Mobile makers looking at apps to grow market share

Samsung's support will involve hosting commercially viable applications covering a wide range of categories on its Samsung Apps Store, which comes as a standard feature on all Samsung smartphones.

The Samsung App store is accessed by mobile phone subscribers' globally seeking to download quality android applications in diverse categories such as entertainment, education, games, lifestyle, travel and productivity among others. This will enable Kenyan application developers on the Android platform have equal access to other global developers to showcase their solutions on the Samsung Apps store. The android platform makes up 53% of all the operating systems in the market.

Stiff competition

Nokia, another phone manufacturer facing stiff competition in Africa has also set its eyes on growing the Apps available on Ovi Store. Nokia is encouraging developers in Kenya to come up with Apps for its Nokia touch devices running on Symbian 3 S60.

One of the popular Apps is the KTraffic app that allows users to check which roads are less congested or those that are moving, get alternative routes that can use especially if they are in a hurry. The App comes with images of the roads in real time.

Another Nokia App that is targeted at investors is the Doing Biz in Kenya App that provides insights and procedures on how to go about starting and maintaining a business. It also gives users the current business trends and investment opportunities available. The App has an Investment Opportunities section that gives advice on lucrative investments and a Trading across borders section that provides information on the documentation needed to export products, how much it costs and the duration for customs clearance.