AppSurfer tries to solve problems of downloading apps unnecessarily. The apps will be available for instant access. The team is seeking to do this by streaming apps from the cloud and instantly running them on the device of the user. Google, recently launched a product named Instant Apps. Instant Apps provides the same features but with a better approach comparatively.

Google had solved the problem raised by the AppSurfer team. The team could not compete with Google and thus had to shut down.

 

The Beginning

A group of friends, who were engineers, were in Android since a long time. The friends could see the huge success of Android in the mobile space. The team wanted to put Android on cloud and called it ‘DroidCloud.’

The team created a prototype of AppSurfer in 2012. AppSurfer would allow the access apps through web browsers from any devices. The team got a lot of feedback when they presented the idea in Unplugged and Pune Connect.

Version 1.0

The team created the “Try before Download” platform for the consumers in the first iteration. The customers could try the app, without downloading it. The team got a positive response when they presented the platform to the Indian audience at Demo India and Mobisparks.

Online app demoing platforms for developers were also created in this iteration. The widgets could be embedded all across the web. In 2013, the application was launched, and within a few months, the team had got 8,000 Android developers, around 40,000 apps on the platform and more than 500,000 app demos.

Version 2.0

In the iteration two, the developers were offered with demoing tools like App widgets, Try Now Buttons and App Pages. The team offered Tier based pricing for demoing tools. They had a chance to present the product at Tech Crunch Disrupt 2013. The US audience loved the product.

Version 3.0

The team created an entirely new technology suited for the product. They launched a beta version of the Android app in US and Europe. The app had an excellent response.

Out of Money

By the time, the team developed the third version; they were out of money. They had a tiny core team and a product that needed a lot of technology. But for all this, they needed money. So the team decided to raise some cash themselves.

Version 4.0

The team had built up enough money for the launch of the product. The immediate use of apps without having to download them seemed to be a big opportunity for the team. The team presented it in DroidCon SF and got a good response once again.

The Shut Down

The team had to shut down when Google IO 2016 recently solved the same problem but in a better approach. Google addressed this issue by splitting the application into modules. It allows the users to download only the required module. This method makes it easier for the user to test only the required part of the app and download the entire app only if they liked the module.