New Survey Suggests Google+ And iCloud Set To Change Mobile Industry

Technology is always advancing and as such a developer’s work is never done. Now, a new survey suggests that going forward, many developers are focusing their attention on providing mobile products that utilize Apple’s iCloud service and Google’s new social network, Google+. According to Appcelerator, developers identify Google+ (25 percent) and iCloud (22 percent) as the two most significant advances in the overall mobile platform battle. They state:

Google and Apple are pushing mobile competition beyond OS platforms into the cloud and into social integration. This means even broader battles with major players like Amazon and Facebook, creating new competitive complexities and opportunities going forward for everyone in the mobile ecosystem.

In Google+, 68 percent of respondents believe Google will eventually surpass Facebook as the top social network. They believe “leveraging Google’s assets (eg: Search, YouTube, Maps, etc) trumps Facebook’s social graph lead." As such, nearly 72 percent of developers say they will use the Google+ API when it is released. With iCloud, developers believe a sea change coming with mobile cloud computing. As such, they expect a tight race developing between Amazon and Apple for this market. Say developers:

Developers are attracted to Apple’s new entry nearly as much as they are incumbent Amazon. Notably, iCloud beats Windows Azure over 2:1 in interest despite Microsoft’s “all-in” cloud campaign. iOS 5 recognizes the overall shift in the mobile industry toward more engaging, real-time, connected applications. It is also interesting to note that as Apple continues to drive more and more value into applications, this causes an ever-increasing separation in the industry between mobile app and web experiences.

Finally, the study suggests that developers are still in love with iOS, with 91 percent saying they are, or plan to, develop iPhone apps. Meanwhile, 88 percent identify the iPad as the place to be. This compares to 87 percent that develop for the Android phone and 74 percent that name the Android tablet. It will be interesting to see how Google+ and iCloud influence the overall mobile computing market in the months and years ahead. One thing is sure: the battle between Apple and Google is far from over. Note: Appcelerator’s survey is based on communication with 2,012 developers. Click here for the full report. Google+ and iCloud are both in beta.

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