With 52% of the market, Android currently rules the mobile OS world. But, can you predict what the mobile OS landscape will look like in just two short years?

Before assuming that iOS and Android will still lead the pack, consider these facts:

• Canonical (creators of the Ubuntu OS) is working on creating a super-phone that will function as both a smartphone and a PC. So far, they have over $6 million from contributors backing the project.
• Mozilla (creators of the Firefox browser) has created their own mobile OS. In fact, a smartphone running the brand new Firefox OS was recently released in Spain.
• Samsung and Intel have partnered to back the development of an open-source mobile OS, called “Tizen”. They recently put together a $4 million system to attract app developers.
• A group of ex-Nokia employees joined forces and started a company named “Jolla”. They’re working on creating the “Sailfish OS”, a reincarnation of the Meego OS.

That’s right. Shortly, the mobile OS landscape will have some new, well-backed players.

What does this mean for business? Mobile (native) apps aren’t the future. At least not for the business world.

The web is the future.

Think about it: The mobile platform landscape is becoming even more fragmented. Do you want to spend time and money building mobile apps for a platform that may or may not be popular in a few years? What if another platform emerges? Do you build new apps for that platform?

Or, do you build applications for the web?

A mobile web app works on all platforms, both now and in the future. There’s no need to worry what OS changes the future holds. I don’t know about you, but I like to limit risk in my business decisions. Mobile web apps let me do just that. I can reach all mobile devices with little or no risk.

If you’d like to learn more about why native mobile apps aren’t the future, we put together a white paper that explains everything in more detail. You can download it right here: Native mobile apps: The wrong choice for business?