companies from Fisher Price to Lego
to Ford to Disney will feel the impact of the app ecosystem
Boston, MA - January
18, 2013
– The Strategy Analytics App Ecosystem Opportunities report, CES 2013: Apps Drive Billions in Revenue, Trillions
in Value, predicts that
applications will become a critical value enhancer, retention tool, and
differentiator for every industry.
Apps will drive more than $35B in revenue by 2017 according
to the Strategy
Analytics Mobile Apps Revenue Forecast. The figure grows exponentially when
factoring in the impact revenue apps have on activities such as a buyer opting
for one brand of car over another, purchasing more expensive app-centric toys
for their children or engaging more deeply with a company. Ultimately, apps
will drive trillions of dollars in value for companies.
It was evident at CES that no industry will be immune from
app innovations and as a result Strategy Analytics sees four new app-centric product
categories impacting 2013:
- Apps to sell new app-centric hardware such as Parrot’s Flower
Power Monitor which monitors soil conditions and send reminders via an app
- Apps to differentiate product offerings such as Linksys Smart
WiFi Apps which will make routers more valuable through the use of connected
apps
- Apps to enhance existing products such as Lego’s incorporation
of apps into its popular Mindstorms kit
- Apps for branding/engagement such as Sesame Street’s Qualcomm
powered Augmented Reality learning app
According to Josh Martin, Director of Apps
Research at Strategy Analytics, “Apps are about more than apps. As the app
market matures all companies must make difficult decisions about the role apps
will play in their future. Should a company build their own app ecosystem? What
type of return on investment model should be used? How will apps help me
differentiate? These difficult questions must be addressed quickly because apps
are a disruptive force for companies caught unprepared and good developers
become an increasingly rare commodity.”