1APP Launches Cloud-Based Mobile OS Allowing Instant App Access Without Download

 1APP today announced general availability of OneOS, the first cloud-based mobile operating system that enables instant access to native mobile apps without the need to download. By rendering an app as a simple weblink, apps can be instantly accessed, embedded, or shared inside any web-connected environment. Existing apps can be uploaded to the 1APP cloud in a process that takes just a few minutes and makes these apps instantly available on any platform including iOS, Android, Windows and more. In addition to enabling instant access to apps, 1APP allows apps to be discovered and used in context during the natural course of a user's mobile activity, including being delivered and launched inside messaging and social apps, listed in search results or embedded as fully functional apps within other relevant apps.

"We built 1APP to help companies attract more users profitably by opening up new discovery and distribution channels. By deploying apps through OneOS, apps become instantly accessible leading to higher consumption and engagement with audiences. For most apps this may be the only way they will ever get used," said Raheel Hasan, co-founder and CEO of 1APP. "The last ten years have seen tremendous advancements in mobile hardware as well as the breadth and the number of available apps, but how people get and use apps has not seen any innovation. It is still the same old process, you have to go to the store, find the app, decide if it is worth installing and then download it. While the rest of the mobile ecosystem has progressed, the outdated app store paradigm is creating a tremendous amount of friction, thereby limiting app usage and holding back developers and consumers alike. That's why we created OneOS."

Whether it's a messaging app, social network or music streaming service, any mobile app that users spend time in can now embed other relevant apps as a natural part of their users' interaction. For example, embedding apps that sell concert tickets inside streaming music apps. This enables consumers to engage with more content, make transactions, and access and act upon related services. By moving apps to the cloud, 1APP can take over app features and functionalities including payments, notification and social graph, and migrate these elements towards alternative providers. Enabling features such as direct payments grants platforms the flexibility to choose the best providers for their audience and their business models. In addition, 1APP's OneOS approach to apps provides better security, no exposure to malware, and no use of device hard drive storage.

"It's no surprise that China's biggest messaging app WeChat has seen such great success with their app-within-an-app model. It's become a destination for consumers to connect, engage and transact not only with each other, but with products and services as well. Through 1APP, we are enabling any developer or platform with a mobile audience to launch a WeChat-like ecosystem immediately," added Hasan.

The need for the "unstore"
1APP was founded on the premise that instant access to apps, delivered wherever and however users want, is the next manifestation of mobile. According to comScore, nearly half of all smartphone users in the US download zero apps per month. Of the apps they do use, smartphone users spend an astonishing 45 percent of their time in a single app, and nearly 75 percent of their total time is spent on just three apps.

"451 Research believes these constraints, combined with the explosive growth and lack of interoperability between mobile apps, are pushing the limits of the app store distribution model," wrote Raúl Castañón-Martínez, Senior Analyst at 451 Research. "These limitations have a major impact on the end-user experience, and have become significant challenges for developers and users. 1APP seeks to improve app discovery and distribution with an approach that works outside the app store model."

"We've seen this nexus point before, when the need for access shifts from transactional in nature to continuous. Netscape brought instant access of information to the Internet, YouTube and Netflix brought instant access of television and movies to consumers and Spotify and Pandora delivered instant access of music. Google also has acknowledged the need for instant access to apps with the announcement of a service for Android devices that it calls "Instant Apps," which will require businesses to update their apps. 1APP is bringing instant access to apps today on all platforms including iOS, Android and Windows," added Hasan.

Source: 1APP release