FAQ’s
Application Development Frequently Asked Questions
What should I think about before designing an iPhone app?
Before designing your iPhone app it may pay to ask yourself the following questions:
1) What are our goals for developing an app?
2) Are we focussing on an app for the iPhone or iPad?
3) What features must we include in the first version?
4) How can we best leverage our existing content and technology?
5) What problem could an iPhone or iPad app solve for our target audience?
6) Which apps today compete with our idea and what is our plan to differentiate?
Keep in mind that apps that have their own marketing and product development strategy have an excellent chance of long term success. Make plans to support your apps through continued improvements and new features to maintain your competitive edge.
Think about all your marketing efforts and customer touch points, and develop a plan to promote your app across each one.
Just as websites did, every so often a new marketing tool changes the way we do business.
Where can mobile a apps take your business?
How will customers discover my app?
Real-life recommendations have proved to be an influential factor in the purchase of iPhone apps. If a users values your application they typically become your very own sales person.
Other influential factors include online reviews, Twitter recommendations and browsing the App Store itself. The App Store has a a search engine they works on a keyword search basis.
Advertising also plays a large part in your app popularity – existing brand relationships, in app advertising, traditional media advertising and PR.
Your website will play a large part in making your audience aware of your application and there is the chance that you could hit lucky by having Apple feature your iPhone or iPad app in the App Store.
Should I invest in PR for my iPhone and iPad Application?
PR can play an enormous factor in Apple App Store success. Our research shows that even if you only target a handful of tech focussed publications, with the extensive attention paid to iPhone and iPad, the tech PR eventually filters down to more consumer focussed publications. Our advice is to develop a simple and targeted PR strategy based on the focus of your app.
Whatever the size of your company, you can afford to make friends with a few influential bloggers, writers and editors and do the leg work involved in ensuring you get a few write ups, reviews and links. It all helps drive that traffic to the App Store, just make sure that you target the right publications with the right story.
What Are The App Store Business Models?
We tend to define three high level business models for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch Application Development.
1) Free Apps
2) Big Fast Sales
3) Sustained Sales
Business Model 1 – Free iPhone Apps
There are many different reasons for releasing a free iphone application. The simplest is that the client is not interested in monetary gain. The client can benefit in other ways, such as reputation, business development, marketing, PR, increased web traffic, advertising sales, promotion of other products and services, increased credibility or simply the satisfaction of publishing an App in order to contribute or to help a worthy cause – the list goes on.
When profits are expected, the business model is simply that the free app will promote something else. There are many benefits here if your application has a viral effect and many users are exposed to your application.
Business Model 2 – Big Fast Sales
Have you read about the iPhone Application success stores where developers have become millionaires in a matter of days?
There is no denying that you can build a very successful business out of a paid iPhone or iPad Application, in a very small amount of time. But is is critical to keep in mind that in many cases, the sales are ultimately driven by the iTunes App Store. If your App is on the top 100 paid Apps list in your category or featured by Apple, you can expect a high volume of sales. The more you sell, the more you stay on the top 100, the more you stay there, the more you sell.
To keep sales high it is essential that you market your application. For mass market take up a number of things are required, including:
1) A large target audience
2) An immediately-appealing app, to push an impulse purchase
3) A low price, to help the impulse purchase
4) A well designed icon and App Store description to help the impulse purchase even more
5) A well-crafted app
6) A good marketing push in the first couple of weeks after launch
Business Model 3 – Sustained Sales
The iPhone and iPad Application market is still in its infancy, however I am confident that the quality of an app’s design, content and value to the user will eventually be crucial aspects of success.
If your application offers value to your target market and you communicate your message effectively, you will have sustained success selling your application.
How should I price my app?
It has been said that pricing is as much an art as it is a science. There is no doubt that pricing is a very challenging prospect with any product in this economy, but especially with iPhone apps because they have taken some of their pricing cues from iTunes songs, sold cheaply but huge volumes. It is slightly different with the iPad as the size and capability opens up a different type of market.
iPhone app and iPad app developers would do well to carefully examine all aspects of pricing as it pertains to their product, make careful pricing decisions, monitor and measure sales results, and make adjustments where needed to maximise their revenue. You can maximise sales results for your app by through better marketing and marketing includes spending some time on the challenging area of pricing.
You should consider a number of factors when pricing your iPhone or iPad app. For starters, look at competing apps in your category and then ask yourself the following questions:
1) How much do competitors charge for a similar app? Take a look at the App Store and review how many apps are similar to yours.
2) What are the differences between my app and that of someone else? Do you have more features? If it is a new concept, does it offer something more than the other competing apps in the App Store?
3) How does your app rate against the competition? Do you feel that your app has better graphics? Better sound? Better quality content? Is it more interactive? Have you confirmed this with your reviewers, friends, followers and customers?
4) How do you define your app and market? If you are selling a tool for sales reps only, have you done some work to define how many sales reps are in your country or market?
5) How does your app compare to free apps? If there is a competing free iPhone app you will need to strongly communicate the value of your app. People will pay for quality.
6) What was the actual development cost or time involved? Knowing your development costs is also very important in helping you determine the price of your app.
After considering these issues you are still left with the decision as to how to price your app. Everyone defines success in their own way. Perhaps you want to generate twenty thousand a year additional income from an app that cost you three thousand to create. Perhaps you have grander ambitions and to generate one hundred thousand pounds in app sales for a product that cost you ten thousand pounds to create.
