Enterprise vs. Consumer Mobile App Development

April 8, 2015 - 2 minutes read

A recent global survey, published on Forbes.com, found significant disparities in the earning potential of enterprise-oriented apps compared to their consumer counterparts. The survey, which was carried out by Vision Mobile, looked at 10,000 software developers working in 130 countries. Here is an overview of the major results:

43% of enterprise app development professionals who participated in the survey reported incomes of more than $10,000 per month, compared to just 19% of consumer-oriented developers
Twice as many enterprise app developers (18% of those surveyed) are making more than $100,000 per month, compared to consumer app developers (9% of those surveyed)
The number of software developers working in the enterprise sector has increased 25% over the past six months
App store sales are slowing down, inhibiting the upward scalability of larger developers, and selling and up-selling have emerged as key revenue-boosting strategies; these trends are making it more difficult for independent developers to generate significant sales in consumer markets

In terms of platforms, Android continues its worldwide dominance, holding a mindshare of 71%. A further 40% of surveyed app developers cited Android platforms as their top priority, though iOS still reigned in North America and Europe. In those areas, iOS holds a 58% mindshare and remains the top priority of 42% of full-time software development professionals.

Additional trends show a growing number of Internet of Things app developers (IoT) targeting this quickly emerging market. According to the survey, over half of all software developers are currently engaged on IoT-oriented projects, with 37% of developers working on smart home apps.

Dallas app developers and software professionals around the country should take heed of the growing trend towards enterprise-oriented tools. The Vision Mobile survey shows it is a key growth area, offering significantly increased earning potential. However, the consumer market is likely to experience resurgent lucrativeness in the years ahead, once the Internet of Things revolution takes hold.