Mobile software publisher Handango has released the Handango Yardstick, a quarterly report on the state of the mobile software economy. Handango also released a special edition of the Handango Yardstick with data and trends for all of 2002. Data in the Handango Yardstick reflects sales from all major mobile operating systems, including Java, Symbian, Palm OS, Pocket PC, Linux and others.

According to Handango, in 2002, more than 3,000 new companies began selling mobile software and more than 14,000 new mobile software applications were created. Handango also reports that software spending for 2002 increased more than 40% compared to 2001. The top 10 search words in 2002 were games, dictionary, bible, remote control, chess, maps, mail, medical, golf and MP3/music.

In the fourth quarter, Handango said sales increased 47% over the fourth quarter of 2001. Contributing strongly to this growth was an increase in the average number of applications purchased, as the average buyer added 2.1 applications to his mobile device, up from 1.8 in the third quarter.

The Handango Yardstick for Q4 2002 also reports that medical software topped the list as the mobile software category with the highest average selling price at $27.83. Games and entertainment categories trailed at the end with an average selling price of $15.93 and $12.46 respectively. Average selling price for applications in other categories was closely grouped between $19.63 and $22.50.