Apple: The Hare of this generation
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When I laid my eyes on the Appcelerator/IDC Q2 2012 Mobile Developers Report the first thing that came to my mind was the story of the Hare and the Tortoise -- "Slow and steady wins the race." But now the times have changed and the world is moving at supersonic pace. If you can’t catch up, you are left behind and that’s it… Simple!!
3,632 Appcelerator Titanium developers were surveyed, by Appcelerator and IDC, on their plans and development priorities and the results were dramatic. The key theme that emerged in the Q2 2012 survey is the changing dynamics in the mobile enterprise app space.
iOS, the magnificent Mobile Operating system from Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), in all its glory, emerged as the leader in the Enterprise Marketplace. iOS opened with a dramatic 16% lead over Android, an open source operating system from Google (NASDAQ: GOOG).
53.2% of the developers said that iOS will win the enterprise battle while only 37.5% supported Android.
But then it is not just on the basis of this quarter’s result that I call Apple "The Hare of this generation." When we look at the result of the Q3 2011 survey, developers viewed iOS and Android in a dead heat at 44% each.
So what brought this change??
If you ask me, there is more than one reason to it.
- First and the foremost is the growing popularity of iPad
- The frequent reports on Android malware
- Android also releases upgrades every now and then, which make it difficult to create a stable environment for the business to sustain
- iOS, on the other hand, releases upgrades only once a year, which helps developers concentrate on their codes rather than on applying OS patches
However the Q2 2012 results also brings some relief to Google as the noticeable erosion of developer interest in Android, over the last four quarters, has been arrested. The reason for this could be the huge growth in the Android device shipments and more affordable price points.
Will Microsoft be back in competition?
With RIM losing its ground in the enterprise mobile market and Android making news about recent malwares, the developers are cautiously optimistic about Windows 8 tablet. The Metro UI from Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) has been compelling and it may not be long before Windows 8 overshadows Android and takes over the No. 2 position in the mobile enterprise space. But then we have to wait and watch when that will happen.
Apple on cloud 9
It is not just in the race of operating systems where Apple has taken a lead. When it comes to cloud services Apple’s iCloud along with Amazon’s cloud platform is at the top. Microsoft’s Azure is also following the Big Two in this area.
So all in all we can say that the result of the Q2 2012 survey sends a strong message as to where the mobile enterprise business is heading. The weighing scale shows that the enterprise applications are getting heavier when compared to the consumer application after so many years.
Apple’s significant lead shows the interest of the developers in the iOS for enterprise apps development. Google has to work something out to capture more space in this area or else it will soon be left behind to rust. With a little more focus and good marketing strategies Microsoft can make a comeback in the enterprise apps space and take over the No. 2 position.
Moral: Times have changed. These are the days of the Fast and the Furious.
**The information and graph used in this article are taken from the Appcelerator/IDC Q2 2012 Mobile Developer Report. The author bears no responsibility for its authenticity and also do not claim any rights over the results presented.
shinerulz has no positions in the stocks mentioned above. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Motley Fool newsletter services recommend Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. If you have questions about this post or the Fool’s blog network, click here for information.
