The fact that consumers are worried about apps on both the security and privacy fronts is leading to a lot less software sales, and potentially billions in lost revenue, according to new research.
Rackspace highlighted this particular problem, and a study commissioned by the hosting provider found that no less than 36% of consumers in the UK said they were reluctant to use more apps due to security reasons. Which could mean the fear of apps leaking their personal details, or infecting them with malware.
Speaking of the former, privacy was also a major worry for 33% of respondents – unsurprisingly given the amount of permissions some apps request – and according to Rackspace, all these concerns mean that the UK economy will be worse off to the tune of £2.5 billion (around $3.1 billion, AU$4.1 billion) this year. And even more lost revenue, £3.2 billion (around $3.9 billion, AU$5.2 billion), will go down the drain next year.
Darren Norfolk, Managing Director of Rackspace in the UK, observed that “security and reliability are the biggest concerns for consumers when using online services”.
Pokémon problem
He also pointed to the fact that some developers are unprepared for the scale of traffic their app may generate, and this can lead to big disappointments. Of course, you only have to consider Pokémon Go for a recent example of a shaky launch due to unanticipated popularity.
As Norfolk said: “Look at Pokémon Go which went down shortly after the app was launched. The technology itself wasn’t the problem, it was the fact that the IT team planned for fifty times less traffic than what they eventually received.”
Being prepared in terms of infrastructure is a big piece of the puzzle when it comes to reliability, of course, and this is clearly something devs need to focus on when it comes to driving app sales – as well as tightening security, naturally. Not to mention assuring users on the privacy front.
Via: ITProPortal
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