Future Trends In Mobile Application Development

The world of mobile applications is fast paced and dynamic, with new features and functionalities emerging constantly. However, a cursory observation of the mobile application development industry will show several main directions the industry is heading in. Several of these future trends are the direct result of new technologies developed by the major players in the industry such as Apple and Google.
In the last few years the mobile applications and devices sector has seen radical change. Mobile devices have been manufactured with wider screens, faster processors and increased graphical capability. Network providers offer better data plans allowing constant connectivity to the internet and more developers than ever are creating applications for mobile devices. All these developments have allowed previously unfeasible features to be brought to mobile devices.

Banking Services

With the continued success of business focused mobile devices such as the BlackBerry, mobile banking services have the potential to really become prominent in the future. As well as appealing to business users, banking services such as money transfer are popular in developing markets due to low costs and faster speeds than traditional services. Mobile banking is one of the fastest growing industries worldwide and has given rise to several new business models such as online banks and internet wealth managers. Mobile payment systems, where users can pay wirelessly at the point of sale, are also experiencing continual increases in popularity. This is particularly true in developing countries where mobile infrastructure is more reliable than fixed line infrastructure.

Although mobile banking services are expected to become more widespread each year, there are several key challenges that this fledging industry must overcome. Firstly, mobile platform fragmentation will be detrimental to the growth of mobile banking as fragmentation will make it difficult for firms to develop a mobile banking solution that everyone can use.  Secondly, regulatory requirements may cause a slowdown in the market due to security concerns about mobile financial transactions. Encryption of transmitted data, device authentication and encryption of data stored on the device are all current security issues. Regulations are likely to differ between markets increasing the cost of entering several markets at once.

Location based Services

With the constant availability of the web on mobile devices, location based services are sure to become more prominent in the near future. Location based services are likely to be used widely for social networking purposes. Several services exist which aim to match users to nearby people with the same interests or inform users of nearby events and gatherings which match their interests. Although many of these services are limited at the moment, location based social networking has the potential to become the biggest location based service. Several mobile social networks have already made an impact on the market. If an established network such as Facebook adopts location based services, it has the potential to completely transform location based networking.

Cloud Based Services

Closely related to location based services are cloud based services. Cloud computing exists when services and data are stored on the internet instead on individual devices, providing on-demand access. This allows sharing of resources between devices and is very popular for business use. With the emergence of cheaper data plans from network carriers, it is likely the majority of mobile devices will be constantly connected to the internet. This functionality will allow new innovative applications to be developed. These applications will take advantage of constant connectivity and allow devices to access information from the internet to share with other devices. This functionality has been heavily promoted by Google on its Android platform. Applications have been developed that allow devices to access real-time traffic information by connecting with other devices nearby. Cloud computing can also be used to enhance positioning technologies and location based networks.

Advertising

Signs indicate that mobile advertising will soon become increasingly prominent. Mobile hardware manufacturers are constantly developing devices with wider screens which will help the mobile advertising sector. The entrance of Google into the mobile sector also indicates that mobile advertising is set to increase as Google will want to extend its desktop advertising empire to the mobile web. Advertising will also allow developers to offer free advertising funded applications, creating a new business model of mobile applications.