Telco giant Optus has announced the launch of an applications market for business, designed to provide handset software for day-to-day activities such as tracking cashflow or managing a budget.
It comes as the applications market for businesses has exploded over the past 18 months, with the App Store, Windows Marketplace and Android Marketplace filled to the brim with apps designed for corporate use.
Marc Edwards, chief executive of Melbourne-based development studio Bjango, says application developers have been able to create apps for businesses due to the high take-up of devices like iPhones and BlackBerry handsets by executives.
“I definitely think the business applications market is huge. Certainly in the business and finance sections of the store, finance trackers and similar types of apps are very high on the most popular lists.”
Bjango has developed a finance-tracker of its own for freelance workers called Jobs, which is regularly in the “top paid apps” list in a number of categories.
Additionally, Edwards says as the number of mobile marketplaces continues to grow, businesses will be able to access a variety of new apps and utilities designed to make their lives easier.
“Obviously the iPhone App Store is fairly mature now, and there’s quite a lot of work there. But certainly other platforms will have a lot of movement, especially the Android, and there will be a number of applications for businesses popping up.”
Edwards also says businesses will be keen to develop applications of their own.
“Applications are fast becoming like websites. I think most companies want to actually be on the app store and develop their own apps as well. I’m not sure how it’s going to end up in the end, with so many marketplaces, but more apps are coming up.”
Meanwhile, despite the introduction of a number of new marketplaces from manufacturers, such as the Windows Marketplace, the Android Market and the BlackBerry App World, the company insists businesses will warm to their new store.
Rohan Ganeson, Optus managing director of small and medium business said the store will be attractive to existing Optus users.
“This dedicated Business App Store means our business customers can access a number of productivity centric applications, among others, to help them in their day-to-day activities while they get on with their business.”
“We’re excited about giving our business customers a range of built for business options which will make their working day more efficient and we understand that business customers have both personal and business needs — now there is one central place to download applications.”
The applications, which include programs such as security software, expense trackers and currency converters, have been developed by a California-based company, along with a number of third-party developers.
Devices supported by the applications include those manufactured by Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, HTC and Blackberry handsets.
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
