What does iOS 8 mean for CIOs?

“CIOs should take note,” writes Ted Schadler, senior analyst, Forrester Research.

“Apple is not letting up on its relentless focus on the things your customers and employees will benefit from: more and better apps.”

Addressing the market following Cupertino’s eagerly anticipated iOS 8 release, Schadler believes this year’s WorldWide Developers Conference shows one overriding thing; that Apple cares about developers.

“And well it should,” claims Schadler.

“With Flurry reporting consumers spending 86% of their smartphone time in apps, not Web sites, the 1.14 million apps in the US App Store are just a drop in the bucket.

“We expect to see that number swell to 10 million apps by 2020. But that will only happen if Apple and the rest of the mobile industry focus relentlessly on developers.

“Apple's goal is winning all the mobile moments. Developers are key to reaching that goal.”

But in focusing on what this means for CIOs across the industry, Schadler has one simple piece of advice.

“If you want to understand the future, ask your best mobile developer to mentor you on the future of mobile apps,” he writes.

“Spend a couple of hours each month learning about new apps and new capabilities. It's the best way to lead your company's mobile mind shift.”

Apple may not be perfect adds Schadler, “but it is perfectly focused on the right constituency: developers.”