Ever since text messaging became an instant phenomenon, companies have been using mobile devices to market and make money.  In the past, marketing through mobile devices centered around SMS (text messaging).  From contests and giveaways, to quizzes, companies were able to send millions of cell phone users promotions and advertisements instantly.

Today, mobile marketing is much different and the change of direction has to do with the devices people are using.  With the introduction and the mass popularity of smart phones, like the iPhone®, Droid® and Blackberry®, companies began to realize that they could expand their reach and get more customers by designing and developing mobile applications that interact with social networking websites, such as Facebook® and Twitter®.  Companies also realized that aside from ibcreasing their reach, they were able to monetize by creating exciting new mobile applications that incited user interest and, in some cases, became viral.

Why Invest in Mobile Application Design and Development?
Did you know that since the iPhone app store opened in 2008, over 100 million mobile applications have been downloaded by users worldwide?  Did you know that in 2009, Magna Global predicted that mobile media would grow by 43%?  With the numbers being so profound, it is important that companies leverage themselves and start competing in the mobile device marketing arena.

The fact is that people are not just using their phones to make calls or text message anymore.  Instead, mobile devices are acting as handheld computers that are responsible for helping people gather information, communicate in new ways and even make purchasing decisions.  In order to stay ahead of the curve, companies need to position themselves in the forefront of consumers’ minds and have direct impact when purchasing decisions are being made.

With mobile applications, companies can create mobile applications that become an essential part of consumers’ day-to-day experiences, which constantly keeps the company or brand in the minds of consumers.  Unlike flashing a static advertisement or sending a random text message, interactive mobile applications create ongoing visibility and enhanced awareness.  Additionally, companies have a greater degree of control.  They can control how they want to interact with consumers and on what level. 

If you are looking to for a mobile application development company that can turn your innovative idea into reality, help you improve your marketing reach and allow you to monetize, contact Socially Built™ today. 

Source code is essentially a collection of declarations that are written in computer programming language to control the functionality of a technology, such as a web application.  When a programmer enters source code into a computer, he/she is telling a computer what to do and what tasks to execute.  With the evolution of the internet and the constant evolvement of technology, source code has come to be classified as either “open” or “closed”. 

Open Source
Code that is open source is generally accessible to the public, which means that engineers and developers can utilize the code to develop new technologies and innovations.  When companies use open source software, they allow developers to connect with their platforms and internal infrastructure, which promotes the creation of new technology and user experiences. Once code is made open, developers can continually copy, modify or change it.

Closed Source
On the opposite end of the spectrum is closed source software, which is secure and kept private from the eyes of the public.  Usually, companies or individuals will use closed source when they are developing n ew software that they want to keep sec ret until a final product is revealed and made available for purchase to the public.  Unlike open source, closed source cannot be altered, modified or copied. 

Think of closed source software as the KFC Original Recipe®, no one gets to have access to it because it makes the franchise a great deal of money, is legally protected and considered intellectual property. 

Which is Better?
Social networking sites, like Facebook®, have opted to use open source software so that developers can build applications using the site’s platform.  However, many companies choose to keep their source code closed so that they can later monetize by patenting and selling their original technology.

Therefore, the answer to this question will l argely depend upon the goals of the individual or the company that is developing a technology.  For example, if a company is planning to create an original iPhone application and they want to generate revenue from the app, they will want to use closed source so their code remains out of the public domain.

If you are looking for a company that can develop custom source applications or social networking websites, you should contact Socially Built™.  The company utilizes their own custom PHP framework and does not rely upon third party or open source software.  This enables clients to create new user experiences that are not only marketable, but also lucrative.