#221: Shaping the future of app distribution: trust, growth, and regulation with Shalom Michaeli, Managing Director, Alternative App Stores at Digital Turbine

Business of Apps Podcast

A quick trivia question - what was significant about the year 2008 technology-wise? It was the year when Bitcoin was introduced, and Spotify was launched. Am I missing something here? Right - both the Apple App Store and Google Play stores were launched that year. It was about the introduction of the new software distribution model for developers. Then followed the witty slogan from Apple: “There is an app for that!”, and both platforms began to count and brag about the number of apps released on those stores.

Moving forward, the status quo that was established was Apple only had one app store - an exclusive distribution channel for iOS developers. On the other hand, Google had multiple third-party app stores for Android, on top of the Google Play store. For a while, it felt like it was going to be like that forever.

And then “forever” ended. On March 5th of 2024, Apple released iOS 17.4, enabling third-party app stores on iOS devices within the EU, complying with the EU’s regulation.

On this episode, we have Shalom to talk about shaping the future of app distribution: trust, growth, and regulation.

Today’s Topics Include:

• Shalom Michaeli bio
• What is Digital Turbine
• The impact of European regulations and new tech on the future of third-party app stores
• Essential strategies for alternative app stores to build consumer trust while scaling their presence globally
• How Digital Turbine uses research and partnerships to prepare for the future of app distribution
• Android or iOS?
• Leaving his smartphone at home, what features would Shalom miss most?
• What features he would like to see added to his smartphone?

Links and Resources:

• Michaeli on LinkedIn
• Digital Turbine website
• Digital Turbine and ONE Store Expand Partnership to Globalize Alternative App Growth
• Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry

Quotes from Shalom Michaeli:

"You know what, building consumer trust is crucial for alternative stores to compete with Apple and Google. Because the goal is not only to bring the user to install once or purchase once from your alternative application. The goal is to get a repeatable customer base that coming over, engaging, installing, spending, coming over again because they had a good interaction, because they had good experience."

"This is this is a perfect storm the way I used to call it and for an app developer and for the entire ecosystem. Because this is the time when three elements in my opinion are coming all together. The regulation changes like DMA and few others that are happening across the world in different countries. The second point is developers' needs for growth. And the third one is available technologies."

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Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry since 2012