The mid-2010s marked a pivotal moment for mobile applications, transforming the way people interact with technology and creating entirely new markets overnight. By 2015, the mobile app industry was rapidly evolving, spawning countless startups and attracting significant investment. Yet, capturing the scale and pace of this growth required more than anecdotal accounts and app store rankings. For analysts, ISIC 6209—covering other information technology and computer service activities—provided an essential framework to approximate the burgeoning mobile app developer ecosystem.
The first step is to identify firms registered under ISIC 6209, which often includes a wide range of IT-related services but is one of the few classifications broad enough to encompass many early-stage mobile app developers. National business registries, complemented by industry association databases, offer insight into the number and geographic distribution of these firms. This baseline helps analysts understand how many entities could potentially be contributing to the app economy.
However, not all ISIC 6209 firms focus on mobile apps, making it necessary to refine the data. Analysts often supplement registration data with secondary sources—surveys, startup incubator records, or sector-specific directories—that highlight firms explicitly engaged in app development. Cross-referencing these sources sharpens the picture, distinguishing mobile app specialists from other IT service providers.
Firm registrations provide volume, but revenue data reveals economic impact. App store revenue reports—such as those published by Apple’s App Store and Google Play—offer aggregated figures by country or region. Though these data don’t specify individual developers, combining them with firm-level information can estimate revenue per registered developer. This synthesis helps gauge not only growth in numbers but also the financial scale of the industry.
The geographic dimension is important too. Mobile app development clusters often concentrate in tech hubs or urban centers with strong digital infrastructure. Mapping ISIC 6209 firm locations against app revenue data reveals hotspots of activity, illuminating regional strengths and potential gaps. This spatial analysis informs policymakers aiming to support tech entrepreneurship and digital innovation ecosystems.
Challenges abound. Many small developers operate informally or as freelancers without formal registration. App store revenues can be volatile and sometimes opaque, influenced by factors like seasonal app launches, viral hits, or changes in platform policies. The broad nature of ISIC 6209 also means that some relevant firms might fall under different codes, complicating full coverage.
Despite these obstacles, using ISIC 6209 as a foundation—augmented by revenue data and targeted research—provides a systematic approach to approximating mobile app industry growth in 2015. It moves beyond hype, grounding insights in concrete data and offering a replicable method for ongoing monitoring.
What this analysis reveals is more than numbers; it tells a story of rapid innovation, entrepreneurial energy, and shifting economic landscapes. The mobile app sector in 2015 was not just growing—it was redefining how value is created and captured in the digital economy. For governments, investors, and developers, understanding this rise through ISIC data provides the clarity needed to nurture the next wave of tech-driven transformation.