Let’s assume you have spent two thousand pounds to develop your business application. You believe you can sell 150 apps per day. You could calculate your sales numbers based on different price point until you are happy with the ROI term.
I am of the opinion that it’s better to price your app a little higher at first and carefully monitor the results. The issues with any pricing assumption is trying to figure out how elastic the price model is for iPhone and iPod apps for your market. Some companies experienced that lowering the price had an effect on sales, some companies experienced no effect on sales at all. It really depends on the type of application being sold.
The best approach is to experiment at a price point that makes sense for your app based on your competitive research, break even analysis and type of application. A truly unique app or app offering business value can command a higher price.
If you are confident that your app offer value to your target market, I say price it higher and measure the results. If you are spending some time on marketing and building a following for your brand you should see steady sales. Remember, in this economy people are willing to pay for quality at a reasonable price.
How can I make money through selling iPhone applications?
Develop an application that is user friendly and creates a value on the iPhone users part. Once your iPhone application grabs attention from the users, rest assured that your application will indeed work. However, the pricing should be in conjunction with features, that is the features of the application that justify the price.
As well as direct sales you can earn revenue with you iPhone or iPad application through lead generation. If you develop an application in a way that the user has to fill in certain details before accessing the application, there will be a lot of data content stored away.
You can also try subscription models. Here, you need to make your application free for usage to all, however, make a subscription code mandatory before anyone starts using the app. That way, people have to buy the subscription codes and launch themselves into the complete application.
One of the most used methods of making money through your application is via advertising. You earn revenues every time a visitor clicks on your application. Better your application, more addictive for your user and more revenues for you.
The ways to make money with an iPhone or iPad app are many and varied. If you have an idea, you can be sure that we are able to bring your idea to life.
What are the iPhone, iPad and Web Business Model Principles?
Many companies are missing the business and revenue opportunities afforded by treating iPhone App, iPad Apps and Websites differently and developing complementary strategies for them.
As a company, your goal for your various websites and applications may be to sell a product, get users to contact you, have users register, and so on. Whatever the goal is, it’s referred to as a customer conversation. Theoretically, all three platforms act as conversation points. For example, it’s possible to build an iPhone app that can be used to make a sale. That’s the ideal scenario. So, if you can build applications on each platform that are compelling enough to get users to download them and convert via the application, by all means do so.
In many circumstances, though, the iPhone and iPad platforms act as touch points with the customer. The customer doesn’t make a purchase through the application, but you hope it will be a way station on the road to a purchase. Ideally, you want those touch points to reinforce each other and to help the potential customers become actual customers via whatever platform you’ve built for conversions.
Brands seem to understand this model best. They often create apps that complement their sites and are used to get the customers contact information or give users reasons to visit their website. The key is to look at each platform as a piece of the puzzle, and make sure the pieces fit together. Build in ways that move customers up the ladder, and give users reasons to do so.
iPhone Strategy: Capture and Keep
Use your iPhone application to capture new customers and retain contact with consumers. The app is a way to keep regular contact with your customer base. You capture and retain them by providing a must-have app. It provides features that your target customers need, something they feel they just can’t do without. It needs to be related to your business in some way, as well. The hard part is finding something really compelling and useful to your customers. The great thing is that you don’t have to do lots, you just have to do one important task well.
Focus on:
1) A utility, game, or service that relates to your business and is of real value to your customers.
2) A narrow app that does its one job superbly.
3) Promoting it through all your channels to gain adoption.
4) Conversions via the application, if you can.
Ladder up:
1) Give users added features that they can only get through the website or iPad app. Make those features a better with experience, the iPhone app works even better when you this information through the website.
2) Give users discounts, special notices, or other tangible value that they can only get by providing e-mail or contact info.
3) Always make it opt-in, but give customers reasons to opt-in.
4) Make the transition easy, let them create their account from the phone app or get their email via the application and send them an email reminding them to register from the iPad or computer.
The goal is to give your customers an app they love and find real value in, but hold out a carrot, or maybe a delectable dessert that they can only get through a different platform or by providing the contact information you need to move them closer to the conversation.
iPad Strategy: Engage and Convert
Your iPad application is a great place to convert your customers. The iPad can provide a terrific online shopping experience, for instance. However, the experience on the iPad needs to be especially engaging and designed specifically for the touch screen device. The iPad is all about engagement. To get your customers to convert, you’ll need to be compelling.
Focus on:
1) An experience. An interactive experience if at all possible.
2) Personalisation. Taylor the content to the user, if you can. Give them reasons to tell you about themselves by improving their iPad experience when they do.
3) Provide reasons to share. The iPad is portable, like a phone, But unlike a phone, the screen is large enough to be easil viewed by and used by more than one person. This is a great opportunity to create an app that is more fun with two or three people playing. Think about board games. The iPad can bring people together in that way, giving your app more exposure.
4) Build your iPad application for conversion. Make sure to provide ways for users to buy, register etc.
Ladder up:
1) Give users a reason to come back. Build something into the experience that requires the user to return for more of something or a better experience.
2) Tie it into the iPhone app. Provide some features or benefits that they now get in their iPhone app because they used the iPad app. Try to make those benefits something that encourages the user to return to the iPad app or your website regularly.
3) Always make it opt-in, but give users reason to opt-in.
Let ProductiseIT help you to create an integrated approach for your company’s applications.
How big is the iPad?
