Brussels, 05/09/2013 (Agence Europe) - The opening of public sector data and the creation of new generation networks, with enough sufficient spectrum available for wireless communications, are fundamental elements for allowing the full take-off of the app economy, said European Commissioner for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes during the presentation of her Eurapp report on 4 September. Kroes was delighted at the explosion of the market. “The app economy is a great example of what happens if you create the right environment; give people the framework to create. Borderless, open, and as innovative as your imagination. Now we need to bring that philosophy to other levels of the digital ecosystem. To support the app economy to the full”, she said.
The mobile applications market was born from Apple's launch of shop with applications aimed at the i-Phone, which was then emulated by the competition. Currently, the market represents hundreds of thousands of jobs and generates billions of euros in Europe every year. The Eurapp report, written at the request of the Commission, gives an overview of this new economy - the impact of which is significant on the real economy - and it identifies the problems with which applications developers are faced. Kroes has promised her involvement in developing a favourable framework for the full development of the market. Although she is delighted at the progress made at EU level for the re-use of public data, “a rich source for app makers”, she deplores the length of time taken to implement the new networks - networks which are crucial for the deployment of the new mobile applications. Kroes will next week present a new package of recommendations to make Europe “a connected continent” and to give entrepreneurs a favourable environment for the development of their work, she said. (IL/transl.fl)