A new Forrester Research report illustrates the state of the app market and forecasts the next generation of mobile apps. “We believe the market is poised for a second wave of consumer apps that are more personalized and contextual,” writes Forrester Research Principal Analyst Thomas Husson in a new blog post.

Husson argues that companies now need to approach their apps as products and define their life cycle. “Too many companies launch an app without necessarily thinking through an overall strategy or planning the evolution of their mobile presence over time. It’s time to approach your mobile app strategy as you would any other product or service, with specific goals, milestones, and plans throughout its life span,” writes Husson

The report includes data based on a survey of nearly 6,500 European consumers including:

  • A third of European online consumers age 18+ who own a smartphone are using apps daily or more frequently.
  • Seventeen percent are using apps several times a day. Stickiness and frequency of usage vary tremendously from one app category to the other.
  • Among European online consumers age 18+ with installed apps on their smartphones, 57% use social networking and 48% use news apps at least daily, while 69% use finance and banking apps at least weekly.

Read more in the blog post by Thomas Husson.