The iPad has a 9.7 inch display, it measures 9.6 inches long and 7.6 inches wide – a little bigger than a magazine – and about half an inch thick. It weighs 1.5 pounds. Some report that the iPad feels heavier than expected, considering its size.
How does one use the iPad?
Using the iPad is a very similar experience to using the iPhone. The main home screen displays your various iPad apps, with a row of four core apps – web browsing, e-mail, photos, and iPod along the bottom. Tap to launch an app, swipe through photos and e-mail and pinch with the fingers to zoom in or out of a web page.
What is the iPad battery life?
You can expect 10 hours of active use on a single charge, or a month of stand-by time, according to Apple.
Does the iPad play video content?
Yes, the iPad versions of the calendar, contacts, Safari, and the iPad media player look and feel more like their desktop counterparts than like the pared-down versions on the iPhone and iPod Touch. For example, the calendar on the iPad looks similar to iCal for Mac, and the iPads iPod player similar to the desktop version of itunes.
How do you type on the iPad?
Like the iPhone, the iPad comes with a virtual, on-screen QWERTY keyboard – except on the iPad, the virtual keyboard is almost the same size as a standard keyboard. If you’re more comfortable with an actual keyboard, though, Apple sell an iPad keyboard dock.
Will iPhone apps on the App Store work on iPad?
Yes, in one of two ways: either a windowed mode, in which the app in question runs at its normal iPhone size surrounded by a big black window, or in a full screen mode thanks to the magic of pixel doubling.
Is the iPad a business device?
Yes, Apple’s new iPad isn’t just a new product for consumers, the company are targeting the iPad at business users with features designed to make it attractive to the enterprise market.
Apple has long had a business sales group ready to sell Macs to any interested companies. The latest software release for the iPhone has made it very clear that it wants the iPhone to fit the needs of the corporate users. Apple hardened the iPhone’s security profile, added Exchange support, and created mass configuration and deployment tools for the device.
For the iPad, those same corporate-friendly features continue to work, thanks to the iPad being built on the same software foundation. However the iPad adds a variety of new things that business users would find very attractive.
What is the iPad adoption rate as a business tool?
There are some interesting findings come out of a survey conducted by Citrix with their customers. The 494 respondents indicated a high adoption rate in anticipation of the iPad as a business tool. The high level of support for personal iPads seems to reinforce the notion that the iPad with be the door opener for bring your own computer at many companies. The fact that IT can safely provide access to company apps, data and virtual desktops without managing the device will make the iPad a game changer for business beyond just the form factor and features. This device will provide the leading example of how IT can keep control of data, apps and compliance yet enable their users to maximise their choice and productivity from anywhere.
Perhaps another reason for the IT support is the fact that so many IT professionals plan to use the iPad to become more productive themselves. Some of the findings from the survey include:
1) 80 percent will purchase and use iPad for business.
2) 84 percent of organisations will support personal iPads.
3) 50 percent expect their organisations to purchase for them.
4) Primary apps to be used on the iPad are productivity apps with an 87 percent response rate.
5) 90 percent of respondents will use iPad for business email, closely followed by the ability to view, edit and create presentations.
6) Nearly 60 percent of respondents indicated that they will use iPad for online meetings and to access critical business information.
7) 90 percent indicated that one of the largest benefits was increased mobility to work remote, at home, or anywhere. 74 percent indicated improved productivity and satisfaction.
In another online survey from Price Grabber iPad purchasers said they would use their new device primarily for mobile productivity. Only three percent of respondents claimed that it would be used strictly as an entertainment device.
How big is the enterprise market?
More than 80 percent of Fortune 100 companies are using the iPhone, and about 50 percent of the Fortune 100 are deploying or testing the iPad according to Apple.
Apple Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook announced those figures during the company’s quarterly earnings conference recently. He said that the company is selling iPads and iPhones as fast as they can make them, including those sales to the enterprise market.
The iPhone has steadily grown in the enterprise market since it was first introduced in 2007. But Apple’s recent comments would seem to suggest that the iPad has found faster adoption in the enterprise market.
The remaining question is, what are those businesses using the iPad for? Apple’s executives did not provide any indication, though numerous companies have publicly embraced the device, giving some idea of where the iPad is being used.
Earlier this month, Wells Fargo revealed it initially bought 15 iPads used to demonstrate products at an investor conference. The company’s experience with the iPad led it to buy a bunch more.
In addition, Mercedes-Benz has used the iPad to sell cars, allowing sales people to handle credit applications on the touchscreen tablet device. The company is now considering using iPads at all 350 of its U.S. dealerships.
Sap has developed its own iPad application, allowing managers to approve shipping of customer orders. The company also has a handful of other custom applications planned for development.
Essentially, the iPhone is a mobile phone with a mini-computer at its core. Using 3G technology, users can browse the web, send emails, store songs, watch video, and most other tasks you would usually associate with working on a laptop In a rapidly growing market of ‘smart phones’, which includes the Blackberry brand, the iPhone has received excellent reviews and is clearly way ahead of the competition.
Is the iPhone good for business use?
Many comment that the iPhone has already improved their working life. Whereas previously, they would rush back to the office/home to check on emails and online issues, they can now check everything via the iPhone.
You can either use a WiFi connection at home/work, or out and about, and if one isn’t available you simply use the O2 3G network to access the web.
