Why Online Patforms are Vital for Developers to Reach International Markets

ACT | The App Association represents the app developers and small tech businesses creating new innovations around the globe. This Member Monday, we feature one of our newest members, hedgehog lab, and the importance of online platforms to their current business and growth on the international stage.

The smartphone is one of the most rapidly adopted technologies in human history.The launch of Apple’s App Store ten years ago ushered in a titanic shift in the developer ecosystem and the businesses that engage in it. Online platforms offer a place for startups to quickly and efficiently provide their products and services to a global market. Today, startups, tech companies, and traditional enterprises alike use mobile apps to reach consumers around the globe, and the platforms on which they are hosted enable businesses to reach a broader consumer base, lower overhead and transaction costs, and scale their business and support growth millions of jobs in the EU and across the globe.

UK-based hedgehog lab is no different Tired of working a desk job as a hired developer for tech agencies, Sarat Pediredla founded hedgehog lab in 2007 with the goal of building a people-centered, well respected technology consultancy. Eleven years later, hedgehog lab has become global technology firm that specializes in designing and building software for some of the world’s most innovative businesses. The company architects, designs and develops digital solutions for various segments of the €815 billion global app economy, including mobile apps, wearable and connected devices, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IoT)-enabled devices and connected vehicles. Global clients rely on hedgehog lab to deliver engaging multi-platform software and digital products that combine great user experience a robust and reliable platform.

With six offices across three continents, hedgehog lab works with an array of partners, ranging from one-person start-ups to global corporations listed on the FTSE 250 and Fortune 500. Serving clients of all shapes and sizes, hedgehog lab intimately understands the value of online platforms.

Without a doubt, platforms have enabled companies like hedgehog lab to thrive and reach millions of customers at once. The two-sided nature of platforms attracts both developers and customers. By attracting more developers to serve their growing consumer base, they increase competition, encourage product differentiation, and lower prices for consumers. This creates a symbiotic relationship that serves as the bedrock for a strong and growing app economy.

Platforms have continued to improve and enhance the services they provide to app developers. Not only do they use the review process to increase developer interactions with their customers, they also implement quality controls to ensure fraudulent apps cannot join the platform and spoil the good business practices of legitimate developers.

The App Association is proud to represent hedgehog lab, and thousands of innovative app developers across the United States and the European Union. Success stories like hedgehog’s demonstrate the dynamism of the app ecosystem, and the opportunities it provides for businesses and consumers in our 21st century world.

To learn more about hedgehog lab, please click here.