Non-game mobile apps revenue is predicted to rise, according to research.
While mobile apps are expected to reach $70b in annual revenue by 2017, the balance is set to change according to apps and games investment bank, Digi-Capital. Currently, the apps market is led by games downloads however, the bank believes non-games applications could double their share to 51% within three years.
Software-as-a-service (SaaS) apps are just one of the non-gaming areas that are already boosting the market, according to Digi-Capital, with other categories using a range of new marketing approaches to enhance their presence.
While in-app purchases may work as a revenue-earner for the games sector, the research shows that app-as-a-service subscription is more effective for other non-game sectors.
The exponential rise in the use of mobile devices has been matched by the investment in applications that can be used on them. In the last 12 months alone, $10bn has been invested in app development,with M&A activity totalling $35bn over the same period - with that figure excluding Facebooks eye-watering $19bn grab of the popular mobile messaging app, WhatsApp.