Apps, a technology sideline, grows up

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 13 (UPI) -- Developing applications for mobile phones has grown into its own as an industry, the organizer of a convention in San Francisco said.

"It's this ecosystem and economy that's sort of sprung out of nowhere," AppNation Conference Chairman Drew Ianni said, The San Francisco Chronicle reported Monday.

"A year and a half ago, the conversation was mostly about iPhone apps and Facebook apps. But businesses were being transformed by apps. They're turning into the new touch point for brands. And it's a new media distribution channel," he said, referring to thousands of applications developed for smart phones, expected go grow from a $4.1 billion business in 2009 to a $17.5 billion business in 2012, a study sponsored by GetJar Networks Inc. said.

The revenue comes directly from sale of applications to advertising and other related spin offs, the newspaper said.

Nielson Co. said mobile phone owners average 14 to 40 extra programs on their hand held devices, depending on the phone they own.

Success stories abound. San Francisco's Blancspot Media LLC, now has a full time staff of 20 after releasing an app hit this summer.

"Within the first two weeks, we were the featured app of the week and had hit No. 2 in the United States (and) four other countries and No. 1 in three countries," Chief Executive Officer Camille LeBlanc said.

Not everyone writes a hit, however, although it's not for a lack of trying, but the market is there. In 2009, there were 7 billion apps downloaded, a figure that is projected to reach 50 billion a year by 2012, said Chetan Sharma, a consultant.