As consumers can now sift through hundreds of thousands of mobile applications on the fly, it’s easy to see the continued direction software is headed as we enter 2011. The introduction of mobile applications and their distribution model in terms of “app stores” have revolutionized software and how we interact with it on a daily basis. Though Apple can take credit for spurring the revolution, Google’s Android and even the likes of Blackberry, Microsoft, Palm and a handful of others have spawned a shift in consumer behavior unlike anything we’ve ever seen in terms of software engagement. Though traditional software will always live on, primary emphasis in terms of development and adoption will continue to focus on the mobile channel moving forward. Put simply, 2011 will bring thousands of new, more powerful mobile applications that continue to push the limits in terms of functionality, innovation and integration. While the hardware side of things is obviously important, the software running on these devices is what makes them the center of our digital lifestyles. While it’s no secret that mobile apps are flourishing beyond expectation, the year ahead will likely show an increased shift to tablet devices. Subsequently, mobile applications tailored for larger screens and faster processing power will flourish. Like the iPad has already shown us, software seems to come to life when viewed on the larger, higher-resolution screens that tablets provide. Combined with an always-on, fast mobile broadband connection, tablet applications mimic what we’ve become accustomed to on traditional computers, with the added benefit of doing so on the go and with usable battery life. Combined with sensors and communication technologies like GPS, accelerometers, NFC and so on, mobile software has the added benefit of knowing where you are, which direction you’re headed and even your speed and altitude if you allow it. The newest software can tap into these resources to provide functionality that we only dreamed of a few years ago. One segment poised to see unmatched potential with mobile software is the healthcare industry. What began as simple health and fitness smartphone applications that help track dietary information or jogging distances for example, has grown into sophisticated software that can track mission-critical health data from the palm of your hand. As the mHealth market evolves, mobile software in terms of both consumer-facing and clinician-facing applications will play a primary role in defining the mobile healthcare industry and will help us realize the massive benefits the concept of mHealth has promised for a long time. A major trend in mobile healthcare software that’s poised to take hold in 2011 is the shift in mHealth applications distribution from traditional app stores to an independent hospital and physician-controlled environment. While it’s easy to say mobile software will continue on the same path we’ve seen over the last 2-3 years in terms of the number of mobile applications growing exponentially, the year ahead should prove interesting in terms of providing a few key shifts in consumer behavior that will stand out from years prior. Things like the continued proliferation of tablet-based apps, mHealth applications and shifts in distribution models will help make 2011 yet another influential year for mobile software.