In addition to the benefits of web access, which is obviously available on other handsets, the iPhone is streets ahead of the competition with the number of ‘Apps’ you can download to your handset. These tiny applications, which are either free or cost a few pounds, can perform a number of essential business tasks – such as: enabling you to FTP files to your server from the phone, check the latest news, compile spreadsheets, translate text, keep a track on expenses, and much more.
The non-business benefits are even bigger – easy access to everything from YouTube and Facebook, to storing thousands of songs and photo’s within the handset. The new model also includes video, so you’ll not need to take a digital camera out with you again.
What new features are in the iPhone software version 4?
The iPhone SDK 4 is the next generation of the world’s most innovative mobile operating system. It has a rich set of over 1500 new API’s and has an amazing set of technologies to enhance the functionality of your iPhone or iPod Touch application design.
Multitasking
iOS 4 delivers seven new multitasking services that allow your applications to perform tasks in the background whilst preserving the battery life and performance of the device. These multitasking services include:
1) Background audio – Allows your app to play audio continuously so that customers can listen to your app while using the device to do other things.
2) Voice over IP – Your VoIP apps can now be even better. Users can now receive VoIP calls and have conversations while using another app. Your users can even receive calls when their phones are locked.
3) Background location – Navigation apps can now continue to guide users who are listening to their iPods, or using other apps. iOS 4 also provides a new battery efficient way to monitor location when users move between call towers. This is a great way for your social networking apps to keep track of users and their friends locations.
4) Push notifications – Receive alerts from your remote servers even when your app is not running.
5) Local notifications – Your app can now alert new users of scheduled events and alarms in the background, no servers required.
6) Task finishing – If your app is mid-task when your customer leaves it, the app can now keep running to finish the task.
7) Fast app switching – This will allow users to leave your app and come right back to where they were when they left – no more having to reload the app.
How many iPod, iPad and iPhone devices have been sold?
According to Apple’s recent Q3 2010 conference call, they’ve officially passed the monstrous 100,000,000 iOS devices sold milestone. At the iOS 4 sneak preview event on April 8, Steve Jobs revealed Apple had sold 50 million iPhones and 35 million iPod Touches. On April 20, Apple announced 8.7 million iPhones sold in Q2. So, if we include those in the 50 million number, add the 8.4 million sold in Q3, that’s 58.4 million iPhones, alongside 3.3 million iPads, leaving room for 38.3 million or so iPod touches.
To put the iPad numbers in perspective, Apple sold 3.3 million of them in their debut quarter, and they sold 3.5 million Macs during the same period – their best Mac quarter ever. Each and every one of these devices can run most of the 225,000 iPhone apps on the iTunes App Store. These numbers will no doubt increase next year.
At what price point do you think most people stop and think twice before making an iPhone app purchase?
Of course, the higher the price the more likely people are to think about whether they want to spend money on your app. Many people have suggested that people make purchases up to a value of three pounds without much thought and very much on impulse. This is a useful sweet spot to be aware of in aiming for a broad market with a volume sales based strategy.
That said there are many niche app that sell way over the fifty pound mark and have reported significant sales. Your pricing model with be defined by your target audience and the positioning strategy around the launch of your app.
How much does the star rating of an app in the App Store influence a purchasing decision?
They were early surveys conducted that report mixed views. 30% of people said that the App Store’s star ratings have no effect on them at all, with 40% saying it only had a minor influence. The remaining 30% said it played quite a large role in their decision-making, although no respondent cited it as the most important element. Twitter user Paul Robinson sums up many people’s views saying:
Initially the star rating did have an effect because on other purchase platforms like Amazon, the quality of the rating is quite high. When you start reading the reviews though and realise people are giving 1 star reviews that are factually incorrect (competitors, perhaps?), or 5 star reviews that make no sense, I realised the star rating alone was not enough to make a decision. Simply, the people writing reviews – and more importantly giving high star ratings – on the App Store seem to be so far removed from the plane of existence I’m on, I can safely ignore the aggregate that is the overall star rating.
Opinions on the influence of App Store reviews similarly lean towards taking them with a pinch of salt. There was some suggestion that the qualitative nature of reviews can be more useful than a star rating on its own, although potential purchasers would only bother reading through these for relatively expensive purchases. There was also a common view that many of the reviews are so poorly thought out as to not be of any use.
Author: Katie Lips for Kisky Netmedia (CC by SA)
Could luck play a part in the sales success of my app?
We’ve noticed some key trends and some major anomalies. Luck could most definitely play a part in the success of your app. Here are a few examples which really couldn’t be planned for (or could they?)
1) Apple features your app in print campaigns and TV ads.
2) Your app is features on a very popular website.
3) Your app is featured in the press.
4) Your app benefit from mass viral marketing.
5) Apple feature your app in the ‘What Hot’ section of the App Store.
6) Apple feature your app in the ‘Staff Favorites’ section of the App Store.
7) Apple feature your app in the ‘new and noteworthy’ section of the App Store.
Your App makes the top 10 list in your category.
Could the iPad end the fascination with small?
If the iPad makes it as a popular device we’re going to see an end to the fascination with small. No longer must mobile computers fit in your pocket. We’ll see more tablets, more devices that aren’t afraid to be the size they need to be to do what they need to do.
If iPad proves that no longer must a mobile computer fit in your pocket, other manufacturers will experiment with larger devices.
Will iPads replace business laptops?
Many entrepreneurs already have and iPad. It is expected that many Technology and creative types will get one within 12 months. Others may take a little longer to convince their IT department, but research suggests it will happen. Members of the European Parliament are already there.
