Nami introduces the latest release of their Subscriber Experience Cloud platform focusing on core capabilities that meet the Accessibility and Localization needs of Enterprise Mobile App Publishers.

Nami® (PRWEB), a leading provider of comprehensive mobile subscription capabilities for enterprise mobile app publishers has released the latest version of their carrier-grade subscriber experience cloud platform featuring accessibility and localization features.

“The shift to subscriptions as a fundamental mobile app monetization strategy is a global phenomenon and to do it right and make subscribers happy, apps need the ability to speak to their users where they are and make sure everyone is able to benefit,” explains Dan Burcaw, CEO and Co-Founder of the company.

Localization is the ability to present key components like the Paywall Purchase Experience in the user’s choice of languages. The Nami platform’s Paywall Builder feature now supports all the languages available on the user’s mobile device making it easier and better for publishers to adopt the languages their subscribers use natively.

Accessibility is the way software adapts its user interface to the needs of users with different requirements, such as those who may need assistance with visual cues or input. Paywalls built with the Nami platform can now be used more easily by people of all abilities.

Both Nami’s Localization and Accessibility features are built on top of the enterprise scale and carrier-grade security capabilities that give businesses of all sizes the stability, reliability and confidence to ship their products globally.

Nami ML is an early-stage business that has built a comprehensive Mobile Subscriber Experience platform focused on creating Happy Subscribers that lets mobile app publishers focus on the unique features of their apps while managing the end-to-end subscription lifecycle from first use to customer support and renewal. To try the platform sign up for free at https://namiml.com

It’s earnings season on Wall Street and for companies in the App Economy. It's a tale of two monetization strategies plus pressure creating additional uncertainty. Here are three areas to watch as companies report Q3 2021 results:

1. The Impact of Apple’s Privacy Changes on the App Economy

Q3 2021 is the first full quarter impacted by Apple’s iOS privacy changes. App Tracking Transparency (ATT) rolled out with iOS 14.5 on April 26, 2021. ATT shifts the iOS ID for Advertisers (IDFA) from Opt Out to Opt In.

IDFA is used to measure a user’s interaction with advertisements. IDFA is also widely used to tie mobile users to customer profiles. This allows advertisers to follow users with ads across web and mobile.

The companies most predicted to feel pressure from the ATT rollout include Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) and Snap (NYSE: SNAP). Both are part of the App Economy due to their heavy dependence on mobile advertising revenue.

Facebook Q3 Revenue Miss

While Facebook saw little impact in Q2 resulting from ATT, the company felt the pain in Q3. Facebook missed revenue targets expected by analysts which Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg attributed to ATT:

“As expected, we did experience revenue headwinds this quarter, including from Apple's changes”

Facebook is preparing Wall Street for a bumpy Q4 in part due to ATT:

"Our outlook reflects the significant uncertainty we face in the fourth quarter in light of continued headwinds from Apple's iOS 14 changes, and macroeconomic and COVID-related factors."

Snap Misses Revenue Too

Snap also missed Q3 revenue expectations. CEO Evan Spiegal cited iOS ad tracking as the driving force:

“Our advertising business was disrupted by changes to iOS ad tracking that were broadly rolled out by Apple in June and July.”

Following the earnings report, Snap’s price per share dropped approximately 25% and hasn’t recovered after two full days of trading.

Oppenheimer analyst Jason Helfstein expects much of the digital advertising industry to face IDFA-related headwinds. Both Facebook and Snap are promising technology investments to mitigate the impact.

It remains to be seen how well companies will adapt and how aggressively advertising-centric companies look to subscriptions as a means to accelerate a return to growth.

2. Early Clues from Google’s Subscription Commission Cuts

Speaking of subscriptions, Google just announced a reduction in Play Store subscription commissions. The earnings impact for App Economy companies will take time. The change won’t take effect until January 1, 2022.

However, the market is already responding positively to the news. Shares of DuoLingo (NASDAQ: DUOL), the popular language learning app, are up ~15%:

DuoLingo isn’t alone. Shares of Bumble (NASDAQ: BMBL), the dating app, are up more than ~5%:

For subscription-based apps, the reduced commission is a feel good moment that’s likely to release some of the pressure that has been building. It’s likely temporary but will cause app publishers to pile on pressure for Apple to follow suit.

Regardless of the commission, App Economy companies will still have too much churn. These companies will need strong retention programs and they need to elevate their subscriber experience.

