CA Technologies launched the inaugural edition of its Asia Pacific & Japan (APJ) Application Economy Index (AEI) 2016 designed to identify the readiness of 10 Asia Pacific & Japan (APJ) markets to thrive in the application economy. Today, applications are contributing heavily to technology adoption and businesses are increasingly embracing digital transformation. This also means that the pace of innovation must match the pace of disruption, and forward-looking, pro-active strategies for managing risks and capitalizing on opportunities must be put in place to succeed and thrive in the application economy.
The results of the study – developed and commissioned by CA Technologies and carried out by research consulting firm TRPC indicated India’s position as a leading accelerator in application economy potential.
“Regardless of whether they are in the Disruptors, Challengers or Mainstream group, markets will still need to focus on creating conditions for businesses to thrive in the application economy. They can do so by continuing to do well in their key success characteristics, while mitigating current and potential weaknesses,” said Lim May-Ann, managing director, TRPC.
India ranked #9 in this index due to the three main pillars that are critical for a vibrant application economy, with each pillar comprising various parameters:
• Government Use and Support of Technology and Innovation: To develop sound technology policies and promote innovation, governments themselves should understand and use software applications.
• Internet and Mobile Infrastructure: Without the necessary infrastructure and enabled access to technology, an application economy cannot fully develop.
The study examined future leaders of the application economy through the use of Market Potential Accelerators (MPA). This index evaluates factors which have the ability to impact and accelerate market potential in the new application economy. They are: (i) the number of smartphone users in a market, (ii) the number of people who use mobile Internet on a daily basis, (iii) the use of virtual social networks, (iv) the daily use of mobile applications, and (v) the size of the youth demographic in the market.
“India is at the cusp of digital transformation and app is at the heart of this change. India’s leadership position in near future is unsurprising, especially as the number of smartphone users and mobile broadband keeps growing,” said Sunil Manglore, managing director, CA Technologies, India. “Digital India is creating further push for mobile enabled ecosystem like e-governance & e-services to common citizens. India’s app economy is already making its mark in the world with signs of success and global interest turning towards it.”