A common complaint with company issued laptops is that they’re incredibly locked down and restricted, owing to the IT departments concerns about spyware, viruses and similar. However, the iPad operates in a completely different way from the standard computer – its closed ecosystem and app approval process mean that viruses are non-existent and even novice users can be left to install software without it causing damage.
The availability of a standard business software site in the form of iWork means that those who need access to basic word processing and spreadsheets but aren’t necessarily hugely tech literate, can use these without maintenance, updates and complications that come with a more traditional laptop. Indeed it’s been suggested that members of European Parliament could all be equipped with iPads in order to allow them to stay better connected while away from the office. Although UKIP MEP Marta Andreasen suggested that this was inappropriate given that many MP where not tech savvy. It actually seems like the simplicity and closed nature of the iPad make it a far more appropriate device for non-tech savvy business users than traditional laptops.
Author: Katie Lips for Kisky Netmedia (CC by SA)
Will iPad force a decline in single use devices?
It’s a chameleon. Now it’s a textbook. Now it’s a TV. Now it’s a photo frame. Now it’s a newspaper. Now it’s a film. Now it’s a novel. Now it’s a till. Now it’s a music sequencer. Now it’s a coach. Now it’s a course. Now it’s a tutor. Now it’s a game.
iPad is whatever you want it to be (iPads will be used to run single apps) turning them into single purpose devices. We will soon stop thinking of the iPad as a slate or a tablet in favor of referring to its current use. The beauty of the iPad is that it’s blank slate offers limitless potential.
Small retail businesses can easily use an iPad plus a specialist app in place of a single-purpose point of sale computer or till. Such POS systems typically cost over fifteen thousand pounds to set up compared to a cost of around one thousand five hundred for the iPad software4.
Author: Katie Lips for Kisky Netmedia (CC by SA)
Could iPad transform the publishing industry?
iPad will offer a revenue stream to quality publications. It will help innovation publishers reach new audiences in new ways. It offers an audience and a platform to new publishers too.
Whether iPad will rescue the publishing industry is a much debated topic. Whether it will rescue publications already in trouble is yet to be seen. But it has the potential to transform.
The Guardian newspaper lost thirty six point eight million pounds in 2008-2009, which many blamed on the fact that, with so much free news available online, including all of the guardian daily content, there was little need to pay for a printed paper. However despite the availability of this content for free online, The Guardian iPhone app which came out in December of last year saw over seventy thousand people pay two pounds and thirty nine pence for the app in its first month of release.
While this alone of course isn’t a complete cure all for the paper ills, it does show there is a willingness to pay for news and content if it is packaged in the correct way. And the iPad offer more opportunity than ever to do this.
The fact that the App Store is a closed platform, unlike the web, means it is possible to control and charge for the distribution of content. And while the web may have been perceived as a poor alternative to a printed daily newspaper and is so offered for free, it could be argued that the convenience and rich content offered by the iPad mean that it is a format better than paper for the delivery of news, and so is easily monetisable.
It’s looking like The Guardian is set to repeat its iPhone success with its iPad-native app, Eyewitness, which has been downloaded over 90,000 times, meaning it’s installed on 1 in 10 iPads. Again, this is simply the repackaging of content that is already available elsewhere – in this case photography from The Guardian’s daily news coverage, but in an expanded and more convenient way that’s well suited to its platform and more compelling and interactive than its paper or web based equivalent.
Following a similar formula of offering enhanced content tailored to its platform, Wired magazine sold 24,000 copies of its four ninety nine app in the first day of release, with The Next Web saying it’s the first reading experience from paper to screen where the digital version exceeds the traditional one.
What is interesting about the iPad is that it may have had the power to save magazine publishing by cutting print costs. Had the tablet platform been developed a few years earlier it might have saved publications like like the US design publication I.D. Magazine.
Author: Katie Lips for Kisky Netmedia (cc by SA)
Will iPad revolutionise teaching and learning?
iPads will be in a classroom near you soon. Whatever you’re learning. Whatever you’re teaching.
Seton Hill University in Pennsylvania is giving iPads to its 2100 students and 300 staff starting this autumn (2010). Mary Ann Gawelek, vice president of academic affairs at the university said:
Those big heavy textbooks that kids go around with in their backpacks are going to be a thing of the past. We think it’s leading to something that’s going to provide a better learning environment for all our students. We’re hoping that faculty will be able to use more of a variety of textbooks because textbooks will be a little less expensive. The low cost and flexibility of the iPad makes a serious impression on the education marketplace – even at the basic level of removing the need for textbooks. Still lots to see in this space now the devices are available.
While simply moving from printed to digital textbooks is useful in itself, the real advantage of the iPad is the new types of teacher-learner interaction it allows for the classroom.
Mary Wallace is Head of Product Management – Software at Promethean the leading educational technology provider. Mary describes the iPad’s immediacy as a key agent in how it will affect classroom interactions:
We should not look at the iPad for the product itself, but for what it represents, an enabler, an aggregator, a way of passing ideas and data around. People’s expectations of interacting with devices are different now than what they were 3 or 4 years ago. Instead of several large chunks of plastic and wires on a table, which you probably have to share, people now expect – and enjoy – a small personal device in their pocket which is promiscuous – it welcomes everything.
When I see people using the iPad I see them holding it close to their body – almost like a small puppy or a child. Will this change the way that tasks and idea are worked through? I don’t know, but the notion dominant in UK education of personalisation, is shooting off now in some challenging and unmapped directions.
