Developers go where the market takes them and right now that path is being paved by tablet PCs beyond Apple’s iPad.
As Enterprise Mobile Today reports, developers are ramping up application development to take advantage of the growing popularity of mobile devices among both consumer and business customers.
According to a new survey from IDC and Appcelerator, enterprises’ growing infatuation with mobile devices will have the average developer writing apps for four different devices at a time this year.
This surge in interest for all things tablet is understandable considering IDC forecasting that more than 44.6 million tablets will be shipped this year and another 70.8 million will be sold in 2012.
The survey, conducted over a three-day span earlier this month, queried more than 2,200 mobile app developers to better understand what platforms and devices they’re working on and how they’re attempting to prioritize their efforts in the initial stages of this unprecedented expansion — and fragmentation — of the mobile device market.
“Increased plans to integrate advertising and in-app purchase business models points to a new focus on longer-term financial viability over free brand affinity apps,” the report said.
The average developer said he or she plans to develop 6.5 apps this year, up 183 percent from 2010.
While smartphones will continue to attract the majority of new mobile apps in the near term, the rapid accent of tablets including the iPad guarantees developers will shift their priorities accordingly as the market matures.