Remember when Snake was your favourite cell phone game? And when you bought a phone because it had an inbuilt calculator? Not many of us remember Snake and almost nobody cares about a normal calculator any more. This is the new age, smart phones and applications where everything is just a click or, in most cases, just a touch away. Be it knowing which way is North or what your future holds, be it staying up-to-date with everything or having access to the world’s largest libraries, the smartphone is here to stay.
In such a situation, applications are a life-saver and a game-changer. Apps, as they are better known, make travel, and even life on the whole, simpler, more hassle-free and a lot more fun. No matter who you are or what you do, there is an app for you. Everyone, whether a doctor, lawyer, teacher, businessman or just a normal layman, uses and benefits from applications. Many businesses owe most of their success almost completely to applications.
Making life easy
Criteria in purchasing a new phone have changed after the introduction of apps. It’s no more the look or the sturdiness. Most of the ads for a new smartphone focus on in-built apps. Techie Naresh Arun says, “Apps make our life simple. Starting from the alarm in the morning to the good night text at night, we need applications. A simple day planner was a complicated task few years ago, but now after the introduction of apps it drives us to stick to what we need to do and make us punctual as well.” With the introduction of apps, a mobile phone is no more just a phone. “Apps transform an ordinary mobile platform to play-stations and knowledge-stations. They also give us a sense of comfort everywhere we go,” says Naresh.
Show me the money
Apps also serve another purpose, as a source of income for app developers. “App building is one of the simplest ways to earn money,” says Naresh. “Create an app from the source codes, develop and launch it in the market. Sit back and watch the money flow into your pocket.”
These days even children are into the business of app development. In fact Chennai-based Shravan and Sanjay Kumaran (10 and 12) are among the world’s youngest app developers. Their apps are available for sale on the Apple store.
But as a creator, says Kshitij Kaushik, Digital Media Executive, MASC, “you need to make sure that you have a strong concept for the application. Think of it as laying a foundation to a building. If it isn’t strong, it’s definitely going down.” Especially in a world of intense competition, “projection of your app in terms of design, ease of functionality, and ultimately quality, are mandatory. You don’t want to put off end-users with complex functions, especially if it’s a paid app,” adds Kshitij.
Applications are here to stay. They not only make life easier but also more efficient. Apps, if used in the right way, can have a major impact on society. As Kshitij points out, “Twitter apps for phones are empowering the youth on various issues, as one tweet can spread faster than a bushfire and, within minutes, that one tweet can turn into a movement.”
This would not be possible without the mobility and simplicity that apps have provided to various sites and social networking platforms. Apps are one of those rare things that make us both lazy and efficient at the same time. The best part is no one seems to be complaining.