The education sector has attempted to harness technology in innovative ways – using the wen as a new education delivery mechanism, harnessing web technologies to create new learning software. Education however has not benefited from mobile computing (particularly), the personal computer it seems was not the right device for the classroom – constrained by locked down operating systems and restricted connectivity. The iPad however represents something new for the education sector, and something very appealing for the education technology sector.
Alan Carpenter, Director of Creative and Consultancy Services at Lightbox Education talks us through it:
For me the iPad is the first device to enter the market that has a real chance of being the truly first game changer and replacement to the currently undisputed master that’s stood the test of time – the pen. What the iPad does do, and why I think it’s a game changer for education, is that it offers a single platform to help people live, play, work and learn – in a manner that is versatile to their changing needs. It can be personal when you want it to be, it can facilitate group participation, and it can empower collaboration to name just three. None of this may sound revolutionary, but in an education setting it really is.
The iPad (or slates, tablets, etc) will be the key device to drive learning in years to come, to the point where every learner will be in possession of one within five years time. They will replace the laptop or the desktop computer, making the idea of ICT suites and sitting at a screen redundant.
Education is always slow to adopt new technology. It took ten years for whiteboards to hit a reasonable critical mass in UK schools, and the US is still way behind where we are now. However I think we will see iPads becoming ubiquitous quickly because they are practical, versatile, affordable and non-threatening.
The iPad will help integrate the process of task learning into young people’s everyday lives. Of course, there will still be the concept of schools and formal learning, but the device will help transform learning as just something you do, rather than something you have to do. The immediacy of the device and weaving learning into it is the key to success here. A single platform for playing, working, living (digitally, socially) and learning can only benefit the effectiveness of quality of learning. It becomes more natural and something you do anytime, not just in the classroom.
In the short-term, the iPad could help bridge the gaps left by the current devices and hardware, helping to make better use of items such as whiteboards and student response systems. For example, current whiteboard usage could be enhanced by introducing the iPad as a response device to interact directly with the whiteboard without the need to ask kids to jump up in teams. It could also be used as a voting system, or better still a competitive multi-play, where teams interact with a game that plays on the whiteboard from their own iPads.
Indeed what does the iPad mean for incumbent classroom technology providers? For those that can move fast it represents a great opportunity to connect devices, to connect learning hardware and software in a way that makes sense for the users.
In the classroom the expectations of teachers and students in terms of work flow processes is also different – instead of typing in text two or three times to achieve something, we expect to be able to touch and click very quickly to work with a highly visual environment. What does this mean for the use of words? There’s a new literacy emerging which we all need to get to grips with said Mary Wallace (Promethean).
iPad will encourage (and perhaps enable) classroom technology providers to work quickly to create software and hardware which connects whiteboards, iPads, ‘virtual learning environments’, resources tools and applications. There is an application available for the iPad that allows teachers to manage teachers to manage the computer activities in the classroom from the devices.
Within a very short space of time we will see truly innovative apps hitting the App Store and the classroom, this will be a very quickly adopted change in how technology is used.
The key issue for education is not in hardware and software innovation, it will likely be more political – those institutions which can work independently of government departments and lengthy education authority procurement processes will be the ones that get to play with, and benefit from the iPad first.
Author: Katie Lips for Kisky Netmedia (CC by SA)
Why is iPhone and iPad app growth so explosive?
Users can download on-the-go and within seconds have an iPhone or iPad app installed. The user can then launch the app with the click of a button or a tap on the screen.
The primary factors contributing to the explosive growth of mobile app is the increased capabilities of the smartphone, the iPhone being the game-changer.
Built-in smartphone capabilities are empowering apps to perform an ever-increasing number of functions. Features include high definition video playback and VGA capture, touch screen, gravity sensitive accelerator, personal GPS navigation, portable multi-player gaming, mobile TV and radio streams, app commerce, push notifications and the ability to control other devices. For the first time, with the right combination of installed apps, mobile devices are a legitimate alternative to toting a laptop.
Can you tell me more about reach and monetization?
Many people have pondered ‘What if I received just a pound, but from a million people’. iPhone and iPad apps provide global reach. Besides the sale of an app itself there are other revenue generating opportunities.
1) Proprietary content can be sold on a subscription basis, including magazines, movies and audio books.
2) In-app advertising is becoming more prevalent. Retailers are already selling securely through mobile apps.
3) The e-learning industry has subscription and certification options to monetize their investments.
4) Gamers are selling additional access levels and digital content within their apps.
5) Charitable organisations, including churches, will soon accept donations.
6) Dating sites will likely up-charge for location based, peer to peer match makinging features.
The revenue potential is wide open. There’s no shortage of creative minds at work who are able to leverage existing investments in technology and appropriate content. A good app requires a close examination of how best to serve target audiences with what matters to them.
How much will it cost to develop my application?
Before ProductiseIT can give you a price that contains any level of accuracy, we need to understand exactly what you would like your application to do, we require a specification of work.
If this is a new area for you this is something that we can help you with. The spec does not need to be long however the more detail we have, the more accurately we can quote on the development time. We work with you to understand what you would like to achieve from a business perspective rather than from a technical perspective.
We work with our customer on a transparent basis. Your application may need features added in the future, so consider a development partner as a potentially long term relationship.
Our business model allows for upfront payment of your application development, revenue share with no upfront development cost to our customer or a mixture of both.
Our project managers will work with you to explore the best option for you and your business.
