Social media, local advertising, and mobile applications are thriving outside of the telecom industry. Successful social apps allow sharing and user generated content around hobbies and the community. Mobile apps have seen explosive growth, with some becoming billion dollar companies after only a few years. Emerging technologies like augmented reality, social learning platforms, and local search engines show promise in what's next. While telecom billing is a $15 billion market, the overall app market is estimated to grow to over $30 billion by 2015.