A Brief Systematic Review of Mobile App Markets Research: User, Developer and Platform Perspectives

Abstract

This paper discusses recent research on mobile app markets with particular focus on their multi-sidedness. It introduces three perspectives on platforms and reviews 114 articles on mobile app markets. We find that current research represents a disparate and heterogeneous source of knowledge on mobile app markets with limited consideration for their unique characteristics, including their multi-sidedness. Based on these observations, we suggest a framework for future research on mobile app markets in general, and adoption in mobile app markets in particular with four dimensions better reflecting their multi-sidedness. Implications for future mobile app markets research are discussed along with implications for general innovation research.

Keywords: Apps, mobile apps, app market, platforms, ecosystems, multi-sided, service innovation, innovation, adoption, diffusion, co-creation