How long will it take to develop my app?
This very much depends on each individual project. At ProductiseIT our general rule is two to six weeks however functionality rich applications can take a little longer.
The average time for an Apple approval before publishing an App to the App Store is two weeks.
Does my application need to be complex?
Some of the most successful applications sell because they are easy to use. We would suggest that the focus be on the benefit to your user. If your target market value your content, and the way that your content is presented, you will have successfully engaged your customer.
Once your application is fit for purpose and in the App Store, all that remains is to let your potential customers know where it is.
How do I get paid?
Your customer will purchase your application using either their iPhone, ipod Touch, iPad or PC when they download your application from the App Store. If the application is purchased using the PC it is then downloaded onto they mobile device in order to use.
Apple provide ProductiseIT with a daily sales report broken down by the country where the app was purchased. We then provide you with your sales statistics on a weekly basis. Your global sales statistics are available to view in your customer portal where reports can be downloaded.
Apple pay out your sales royalties on a monthly basis. ProductiseIT pay our customers within 7 days of receiving payment from Apple.
Which is better, per hour or per project billing?
There are a number of ways that we could charge for application development services. The first is on a per hour basis. This could be an advantageous opportunity for someone who has an idea that does not require complex functionality.
The second is would be on a per project basis. Application development on a per project basis is popular as the customer has a fixed price on which to budget.
The third option is revenue share. The details around this option follow consultation as regards the customers target market and plans regarding a PR and marketing investment.
What are your payment terms?
Every project requires a fifty percent deposit based on the total cost of the project as per the contract of work. The final payment is required at the time of testable release or on publishing.
ProductiseIT offer multiple methods of payment for an application development project which include Bank Transfer, Cashiers Cheque and Paypal.
Is there a resource for helping to put together an application idea?
Upon entering a contract with ProductiseIT we can provide a project manager that will help put together a presentable application idea that will help you determine everything you want your app to do. We will work with you on a longer term perspective for your ideas as well as you initial concept.
Can you explain how development costs work?
An iPhone app is not an easy thing to build and so, like a double extension to your hose or a complex website, you are paying for the expertise of our developers to create your application.
It is usual for an organisation to pay a one off fixed fee for an application in the same way that you would pay for other professional services. However there are some people who have grea ideas and do not have the finance for the total development cost. In this instance ProductiseIT will consider investing in the development of your application in return for a percentage of the profit that comes from selling the App.
Negociating for development costs is often very similar to the Dragon’s Den program in that you will negociate in terms of equity or how much profit you are willing to share in order to have us invest in the building your application.
Where this often falls down is where the client is considering ofering around 20% equity. Unless a client is planning to do any designing, planning or marketing, it is very unlikely that we would agree to build your application for such a small percentage.
At ProductiseIT we will consider equity based terms if we think the application is a good idea and if the client is making a significant investment in PR and marketing.
Pricing an application is based on the amount of time that it takes to work on the design and development of the code. Text based application are far less expensive to build than say a 3D game for example. At ProductiseIT we offer application packages as well as bespoke application design. Application packages allow us to offer entry level applications at very reasonable rates and speed up development where customers require speed to market.
At ProductiseIT our development process is transparent and supported by an automated project management customer portal.
What is an iPad?
An iPad is the first tablet computer from Apple. A revolutionary device for reading e-books, browsing the web, reading and sending e-mail, enjoying photos, watching videos, listening to music, playing games and much more. Apple began selling iPads in July 2010 and worldwide sales are projected to hit 15 million by 2011.
What is an iPod Touch?
First, there was an Apple iPod, a portable device for storing and playing audio files. iPods can hold anywhere from a few hundred to ten thousand songs. Launched on Oct. 23, 2001, more than 275 million iPods have been sold since.
Now with enhanced resolution, graphics and text look incredibly crisp and sharp on the display screen making it an ideal time to introduce your work as a mobile application. Launched in September 2007, more than 32 million iPod Touch units have sold as of the end of 2009.
What is an iPhone?
The iPhone is Apple’s first Internet-enabled Smartphone. It combines the features of a mobile phone, wireless Internet device, and iPod into one package.
What is an App?
An app is an abbreviation for application. An app is a piece of software. It can run on the Internet, on your computer, or on your phone or other electronic device. You’ll find more than 250,000 apps in Apple’s App Store.
What is the Apple App Store?
The App Store is a service for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad offered by Apple Inc., which allows users to browse and download applications. As of September 2010, there are more than 250,000 applications officially available on the App Store, with more than 10 billion total downloads.
What is ebook iPhone App Development?
Your book will be converted into an app and will be available on the App Store where users can download your book on their iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. We have three options you can add on to your Children’s publishing package: (1) Story Book App, (2) Talking Story Book App (3) Page Saver App (4) Talking Page Saver App.
My ebook or print book is already live and available for purchase. Can my book become an app?
Yes, if your book is already live and you own the rights, you can still utilize our Application Development Publishing services.
Is there are page limit or word count for Apps?
Yes, there is a word count limit of 2,600 words for the Package Apps. If your book is more than 2,600 words, talk to your Publishing Consultant for a custom quote.
Can I purchase iPhone Applation Publishing for my black and white books?
Yes, our package includes all the artwork that you need.
How much will my app cost to consumers?
Your app will be available in the Apple App Store for a minimum of 79 pence for an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad download. We allow all our authors to set there own pricing.
What royalties will I receive from each app sold?
