Microsoft was slow to react to the step change in user experience provided by iOS and Android versus the first generation smartphone platforms. In terms of their share of the mobile OS market, Microsoft is a long way behind Apple and Google. However, as enterprises are increasingly making big investments in mobile, Microsoft still has a significant opportunity.

In the early stages of new technology markets, a lot of services are created because new technology has made new ways of doing things possible. Where app developers go, apps and then users will follow. By looking at the popularity of various device APIs across platforms, we can see which developers are making the most of the capabilities their devices offer. If we then look at the device APIs that developers say the plan to adopt, we can see future trends in the app market, possibly months before the apps start to appear. Would it be wise to move against the herd, or is the trend really your friend?