THE TAKE-UP OF SMART DEVICES, SUCH AS THE SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB AND APPLE IPHONE, HAS SURPASSED THAT OF ANY OTHER TECHNOLOGY IN HISTORY, ACCORDING TO APP ANALYTICS PROVIDER, FLURRY. THE ADOPTION RATE OF THESE DEVICES IS TEN TIMES FASTER THAN THE TAKE-UP OF PERSONAL COMPUTERS IN THE 1980’S, THREE TIMES FASTER THAN THE ADOPTION OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND NETWORKING SUCH AS FACEBOOK AND TWITTER, AND TWICE AS FAST AS THE INTERNET BOOM IN THE 1990’S. AS OF JULY 2012, IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT THERE WERE 640 MILLION IOS AND ANDROID DEVICES IN USE.
Why are smart devices so popular and should a slowdown in the adoption rate be expected soon?
“Smart devices offer a wealth of applications that can address almost every need at the touch of a button. This easy accessibility for consumers and business users alike has played a major role in the popularity of the devices. Furthermore, the functionality that currently exists at the fingertips of hundreds of millions of people around the world is constantly opening up new means of communicating, collaborating, transacting, processing and even analysing,” commented Kareem Tawansi, CEO of software development provider, Solentive Software.
“As the fastest growing technology in recent history, the adoption of smart devices has created an ecosystem of technology-enabled, connected and mobile population that continues to grow and will for many years to come.
“This connected community is now more than ever, able to breed new ideas, innovations, inventions and platforms of thought. As these ideas are brought to life through software, now is the most exciting time to be a software developer,” remarked Kareem.
As for the slowdown in the adoption rate, Brett Raven, Solentive Software’s Principal Business Solutions Consultant, does not see that happening soon.
“Adoption rates will likely continue to increase for the foreseeable future as new and interesting features are added to these devices. Lowering costs, growth in connectivity capabilities and the market’s increasing awareness of the technology and its benefits, will cement the rapid adoption rate further,” explained Brett.
The rate of adoption of smart devices presents many opportunities in the software development industry.
“The more people there are using the devices, the more chances for software application innovations for a wide array of audiences. The real opportunity however, lies in the potential for extremely niche applications as there are hundreds of millions of users out there with different needs that can be catered for,” commented Brett.