Just think that only 5 years ago Blackberry was king and an app was something you had with drinks.  Times have been rough for RIM. Since then the iPhone exploded on the scene after it was released in 2007 and now Android, unveiled in 2008, has taken the lead.

The constant winner in this space? Mobile apps. Gartner estimates mobile app store revenues will hit $15billion in 2011. A market that didn’t even exist 5 years ago. And now, just as agencies have established their mobile app divisions to help eager marketers take advantage of this emerging medium… whap! The DIY app market is here.

At Holland-Mark, we have leveraged a couple of the DIY mobile platforms (Mobile Roadie and AppMakr) to help our clients go to market with a custom app faster than was even possible a year ago and at a fraction of the cost. These DIY platforms have strengths and weaknesses depending on your objectives but most provide reasonable flexibility for customization with a little imagination.

Our latest mobile app was developed with Boston magazine, using the Mobile Roadie platform, exclusively for last nights Best of Boston 2011 Party attendees. Allowing Boston magazine to take their party beyond the physical event, this app supported interactive discussions, photos and comments, scheduled push notifications, and a native QR code reader to connect users with event sponsors. After the event it serves as a journal for everything users experienced and all the things they missed.

The event was invitation only, but the app is Free. Download for iPhone, Android or Blackberry.

Related articles

• What’s a loyal mobile app user and how much do they cost? (gigaom.com)
• How to Build an iPhone App Without Hiring a Developer (drayspencer.wordpress.com)