{"id":2351,"date":"2011-08-25T07:00:36","date_gmt":"2011-08-25T15:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.formtek.com\/blog\/?p=2351"},"modified":"2011-08-25T07:00:36","modified_gmt":"2011-08-25T15:00:36","slug":"enterprise-software-app-stores-revive-enterprise-apps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/formtek.com\/blog\/enterprise-software-app-stores-revive-enterprise-apps\/","title":{"rendered":"Enterprise Software: App Stores Revive Enterprise Apps"},"content":{"rendered":"

In another sign that consumer technology is influencing the direction of technology used in the enterprise, App Stores catering to the needs of the enterprise <\/a>are beginning to popup. \u00a0Apple popularized the on-line self-service model for selling software and data with their \u00a0iTunes Store and then again with their App Store for the iPhone. \u00a0The mobile App Store concept has been an unqualified success — research by Canalys <\/a>finds that sales of mobile apps is growing<\/a> at an annual compound rate of about 50 percent.<\/p>\n

Mobile software sales are expected to reach $14.1 billion in 2012 which is a 92 percent increase from $7.3 billion sales in 2011. Apple alone now reports<\/a> that their App Store has more than 425,000 applications and has served up more than 15 billion downloads. \u00a0ABI Research estimates <\/a>that the total number of downloads will reach 44 billion by 2016. \u00a0Apple is not alone in the world of mobile App Stores — other mobile App Stores now include Google’s Android Market<\/a>, BlackBerry App World<\/a>, Intel’s AppUp<\/a>, Samsung Apps<\/a> and Toshiba App Place<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Now the concept of the App Store is also moving into a totally new landscape — the enterprise. \u00a0First, there is simply cross-over business — as of January, 88 percent of businesses with iPhones<\/a> are testing applications that they’ve had their employees download from Apple’s App Store. \u00a0But now there are also App Stores appearing the supplement the features available in standard enterprise software, like ERP applications.<\/p>\n

A Forrester report<\/a> written by China Martens<\/a> and \u00a0Paul D. Hammerman<\/a> reports on vendors like Salesforce.com that are now targeting the enterprise. \u00a0Salesforce’s AppExchange now has more thna 100 different applications. \u00a0 NetSuite has set up a similar app store<\/a> for software add-ons that complement NetSuite software. \u00a0 Alok Goyal<\/a>, COO, of SAP Indian subcontinent, said that\u00a0SAP is “also considering<\/a> the idea to an have an SAP store in the lines of App Store for business applications.”<\/p>\n

The report finds that “Dedicated websites, dubbed “app stores” or “app marketplaces,” are emerging as an additional ERP app showcase and\/or purchase channel option. Business-focused app stores are also set to serve as new kinds of internal and external engagement hubs between end user and vendor communities. Business process pros should use ERP vendor app stores as a model for internal app distribution as they look to better administer their employees’ consumption of apps.”<\/p>\n

Martens says in the Forrester report<\/a> that “Some ERP apps vendors are positioning their app store as a way to highlight their own platform-as-a-service (PaaS) \u2014 both the apps they develop on the PaaS and those developed by partners…\u00a0Each app listing within the store will include user-generated ratings, reviews, and recommendations, as well as the potential to download, try out, and buy the app. Today, the click-to-buy link frequently puts the customer in direct touch with the seller \u2014 the ERP vendor or its partners \u2014 rather than having a transaction occur directly within the app store.”<\/p>\n

The report also suggests potential users of ERP App Stores to use the following strategy:<\/p>\n