3. Are More Changes On the Horizon Due to Regulatory Pressures?

Apple’s advertising privacy changes put more control in the hands of the end user. In the process, they have disrupted digital advertising. At least for a while. Most users if asked would surely agree that this is a positive change. So while Apple is receiving scrutiny, it’s by the parties most dependent on advertising business models.

On the other side of the monetization coin, app publishers selling directly to consumers have long been fighting for more favorable business terms and fewer restrictions. To them, this isn't about the end user at all. Rather, about building a sustainable business.

To Apple, some of the asks such as side-loading apps, alternative app stores, or even different payment mechanisms would harm iPhone’s security and privacy models.

In the US, developers went to court and received concessions via a settlement with Apple. In Japan, the Fair Trade Commission closed an investigation into the App Store after Apple offered a different concession. Of course, the already famous Epic v. Apple lawsuit resulted in a court order followed by an appeal by Apple.

Jurisdictions around the world are examining Apple and Google for potential anti-competitive behavior. While it is not clear how this will turn out, there is no doubt uncertainty lies ahead in the App Economy.

Google today announced a major change to the Play Store commission structure affecting subscription apps. Starting on January 1, 2022, all subscriptions sold by app publishers on the Play Store will incur a 15% commission.

This is a change from the current 30% / 15% commission. Presently, the commission is 30% during the first 12 months of a subscription. Then, the commission goes to 15% for each auto-renewing period thereafter.

The current commission incentivizes long-term subscription retention which has been a challenge for many app publishers.

According to Google, the Play Store commission change was motivated by discussions with app publishers like Duolingo and Bumble. Churn rates in year 1 can be high in categories like dating and fitness.

“We’ve worked with our partners in dating, fitness, education and other sectors to understand the nuances of their businesses. Our current service fee drops from 30% to 15% after 12 months of a recurring subscription. But we’ve heard that customer churn makes it challenging for subscription businesses to benefit from that reduced rate.” - Sameer Samat, VP Product for Android and Google Play

The reduced Play Store commission is welcome news for app publishers, but only a part of the story. In 2020, consumers spent nearly 2x more on the App Store than Google Play. It remains to be seen if Apple will follow Google’s lead.

While a short term win for app publishers, it doesn’t matter what the subscription commission if they don’t reduce churn. Ultimately, the best way to combat churn is to build a customer base of happy subscribers.

Nami co-founder & CEO Dan Burcaw stopped by Coffee & Coding, the App Developer Podcast, to discuss the App Industry and founding multiple app-related startups.

Here is the episode synopsis:

Today’s guest is serial app startup founder – Dan Burcaw. In this episode you’ll learn:
• What it was like working at Apple when the iPhone was released
• What app development looked like in 2007
• How he launched one of the first app development studios ever
• How he landed the NBA as an app client
• and much much more!

Listen on Apple Podcasts or visit the episode page.

Nami co-founder & CEO joined The DreamMason Podcast, hosted by Alex Terranova. Dan and Alex discussed various aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. They also discussed how Nami ML is helping high-performance brands think differently about subscriptions.

This week, Dan Burcaw and Alex share some very inspiring entrepreneurial stories and how to develop a StartUp. Dan is a serial entrepreneur who has founded four companies each at the forefront of a major technology wave: open source software, the smartphone, cloud computing, and now machine learning. His career has never had a dull moment. At age 17, we wrote software that ended up on the US Navy nuclear submarine fleet. Then, he founded and exited two companies in the mobile space which built and powered mobile applications for high-profile professional sports leagues, news broadcasters, and airlines. Now, leads Nami ML, a SaaS service that helps brands deliver high-performance subscription businesses by helping them operationalize and automate the subscriber experience in the service of creating more happy subscribers.

Listen on Apple Podcasts or visit the episode page.

Nami Co-Founder & CEO Dan Burcaw joins Mobile Presence with host Peggy Anne Salz to discuss cutting-edge strategies for monetizing mobile apps with subscriptions plus actionable insights including how marketers can use ML to get the most out of their data.

Here's the episode synopsis:

Mastering the capabilities needed to reach a critical mass of subscribers is not the same skillset (and data set) marketers need to monetize and retain customers willing to commit to recurring costs. In episode #436, our host Peggy Anne Salz catches up with Dan Burcaw, co-founder and CEO at Nami ML. This SaaS provider helps mobile app developers at all stages launch and grow their subscription businesses. An Apple alum-turned-serial entrepreneur, Dan shares actionable insights on propensity modeling, combating churn, and how marketers can best apply machine learning to get the most out of their data.

Listen on Apple Podcasts or at the Mobile Presence episode page.