Next Generation Apps The Rise Of Mobile Life Ecosystems

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20,000 Foot View: The world of mobile is undergoing a seismic shift. It used to be that the smartphone platform world was largely understood in terms of a couple of big operating systems (iOS and Android) and their respective app stores. But now a succession of apps have emerged as platforms that exist both within and across OS boundaries. Messaging apps, Facebook, eBay etc are all breaking down the barriers that existed between siloed app experiences in order to become de facto Operating Systems in their own right. Consumers are spending more of their digital-life time on mobile and each of these Mobile Life Ecosystems want as much of it as possible to go through them. The ongoing consolidation of mobile experiences will affect everything from infrastructure and development through distribution to content itself. Either prepare now or be left behind.
Key Findings
- Apps and app infrastructure are transforming, enabling large technology companies to start creating platforms that both operate within and straddle the iOS and Android ecosystems of consumers are weekly users of Facebook Messenger, compared to of consumers who are iOS users, and who are Android usersÂ
- First came mobile web, apps, social and messaging platforms. Now we are entering an era of next generation apps paving the way for Mobile Life Ecosystems
- The next gen apps revolution is happening on multiple levels of the app economy from infrastructure through distribution to content
- Apple and Google will increasingly integrate individual app functionality into their base OS functionality, especially for utility apps
- This deeper integration of app functionality into core mobile platforms will push many app developers from companies into suppliers
- Large technology companies such as Apple, Amazon and Facebook will emerge as winners in the next gen app revolution
- Opportunity also exists for large single-purpose services (such as music and video) to foster their own self-contained mobile ecosystems
Companies mentioned in this report: Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Disney, Facebook, Google, Instagram, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Minecraft, Netflix, Skype, Snapchat, Spotify, Tencent, Uber, WhatsAppÂ