Mobile apps have facilitated ubiquitous access to the digital world. From ordering food to making cross-border payments, it is safe to say that this digital interface has become society’s “online lifeline.”
The global mobile application market develops and distributes mobile apps to run various applications on mobile operating systems such as Android OS, Apple iOS, Harmony OS, etc. The most popular built-in mobile app marketplaces—Apple and Google Play—house millions of apps that can be downloaded to one’s smartphone.
Moreover, ongoing technological advancements, such as faster processors, improved connectivity and the continued increased penetration of smartphones in developing countries has bolstered the growth of the mobile application market.
For example, the recently announced AWS App Studio—a GenAI-powered service—claims to use natural language to create enterprise-grade applications that can be built in minutes as opposed to days. Hence, the pace of mobile app creation is dizzying, to say the least.
The Age of Super Apps
The efficiency of mobile apps to access services has led to the growth of super apps—an application with a set of core features plus access to independently created mini apps that users can choose from to activate consistent and personalized app experiences. The beauty of a super app is that users can move seamlessly between functions, sharing information and data between its different parts.
The concept of a super app is proving to be advantageous for today’s telcos as they seek to find new avenues for revenue growth other than their traditional services. Moreover, the convenience of cloud services offers them the opportunity to phase out legacy IT systems and migrate to a single platform-based model that facilitates better services as well as revenue growth.
The ergonomic idea is to a create a single digital location through a super app that offers a wide array of products and services from operators and third parties to users on-demand, ranging from service apps, gaming, tech products, utility bill payments, and so on.
For example, China’s WeChat is a super app that incorporates instant messaging, social media, payment, mini-programs, language translations, and business-oriented services into one simple platform. It is used by approximately 1.32 billion monthly active users, covering 80% of China’s total population.
Conversely, in other parts of the world, such an app hasn’t been introduced yet as apps in Western countries and other geographies are largely restricted from tracking the mobile activity of its users. U.S. tech companies have attempted creating super apps, but they have had to contend against thousands of other apps offering similar interfaces as well as dynamic consumer behavior.
In the past, when companies like Meta (formerly Facebook) tried to launch singular apps, consumers largely rejected them. Currently, a lot of people distrust big tech companies and the idea of a single tech company like Meta, Amazon, or Google offering an app that houses so many different facets from online payments, to bill management, to health records is unsettling to some people.
Read More: Digital Offerings in MEA: Super Apps in Service
Demand for a ‘One-Stop Shop’
Global consulting agency, Deloitte, predicts that “the next evolution in digital activity, however, may not be in the form of a patchwork of discrete apps, but rather a single one-stop-shop experience.”
In line with this trend, leading telecom operators in the UAE have launched their version of a super app. For instance, in 2023, e& successfully acquired 50.03% of Careem Technologies (notably known for launching the Careem ‘everything app’) for a whopping USD 400 million as part of the group’s growth strategy.
By tapping into Careem's established network and expertise, e& could explore diverse markets and meet the evolving needs of its consumers. It also allowed e& to tap into multiple digital services, access talented professionals, and expand its reach across different geographies.
Similarly, du, one of the leading telecom operators in the UAE, introduced du Pay, a versatile platform designed to streamline payments, transfers, and financial management. With an impressive USD 39.7 billion in outward international money transfer volumes from the UAE, du Pay is positioned to tap into this extensive market by providing services that prioritize simplicity, security and a customer-centric experience.
Related: du Pay to Offer Transformative Fintech Solutions for UAE
Also Read: e& UAE Leverages AWS’s GenAI Tech for Superior Customer Experience
The Battle Hindering the Rise of Super Apps
Operating globally calls for dealing with cross-border legal complexities encompassing data privacy, content sharing, and surveillance. Companies must navigate these legal landscapes to avoid violations. In recent news, Meta was fined USD 220 million by a Nigerian antitrust agency for violating data and privacy laws by sharing WhatsApp user information with its Facebook subsidiary and third parties without consent.
Given the world’s inevitable journey towards an all-digital ecosystem, super apps with security in their DNA can be utilized as multi-faceted tools to enhance the industries of the future. However, regulation must remain at the forefront.
Global regulatory authorities must collaborate to evaluate the legitimacy, fairness, and necessity of data processing, considering its impact on individual rights and interests and the associated security risks. Due to the heightened privacy risks involved in disclosing, transferring, or sharing personal information between different data processors, extra safeguards are needed. These include strengthened personal control over data and greater accountability from those handling the data.
Once this mechanism is established, the opportunities offered by the digital economy can be harnessed seamlessly among the participating entities through this single interface model. For telecom operators, this presents an opportunity to market their mobile and broadband offerings to a diverse set of audiences, expand their reach across borders and ultimately run profitable operations.
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