Mobile applications seem to be multiplying at an exorbitant rate. As a custom mobile application solution provider we are often asked by clients, "how do I make my application stand out?" We have talked about the importance of marketing your app but there is one key tool that you can embed within your app that will give you valuable insight into your app’s performance.

I am sure you have heard of Google™ Analytics but have you heard of Flurry™ Analytics? Flurry Analytics provides data to app owners regarding who is using their mobile application and how that application is performing on different handsets. So how does it work? According to Flurry’s website "Flurry Analytics places a lightweight agent into an application, so that performance data are tracked, logged and reported back for analysis. This information is confidential and available only to the developer/app owner to analyze in aggregate." Flurry Analytics is available for use on multiple platforms including; iPhone™, Android™, and Blackberry®.

So how is this useful to mobile application owners and developers?

Flurry Analytics reports on application users and can tell the owner if there are errors present within the application, how long users are using the application, percentage of new users vs. retained users, frequency of use, what handsets are using the application and where the users are located. This information is invaluable and can help app owners understand user habits, know where their app is most popular and how to target the next version of the app. It can also help them focus their mobile app marketing efforts to the specific handset, carrier and area of the country.

Does Flurry have a bad rep?

Flurry did get in trouble earlier this year with Apple® regarding a privacy breach on the new Apple iPad™ release. Because Flurry was reporting on a number of applications that were being used to test the new iPad, Flurry leaked that a new tablet device was being tested from Apple. Steve Jobs explained "that he felt it was a violation of privacy when Flurry leaked information about the iPad’s existence." Flurry has since worked hard to rectify the matter and comply with changes to Apples’ developer rules. Flurry has also worked to improve its own privacy policy to protect consumers so that this type of incident doesn’t happen again.

Our take on Flurry

While we agree Flurry overstepped its bounds with Apple, it has made an effort to bolster its privacy policy to protect consumers and we believe that it is a valuable tool for app owners and developers. In our case we develop custom mobile applications for our clients on all of the major platforms: iPhone, Blackberry, Android and Windows® Phone 7. When an app is developed we encourage our clients to explore using Flurry and can add Flurry Analytics to apps we develop. We also assist clients with setting up their Flurry account for tracking purposes. This is a value-added component on top of our regular mobile application development and has proved invaluable to our mobile clients.