This survey of Belgian mobile developers found the following: 1) Most developers are hobbyists or work for startups, and are located in Antwerp, Brussels, and Flemish Brabant regions. 2) Developers make little money from mobile apps, usually less than $1000 per month as a hobby. 3) Top challenges are balancing hobby work with day jobs and technical/commercial uncertainties. 4) iOS, Android and HTML5 are the most popular development platforms, while Symbian and Java are declining.

1.
Presented at appsmarathon.eu
Survey results: Belgian Mobile developer September 2011
1/ Intro
Between mid august and mid-September 2011, a questionnaire was put on-line about
Belgian mobile developer profile. This questionnaire was pushed through social media
channels, through newsletters, and to the registrants to the appsmarathon.eu event of 26 th of
September 2011. Nearly 70 responses were received on 20/9/2011, making it representative
enough for this niche market.
2/ Aim
The aim of the survey is to have a better idea of who is the Belgian mobile developer of
those little program codes animating tablets and smartphones of this world. With this survey
a better understanding of their environment is also brought to this emerging group of
developers.
3/ Credit
Credit goes to Mobilemonday, Agoria, Sirris for suggesting questions, and to
Developereconomics from vision mobile. (link:
http://www.visionmobile.com/rsc/researchreports/VisionMobile-
Developer_Economics_2011.pdf) Indeed the survey asked the same questions than vision
mobile and so a comparison was possible as well as a sanity check of the data received.
And overall the Belgian figures are in line with the International survey from Visionmobile,_
4/ Main outcomes
Profile: a Belgian mobile developer is first working in a startup, than as a hobbyist, than
working in an agency. Results of vision mobile international study show a more mature
market than in Belgium with a lot of in house development already, which is not yet on the
scope in the Belgian survey.
1

2.
The top 3 areas for a mobile developer are: the Antwerp region, the Brussels region,the
Flemish Brabant province.
Money
Still the path to richness is rough everywhere. A lot of mobile apps developers are doing it as
a hobby and vision mobile suggests that worldwide they are making less than 1000 USD a
month. Creating apps for the world market comes only in third position with the ‘rest
category’ being a profile that combine mobile with other development like the web or free
lance projects.
.
Challenges
Challenges faced with are clearly hobby taking a lot of time, combined with a lot of
uncertainties; technical (platform) and commercial challenges next
Role of mobile operator
Visionmobile wrote “Traditionally, application developers have been cold and uncertain as to
the role the operators can play in a software world;” The survey result indicates a massive
response to the main role of the mobile operator limited to providing mobile data and no
other roles defined at this stage.
Distribution
Main source of distribution is the appstore closely followed by own websites; other channels
like operator portals are minimum for the moment.
Type of application
Unlike to popular belief, Belgian mobile developers are not all developing little games,coming
only in number 4 and preceded by utility, productivity and business apps.
Number of applications.
Developpers in the category ‘not having developed an app’ is lowering form 30 to 12%; in
2011 a majority of them has developed between 1-5 apps; the group of app developers
having build between 6-10 and more than 10 has tripled from 2010 to respective 10% and
16%
Selection of Development platforms
Here is an interesting update compared to vision mobile, as HP webOS disappeared. Main
traction and potential remain for top 3 IOS, Android, and HTML web apps. WP7 shows a lot
of potential and also Blackberry. Symbian and Java are in the category ‘burning’ platforms,
and other platforms have not enough market uptake to show significant trends.
2

3.
70
60
50
40
do not use
30 abondon
intent
20 use
10
0
Graph: different platforms in terms of use, intention to use, intention to abandon, and do not
use.
5/ Detailed graphs:
Would you consider yourself:
3

4.
Hobbyist 17%
Student 3%
Start-up 23%
Freelancer 16%
Working at Agency 16%
Working at Integrator 9%
In house IT development 9%
Other 7%
How do you make money with mobile development?
I work as a freelancer on customer projects 23%
I’m not really making a living out of it, I just do it as a hobby 32%
I aim at world domination with my cool app 23%
Other 22%
I am facing the following issues:
I cannot choose which platform to focus on. 14%
I’m looking for funding to bootstrap my business 12%
I have a hard time balancing my day time job with my hobby 35%
projects
My mobile app gets little traction in the app stores 13%
4

5.
Other 26%
Role of the mobile operator
mobile data provider 58%
mobile voice provider 7%
payment provider 3%
API provider 3%
leave developers alone 17%
providing support 9%
supermarket for 3rd party mobile services 1%
Apps distribution channels
5

6.
Type of application
Number of apps developed 2010
6

7.
Number of apps developed 2011
Location of a Mobile developer (%)
7

8.
% of Developer (postcode) per Belgian province
Antwerpen
Brussel
VL Brabant
Limburg
Oost Vlaanderen
W Brabant %
Namen
Luik
West Vlaanderen
0 5 10 15 20 25
6/ About Mobile Monday Brussels
Mobilemonday brings together mobile enthusiasts, to work on the new mobile value chain
that has emerged since two years. By doing so mobilemonday.be has attracted a number of
linchpins in the business development and marketing world. We increasingly focus on
professionalising the way mobile apps developers can get their products to the market. Our
goal is to match the existing mobile developers with the emerging mobile demand, so that a
real local sustainable mobile ecosystem can flourish.
Since 2008 a core team gives direction to the Mobile Monday community. It is composed of
active companies, research groups, and supported by associations like Agoria and AWT.
Since mid 2009, tcs digital world supports and enables Mobile Monday Brussels by providing
project management resources, and Corelio with hosting and catering.
Since mid 2010 a supporting official organisation has been created (Commons VOF),
managed by Patrick Bosteels and Tanguy De Lestré.
For more information, don’t hesitate and contact:
Tanguy De Lestré
info@Mobilemonday.be
+ 32 486 38 46 18
Ine Peers, project manager Mobile Monday
inep@thecreativestores.com
+32 2 880 94 39
8

9.
Patrick Bosteels
patrickb@tcsdigitalworld.com
+32 477 48 28 70
Commons VOF, 0829297045, Leopoldlaan 4 bus 2, 9300 Aalst
Tcs digital world, Jetselaan 120, 1090 Brussels
9