Many app downloads go toward enterprise mobility, report finds

When it comes to enterprise mobility, it's now safe to say mobile applications have become as important as smartphones and tablets to the productivity of employees. Even the best device on the market doesn't have much use among mobile professionals if it lacks the appropriate apps needed to access and leverage enterprise data.

According to research recently released by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, more American mobile users are recognizing this and increasing their reliance on mobile applications.

In the past two years, the Pew report found, the number of mobile phone users who have downloaded an application almost doubled. The figure stood at 22 percent of respondents in September 2009 and jumped to 38 percent in August of this year.

Furthermore, the percentage of American mobile users who purchased a device already equipped with applications rose from 38 percent in 2010 to 43 percent this year.

But it's also necessary to look at what types of apps users are downloading and how they are utilized. According to the report, they're not all for picking the best local restaurant or flinging destructive birds across a landscape riddled with green pigs.

In fact, Pew's research may have more companies looking to deploy mobile application management solutions, as many of the downloads tracked by the organization were for productivity purposes. Among the respondents who said they have downloaded an app, 48 percent said the software helped them with work-related tasks. Also, the report found that men are more likely than women to download productivity apps.

Another 67 percent of respondents said they have downloaded a communications app, which also may help with certain aspects of enterprise mobility.

The use of mobile applications has been on the rise since the introduction of the iPhone nearly five years ago. Since that time, Apple and other mobile platform and device manufacturers have pushed the benefits of downloading and leveraging the mobile software for any number of daily tasks.

The results have been tremendous. Apple's App Store has surpassed 450,000 available offerings and the Android Market currently stands at about 320,000 apps, according to research2guidance.

ABI Research also recently released a study that found Android surpassed Apple in terms of app downloads during the second quarter. The market share for the popular mobile platforms stand at 44 and 31 percent, respectively.