Analytics on Mobile

After reading the new “bans” from Apple, one might feel like Snow White after biting the witch’s apple: dizzy and confused until you fall asleep in the middle of so much nonsense.

Not only has Apple stamped out Flash to iPhone conversions , such that iPhone apps can now only be written in Apple-approved programming languages and not on third-party platforms such as Adobe Flash, even if they are subsequently converted into iPhone OS code.

The latest Developer Agreement also appears to ban third-party analytics – tools that show how the application that the developer has spent their valuable time and money to create is used by customers. Apple now says:

Developers build apps to sell for money, the more customers that are happy using the app the more word of mouth and the more they will sell. By not allowing developers to closely examine how their apps are used, Apple is effectively preventing them from learning, improving them and ultimately selling more. This data also helps developers understand what other new apps to build, how their marketing is working and how updates are received – how are they supposed to get the necessary insight to continue with their businesses now that Apple are changing the rules? Apple appears to be doing a great job at stiffeling creativity and stalling app growth and sales success.

What does this mean for ad networks that rely on reporting data to measure the effectiveness of their ads? Has Apple closed everyone out now they have their own iAd system, are competitors being shut out of the Apple walled garden? Let´s be honest, the 40% promise of ad revenue for advertisers on the iAd doesn´t do it for me if I can´t compare these results with other ad networks I may want to use or other analytics data I would like to obtain.

With the continued healthy growth in other mobile platforms such as Android, BlackBerry or Windows Phone, perhaps the time has come for developers to seek creative freedom and succcess elsewhere. Somewhere they have visibility on the performance of their apps and the freedom to develop using their language of choice – continuing to delight us with their creativity by doing so. Let them choose the ad network they want to work with and the tools they need to succeed – let’s not return to the walled mobile gardens we all deserted a few years ago, even the operators have moved on and now recognize the benefits of healthy open competition. We have seen great developments in mobile over the last few years where brands have had the choice to develop mobile internet strategies in many different ways, and the market has started to blossom as a result.