to teach children and adults alike about the inner workings of the MSO and its musicians.
  • everguide Everguide is the ever growing, never sleeping guide to music, entertainment, culture and the arts in Australia
  • jhwc2010 This great app packs over 55,000 wine and 2500 winery reviews in your pocket. Essential for any wine lover.
  • sr2010 The SuperRacing app, designed for the Herald Sun provided live access to race information for all horse racing events.
  • wrv The Wine Regions of Victoria iPhone app is an extensive guide to Victoria’s many wineries.
  • rockwiz RocKwiz is a fantastic music trivia app that will test even the most serious music lover’s knowledge.
  • sss Snap Send Solve makes it quick and easy to report issues and provide feedback to your local council.
  • doj The Daily List is the official Victorian Law Courts app for publishing daily case listing information.
  • Shop Ethical! 2011 Gives you the low-down on the companies behind brands you buy in Australian supermarkets.
  • OMG In OMG! I can eat that?, Jane Kennedy shares some of her favourite recipes, just without all the unwanted fat.
  • app Outware Mobile worked with Margaret Fulton to produce her first app for iPhone.