Demand for Custom Mobile App Development Rises Sharply

As solution providers in the channel look to tap into growth opportunities in mobile computing, what's noteworthy is the rate at which custom applications are now being developed for these platforms. The latest Mobile Index report from Good Technology, a provider of mobile app development and management platforms, finds that activation of custom apps among its customer base grew 77 percent between the fourth quarter of 2013 and first quarter of 2014. That means demand from solution providers to build and ultimately manage those applications is increasing at a rapid rate. Apple still leads by a wide margin when it comes to new activations, and within the enterprise, tablet activations are outpacing smartphone activations by two to one. Also significant from a channel perspective is that the number of new activations in the insurance industry is growing rapidly, which suggests that solution providers with expertise in that category may be looking at a bevy of potential new customers. This study is based on Good's internal data aggregated from devices activated across the company's customer base in the first quarter. Here are key takeaways from the report.