MTN to award App of the Year

The App of the Year award sponsored by MTN Business aims to recognise and reward local developer talent and encourage growth in this dynamic field.

Following the recent App Star Challenge in which Vodacom rewarded top South African apps, MTN Business is backing the first App of the Year awards.

The MTN Business App of the Year, says the company, “aims to recognise not only the Apps that have made a marked impact on the industry over the last 12 months, but, just as importantly, the people behind them, by celebrating local talent and promoting South Africa as an innovation hub in the mobile space””.

Nomalanga Nkosi, GM for Business Marketing at MTN Business, says that making a difference through technological innovation is something that can be achieved when there’s collaboration.

“”The MTN Business App of the Year is a real reflection of finding talented South Africans that are driving such mobility and exploring the potential that Apps have for social and economic upliftment,‚”” adds Nkosi. ‚””Being a catalyst for social and technological change in South Africa and Africa is a key mantra for MTN Business. This is coupled with our focus on Enterprise Mobility and Hosted Everything to empower, improve and connect businesses to each other: and Africa to the world, making it a perfect sponsorship property.‚””

There is a growing tendency towards mobile platforms with deep App markets and a concurrent rise in the number of Apps being downloaded. In fact, according to research*, the average number of apps per smartphone in the USA is 41, compared to 32 in the 2011. Additionally, the average number of Apps downloaded by smartphone users has seen a 28% increase and the amount of time spent using Apps, as opposed to browsing the web, has increased from 73% to 81% since last year.

‚””Where you are, who you are with and what you doing, will drive the next wave of digital services that provide feature reach experiences for users. MTN Business is determined to lead the wave of innovation in business by enhancing the traditional fixed connectivity, the mobile connectivity in creating ICT solutions that will lead the transformation of life in our communities through digital services and innovative customer experience,‚”” says Nkosi.

The panel of four independent judges have produced a shortlist of categories for the awards:

· Best Android App

· Best iOS App

· Best Blackberry App

· Best Windows App

· Best Independent Developer

· Best Android Enterprise App

On 1 August 2012, the winners will be announced at The Venue in Melrose Arch.

Says Nkosi: ‚””The key here is to not simply add another new App to an App store. Rather we are looking for an innovative idea that is set to change the way business is conducted or is set to positively impact users on the socio-economic front. At MTN Business we are dedicated to doing exactly this and we view this sponsorship as an extension of this drive. We certainly look forward to finding the next Killer App.‚””

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