The Aussie app economy is driving consistent growth with 156,000 jobs as of January 2021, an increase of 15% since 2019 from 113,000 in 2017 despite the economic impact of COVID-19.
The iOS app ecosystem is a fast growing sectors and a rich source of opportunity for established and aspiring developers with great ideas accessing a global audience.
Facilitating over half a trillion dollars in commerce in 2019 alone, the App Store is home to 1.8 million apps and visited by half a billion people each week.
ios app development impact on Australia’s economy
Apple’s vibrant community of developers has now earned more than $200 billion (US) to date through the sale of digital goods and services in 175 markets around the world.
Australians have embraced the Apple Developer Program, harnessing the tools, resources, and support available to turn ideas into reality and create thriving businesses and exports.
Procreate‘s, James Cuda, saw the opportunity for his art and drawing app during the launch of iPad in 2010, and has since grown his team of three to fifty with further expansion planned.
“As we watched the introduction of iPad, we saw a huge potential for a drawing app and an opportunity to overcome the challenges associated with traditional software distribution.”
“The App Store was revolutionary, leveling the playing field and offering an independent startup the chance to create the best software experience for digital artists.”
“We’re proud of our growth, our Australian team, and the recognition we have received. Our best measure of success is the feedback from millions of diverse artists around the world.”
“From young students to those working in the highest levels of creative industries, using Procreate every day to create beautiful art and design,” said Cuda, co-founder and CEO of Savage Interactive, the developer of Procreate.
For Melbourne’s JigSpace, the ability to transform traditional learning from 2D to 3D using Apple’s augmented reality software marked the start of a new chapter for the company.
“AR allows us to understand our world in the same way our minds perceive it, making learning simpler, faster, and more enjoyable. Harnessing ARKit and focusing our energy on delivering a breakthrough AR experience on Apple devices changed the trajectory of our business.”
“We now have over 4 million customers, and businesses globally are using JigSpace to create 3D presentations to demystify advanced manufacturing, automotive, and medical technology.”
“Choosing iOS and ARKit was a simple decision. It’s the most advanced, widely adopted, and easiest development platform for AR,” said JigSpace Co-founder and CEO Zac Duff.
The global challenge of being punctual when travelling led the two-person team behind ETA to devise a simple, beautiful app for iPhone and Apple Watch.
ETA calculates and presents travel time at a glance, keeping users up to date on their estimated time of arrival by using widgets in iOS and complications on Apple Watch faces.
“The App Store provided us with the ability to solve a problem faced by those in cities around the world and present them with a simple and elegant solution.”
“Access to watchOS and Apple’s growing suite of APIs means we continue to reinvent and refine our app and customer experience, while the App Store handles global distribution and monetisation,” said ETA Co-founder Justin Almering.
Apple’s swift curriculum is vital for ios app developers
With app economy jobs in Australia increasingly calling for knowledge of Swift, Apple’s powerful programming language that is also intuitive and easy to learn.
Melbourne’s RMIT University is expanding its deployment of Apple’s Develop in Swift curriculum, offering an enhanced online course designed by Apple engineers and educators.
The curriculum includes one-to-one consultation with leading industry mentors. Since launching Swift program in 2017, RMIT Online has received 1,800 enrollments, including graduate Kathryn Donaldson, a former neuro=scientist from Brisbane, Queensland.
“Apps are already indispensable in everyday life and will become more important in the future.”
“Studying iOS App Development with Swift at RMIT Online pushed my problem-solving limits and allowed me to build an app from concept and coding to submission on the App Store.”
“The building blocks of coding rely on the same logical decisions we all make every day of our lives, so Swift will soon become second nature and a skill with wide application. The course has set me on a new path that I am hoping to turn into a business one day.” said Donaldson.
The iOS App Development with Swift course by RMIT Online brings talent into Aussie’s app economy to meet the coding and creativity requirements of the technology industry.
“We believe this curriculum can teach anyone to code and can be done in an accessible way through expert content, collaboration, and interaction with leading industry mentors and our flexible online platform,” said RMIT Online CEO Helen Souness.
As the app economy continues to grow, Apple is investing in educational programs and opportunities that help prepare learners of all ages for the jobs of the future.
With Swift Playgrounds, Everyone Can Code, and Develop in Swift, Apple gives anyone interested in learning to code the tools and guidance to create their own apps.
Over 9,000 K-12 and higher education institutions worldwide use Apple’s coding curricula.
Apple academies, accelerators, and Entrepreneur Camps give developers the opportunity to apply the latest technologies to their apps, build businesses, and market ideas globally.
Apple revolutionised personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV.
Apple’s five software platforms iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, and iCloud.