That depends on the application development package that you choose. Options range from 30% to 70% on the retail price of each app sold.
Can users who download my book share it with friends, colleagues or online?
No, your work is protected, and app users aren’t able to share your book.
Can I have my book animated?
We have custom animations available, so call our Publishing Consultant on 01274 875257 for a quote.
How long will it take for my book to be turned into an app?
The process usually takes 15 to 60 days. We can publish within 2 days if you choose our Rapid App publishing package.
What do I need to know before I pursue Self Publishing With ProductiseIT?
Self publishing a book is much faster than publishing with a traditional publisher, which often takes a year or longer. If you follow the ProductiseIT guidelines and submit in one of our preferred formats, your book iPhone and iPad application can usually be available for worldwide distribution within two weeks.
Your book can be published in any of our formats you choose – electronic magazine style, iPad App, iPhone App, iBooks App Reader, Web App, Kindle Format the list goes on. In addition, you can choose to make your book interactive with video, audio, animation and full colour illustrations.
You don’t need to know a lot about computers or the Internet to self publish with us. Because ProductiseIT has a robust technological infrastructure, we are able to help authors with all aspects of self publishing a book. We will take care of all the technical aspects, while you concentrate on doing what you do best – writing! We do all the work for you and provide you with direct contact to an account manager to provide help and support.
Can I have a Free App Publishing Consultation?
You’ll begin the self publishing process with an in-depth conversation with a publishing consultant to discuss your project goals, and then choose the services that align with your goals. You will then have full support from ideas to the app store!
Do I need an ISBN number to self publish with ProductiseIT?
ProductiseIT will provide a unique ISBN number for your book at no extra charge.
Once your manuscript has entered the production process, ProductiseIT will assign an ISBN number for each version of your book.
Your unique ISBN number will be listed on the copyright page at the front of your book.
As of January 1, 2007, new ISBN numbers were upgraded from 10 to 13 digits to accomodate growth in the publishing industry. All new ProductiseIT titles automatically receive a 13 digit ISBN number.
How do ProductiseIT royalties work?
ProductiseIT takes seriously the timely payment of royalties to our authors. Below are some of the most common royalty questions we receive and answers to those questions.
How are my royalties calculated?
Royalties are calculated based on the number of Apps and e-books sold.
When will I receive my royalties?
Every quarter, ProductiseIT authors receive a detailed accounting of their sales with their royalty checks (once they reach £50.00). Should an author choose to receive royalties through EFT (electronic funds transfer), the threshold need not be met. Ultimately, authors should refer to their unique App contract terms. distribution.
What are Apple’s requirements for submitting eBooks?
ISBNs. Apple requires ISBNs on eBooks. You can assign your own ISBN, or let ProductiseIT assign one for free.
EPUB. An EPUB file is required for submission to the iBookstore. You can create your own, or have iAp create one for you through our conversion service. See the next point for an important note about the EPUB file.
Validation. EPUB files submitted to the iBookstore must pass Apple’s validation requirements. We automatically validate your file in our eBook wizard at upload time, and provide feedback and options for fixing the file if there are any errors.
At a minimum, your file must pass epubcheck 1.1. Many third-party sites provide tools to validate EPUBs. ProductiseIT is not responsible for the accuracy or security of third-party sites and tools. As a word of warning, simply passing epubcheck 1.1 does not guarantee your file will pass all of Apple’s validation requirements. There are a few additional gotchas commonly encountered with EPUBs that prevent them from importing on the iBookstore system:
1) All characters in the URIs must be valid with non-alphanumeric characters properly encoded (for example, space should be encoded as ‘%20′). This problem most often surfaces in URIs in the NCX files. For best results, do not use filenames in the EPUB that have spaces or other characters that are not safe for use within URLs; this avoids the need to URL-encode them at all, thereby reducing the chances of error and delay.
2) All files included in EPUBs must be listed in the EPUB manifest (OPF file). EPUBs containing unmanifested files will fail import.
3) Only UTF-8 and UTF-16 encodings are allowed in EPUBs. Any EPUBs that are improperly encoded will fail import, so it is important to use the correct character encodings.
Can any type of book be converted to the EPUB file format?
When you convert a book to EPUB, the result is a single block of flowable text and images. On eReader devices, a “page” is simply the amount of content that will fit on a single screen, which of course varies depending on the screen size of the device. Part of converting to EPUB involves removing much of the page-based formatting (page numbers, headers and footers, page breaks, etc.) that are not relevant in the eReading context.
This means books which are largely text-based are best suited for conversion to EPUB format. Books which contain lots of charts, formulas, tables, and images can be converted, but the process will take longer, is more expensive, and may not yield optimal results (i.e. large tables and images which fit on a printed page may be broken across screens on a small mobile device). Bottom line, any book can be converted to EPUB format, but text-based books work best!
How are prices set?
You can set any price for the version of your eBook sold on the Apple App Store. When you publish to the iBookstore, we’ll automatically round your price to the nearest valid Apple pricing tier. Apple’s pricing guidelines vary by country. On the U.S. iBookstore, the price must end in $.99, and cannot exceed $99.99.
All eBooks submitted for iBookstore distribution must comply with these pricing guidelines.
Can I set my own price?
Yes. Publishers can supply pricing via the metadata spreadsheet. However, prices are still subject to Apple’s pricing restrictions, and ProductiseIT will automatically adjust your price to ensure it falls within the accepted range defined by Apple.
