The number of mobile apps being downloaded on a yearly basis are quickly dwarfing the once famously promoted number of customers served at McDonald’s.
And this swelling stat is about to get even bigger within the next four years, according to the latest research and projections from Berg Insight.
The analyst firm estimates that the number of mobile application downloads worldwide will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 56.6 percent between 2010 and 2015 to reach 98 billion at the end of the period.
Consequently, the surge in downloads translates to a corresponding surge in revenue.
Berg Insight says that revenues from paid applications, in-app purchases and subscription services – so called direct revenues – reached $2.2 billion in 2010. Berg Insight forecasts direct app store revenues to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 40.7 percent to reach $11.9 billion by 2015.
Apple’s iOS is the current leader in direct monetization of mobile applications and will keep the number one position during the forecast period. The Android and Windows Phone operating systems are anticipated to be number two and three respectively in 2015.
“Even though the download numbers will increase during the forecast period, most apps are free to download and app monetization will be a challenge for developers”, says Johan Svanberg, Senior Analyst at Berg Insight. “Free to download monetization strategies such as in-app advertising and in-app purchasing will be increasingly important. This is especially true in the APAC region, which will account for over 40 percent of all mobile app downloads in 2015.”
To read the full report, click here.
