Where is Your App for That?
Does your company have an iPhone app or have you been considering making one? There's no argument that iPhone apps can be an easy solution for apartment life from shopping for a new place to paying rent to putting in work orders. Add on the VaultWare app that was released last year for iPad and you've got a a great platform to build interaction and engagement with your residents.
But is the iPlatform the place to be? Maybe not, according to The NPD Group's recent report on smart phone sales for Q2 of this year. Blackberry has always had the lion's share of the market, at least since 2007, but because of a complicated language and about 500 security hoops to jump through, programming apps on the RIM platform is about as unfriendly as it gets. This might be a big reason that as of the last financial quarter, BlackBerry's share of the market was 28%. Impressive, but not as impressive as the market share that Android passed them with - 33%.
That's right. ANDROID, the mutant off-spring of a penguin named Tux, is now the top of the smart phone heap. Whether it's because the operating system is more user friendly, or because of the innovations from HTC phones with larger screens and higher functionality, this Linux operating system has made leaps and bounds in the eye of public desire. And that means that if you have an iPhone app, congrats, but it's time to get your programmers in gear and get a product launched on the Android platform. 33% of the smart phone market isn't just notable; it's actionable.
But is the iPlatform the place to be? Maybe not, according to The NPD Group's recent report on smart phone sales for Q2 of this year. Blackberry has always had the lion's share of the market, at least since 2007, but because of a complicated language and about 500 security hoops to jump through, programming apps on the RIM platform is about as unfriendly as it gets. This might be a big reason that as of the last financial quarter, BlackBerry's share of the market was 28%. Impressive, but not as impressive as the market share that Android passed them with - 33%.
That's right. ANDROID, the mutant off-spring of a penguin named Tux, is now the top of the smart phone heap. Whether it's because the operating system is more user friendly, or because of the innovations from HTC phones with larger screens and higher functionality, this Linux operating system has made leaps and bounds in the eye of public desire. And that means that if you have an iPhone app, congrats, but it's time to get your programmers in gear and get a product launched on the Android platform. 33% of the smart phone market isn't just notable; it's actionable.
I go back and forth on this. Why not just build a web app that works great in a browser on anyone of those devices? I've yet to see a really great app from a property management company, but I agree that the primary purpose should focus on serving residents more than prospects. That said, for the most part, I don't see the need for most apartment companies to make the investment in native applications yet. Do you disagree?
Apple's doing the same thing with iOS that they did with Mac OS ... they're limiting devices and distribution of the OS. Meanwhile, Android is poised to play the same role for mobile that Windows played for the PC. I won't be surprised to see Android become the dominant mobile OS in another year or two.
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Android is poised to do nothing but grow from this point. RIM's security and language put a barrier between the coder and the end user, which, given current market trends, is a very bad idea. It's going to hurt BlackBerry in the long run. Apple's limitations are doing the same thing, even though they're using a more accessible language (objective C). Android is integrated with Google, on a very stable Linux platform and it's going to continue to grab market share.
When it comes to a dedicated app, I could see very good uses for it if someone like Ellipse Inc. developed it and integrated it in to the resident portal sites that they already develop to allow for cell phone payment of rent, utilities, etc. as well as for emergency communication, notices, and reminders. I think as a resident retention tool, it's a good idea, but that's also going to depend on the cost to the property. Although, at the price of paper, I'm thinking the cost would be made up in a few years.
As to building a browser app, I'm not a fan. Thanks to the people at Apple, everyone has become very "app oriented" and a lot of people would rather use an app than go through a browser on their phone. Some people perceive the speed to be faster with apps (because you don't see the "load time" screens, etc.) and that browser doesn't hide the fact that it's loading. On top of that, an app leaves an ever present tile icon on your phone, which is a source of constant reminder marketing. Subtle, but effective.
We are moving away from the traditional browser on the hand held platform, Mike. GenY doesn't even like to check EMAIL. They'd rather have a little tile icon that tells them when it needs their 9 second attention span.
Not saying it's right...just saying it might be true.
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