Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Understanding the Risks Involved in Mobile Apps

 As with everything else, mobile apps have their own risks. These challenges need to be recognized, not to dissuade people from developing them but for both investors and developers alike to understand the industry. This would mean more educated decisions and a deeper knowledge of how to work within the market.

Image source: gallerily.com

The mobile app industry is quite different from other industries in that it has grown incredibly fast over a short period. It has blossomed into a worldwide phenomenon that has affected all other industries; and yet, when closely considered, it still relatively a child in terms of growth and potential. That said, people often fail to scrutinize the industry for the inherent risks and what can be done to mitigate them. Too many developers create apps without first considering these risks. For the new capital investor, this could also mean that apps may be supported without proper research.

Image source: techandscience.com

The main risk in mobile apps is security. The basic platform in mobile app development has been so refined that a person with an average amount of talent can create a rather basic app. These apps need not be ugly. In fact, the concept of the app may even have merits. Nevertheless, security is an often neglected area. So where the concept is acceptable, the integrity of the app may be questioned. This is highly important for an app that requires users to input sensitive or personal information. Both capital investors and developers need to acknowledge the necessity of a strong security measurement.

Even with sophisticated security barriers, there is still the risk of hacking. As the industry grows and develops, so does the criminal aspects of it. Again, these cautions are written not to discourage mobile app development but to impress the necessity of proper disclosure between an app developer and his or her capital investor.

Learn more about the mobile app industry by following Taihwa Terry Ho on Twitter.