Promising users that they will be able to build an iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry or Android app "without a line of code", Yapper aims to the replace SDKs (software development kits) that programmers are currently using to develop mobile apps, with a creation engine that operates with a simple, easy-to-understand interface. And yes, the price tag starts at just $99.

The app engine, a division of Santa Clara-based holding company SachManya, has already recruited its first publishing clients: Palo Alto Online and The West Seattle Herald. Both companies used Yapper to build mobile news pages. That's the company's target market, according to CEO Chintu Parikh. "Many publishers don't know how to get to mobile without enormous expense," he told DIGIDAY:DAILY. "We want to assist companies whom are trying to get to the mobile platform without waiting for a lengthy development process."  

According to Neil Strother of Forrester Reports, developers charge a minimum of $20,000 for quality mobile app development on average; content producers often struggle to get to popular mobile platform because of development and design costs. This, of course, has cracked the market wide open for do-it-yourself (DIY) and low-cost startups like Yapper. Competitors include Mobile Roadie, AppMakr, MobileAppLoader and now, even Google's own Android development platform.

But it's not just the cost that prohibits some publishers from launching apps. Long development times are also a key factor, according to stats from the Global Smartphone Application Report published by Research2Guidance. "Despite the hype specifically around the iPhone and iPad, for 99 percent of all publishers, the development of the app business is not a quick win and needs, not surprisingly, at least another 3 years to show significant returns. Because of these figures some of the traditional publishers have given their mobile app projects a low priority and postponed their activities."

Still, Yapper doesn't want to put other developers or agencies with app-development arms out of business. Parikh says the goal is to help them "cut their development time and get them to creative faster." While some may raise an eyebrow at Yapper's DIY app rollout engine, it's clear that the market is big enough and new enough for many solutions. "This is a way for publishers and developers to focus on solutions, and we are already partnering with several mobile and interactive agencies," Parikh said.