Mobile developers are turning their attentions to the enterprise, and they're bringing iOS along with it.
A new developer survey conducted by Appcelerator and International Data Corporation found that 70 percent of developers are building applications for the enterprise market. The attention given enterprise applications will provide the groundwork for continuing operating system battles.
The firms make this assertion on the basis of findings gathered in their latest study, the "Q2 2012 Mobile Developer Report." According to the study, as of the second quarter 2012, 53.2 percent of developers believe that Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iOS will become the prevailing OS in the enterprise market, while 37.3 percent believe Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android will prevail.
iOS' 16 percent lead is substantial and significant. In the third quarter of 2011, developers viewed the two OSes as equally important to the enterprise, with each OS preferred by 44 percent of respondents. Appcelerator and IDC attribute the growing strength of the iOS in the enterprise to the adoption of the iPad as well as challenges associated with Android, such as fragmentation and greater vulnerability to malware.
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Source: Appcelerator/IDC - 05/2012 |
The firms also found that developer interest in Android OS has stabilized. After several quarters of declining interest in the OS in 2011, interest in the OS has held steady at about 78 percent for both the first and second quarters of 2012. And developer interest in using Android for tablets has also increased, from 65.9 percent in the first quarter to 68.8 percent in the second quarter. The reasons given for improved attitudes about Android include the rapid growth in Android device shipments and the affordable price points of Android devices.
Developers are cautiously optimistic about Windows 8 tablets, with 33.3 percent of respondents saying they are very interested in these devices. Developers are also excited about the new Metro user interface for Windows 8 products, with 43.8 percent saying they find it beautiful and different from iOS and Android UIs. Appcelerator and IDC said they believe this optimism about Windows 8, combined with Android's vulnerability in the enterprise, could create an opportunity for Windows 8 to eclipse Android's role in that market, which would further relegate Android to the consumer market.
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