Android to Swap with iOS as the Most Important Platform

Bangalore: Ovum an advisor on the commercial impact of technology and market changes in telecom, software and IT services conducted a survey to find out how changes in the device market have altered developers’ preferences when selecting which platforms and technologies to use when building mobile applications.

According to Ovum, Android is set to replace Apple’s iOS with regards to importance to developers.  However, it was noticed that developers support both the platforms. The survey revealed that even though Android and the iOS form the core of the developer support, there is also a growing interest from developers in platforms such as BlackBerry and Microsoft Windows.

Adam Leach, Devices & Platforms Practice Leader at Ovum said, “The growing momentum behind Windows Phone indicates that Microsoft has managed to convince developers that its platform is worthy of investment; its challenge now is to persuade consumers.”  The trends in the survey indicated that with the exit of Windows Mobile, Symbian and the WebOS, developers were ready to embrace opportunities that had arisen through the exit.

The findings of the research illustrated that there is a deviation from the cross-platform mobile application development such as Java and Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) towards web based application such as the HTML5.

To have a greater impact on the users, developers are relying on vendors such as Apps Stores to sell their applications. Leach mentioned “A smartphone platform’s success is dictated not only by the pull of consumers and the push of handset vendors and mobile operators but also by a healthy economy of applications delivered by third-party developers. Therefore, it is important for all players in the smartphone ecosystem to understand the choices developers are making today and the downstream impact of those choices.”