Mobility is pulling IT into the future as it continues to show rapid growth globally and in Africa, says Gartner analyst, Richard Marshall.
Marshall says the mobile arena in Africa presents its own unique challenges and opportunities. This includes areas with limited access to electricity, which means mobile devices need to offer optimised battery life. The use of mobile for payment in Africa is far more than in the rest of the world, because of people living in remote areas that are far from basic services, he says.
Another growing opportunity on the continent is the use of telemedicine, says Marshall. With many rural areas with little access to healthcare, this is a trend that is likely to continue to grow, he says.
"The vast majority of users [in Africa] are using feature phones. This number is declining rapidly as the use of smartphones grows, with Android showing very rapid growth." He notes Gartner predicts a slight growth of Apple in Africa leading up to 2017, but it will "never be huge" during this period. "A slight growth in Windows phones is also predicted, but the real killer platform is Android."
Marshall says while phones and tablets are always evolving, its definitions are blurring. "What is interesting is that the physical form factor of the smartphone has stabilised, but not so for laptops and tablets." He predicts that while the perfect size for tablets is a hot topic, he expects this will not stabilise by 2017, and dozens of sizes and formats of tablet devices will continue to be available.
He says a potential problem with apps is that users have to be literate to use it and preferably literate in English. When speaking to an illiterate audience, voice is still a useful tool. Similarly, SMS should also not be brushed off as an outdated tool just yet. "In poor signal areas, emergencies and reaching people in difficult circumstances, it still works.
"Mobile app development is a very dynamic market," notes Marshall. The number of mobile app development vendors has grown from 53 in 2011, to more than 200 in 2013.
"There are a lot more choices, so choosing the right development tool is getting more difficult. Agility is key [to mobile app development]. Fail fast ? if it doesn't work, give it up. Don't invest in something people don't like."
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