UPDATED 10:50 EDT / JANUARY 27 2012

Android Developers Get Support from Google, Bootcamps

It is so fascinating to hear that an early age, your child dreams of becoming a fireman, doctor or astronaut.  But perhaps what would make you jump for joy would be to hear that your young ones are fantasizing about technology and hoping to be a mobile apps developer one day.  Apart from the growing demand for this job, most of the time free resources and education are given to those with potential, and interest, in mobile app development. Google’s Android is one of the most active enterprises to provide training programs for such undertaking.

Google’s Expanding Android Resources

As the platform race continues, Android fights to up its bid for mobile relevance. A recent study showed that Google’s mobile money-maker is set to steal the spotlight from iOS in application development this year, and downloads in 2016. Its importance to developers will progressively increase in 2012, and the Android Market will continue to have a strong grip, building an audience for mobile apps.

On the downside, the organization is tasked to control fragmentation, and standardize the Android experience for developers and end users alike.  With the budding interest in the platform, coupled with the goal of consolidating design principles, various Android mobile apps training programs and resources are set in place.

Android Design.

Rudimentary to any success in the mobile industry today is the enthusiasm over the array of applications offered. But programmers have the innate tendency to be very keen on the content, but careless on the design. Google understands this, and made sure to create a sturdy support system for Android mobile developers.  They greeted the new year with the launch of Android Design, a website dedicated to create new design approaches and applications and improve framework of ICS or Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) and support overarching goals for their core apps.  This one-stop-design-shop also aims to employ interactive learning sessions with designers and developers.

Matias Duarte, the creative mind that heads the Android user experience arm, sees enormous room to enhance the current system.  But he’s taking a rather challenging role to ensure that Android runs as flawlessly as possible, enlisting third party developers and providing them as many resources as possible.

“Designing an open mobile operating system — and doing it really well — that’s never happened before in human history. I’ve done the closed thing before (referring to his days at Palm working on the webOS operating system). And I’d like to think I did it well.”

Android Training.

A collection of more than 10 classes, Google launched Android Training in December with the intent to school mobile developers to come up with better Android apps. The program is designed to demonstrate problem solving of basic Android development problems by means of code snippets and sample codes to use within apps. Courses within this curriculum include designing for multiple screens, improving layout performance, managing audio playback, developing for enterprise, monetizing your app and more.

Lenovo Support for Android

Several other organizations have acknowledged the present and future importance of Android technology in the workforce and the mobility industry at large. This has triggered them to extend support for mobile app aficionados.  Just this week, Lenovo and the National Academy Foundation (NAF) teamed up to introduce an innovative program to benefit high school students at Apex who want to become a mobile developer someday soon.

Michael Schmedlen, Lenovo’s Worldwide Director of Education, explains the inspiration behind the project:

“To succeed in tomorrow’s workforce, students need a solid foundation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics with fluency in the technologies that will power the global economy. This exciting program engages students via the technology and apps they use every day. By partnering with the National Academy Foundation, we’re delivering a rigorous and relevant curriculum that will help create our next generation of developers and entrepreneurs.”

Other Support for Android and iOS

As the wheel of mobile application development treks universal popularity, various companies join the bandwagon.  Still fresh from the oven is Bitzio’s “Everyone Apps” that provides solution for app-building access to an extensive consumer market. So far, it has been utilized in building 80 new and top-class apps for Android and iOS.

Boasting its critically-acclaimed technology, Worklight introduces an enterprise developer program to empower mobile players to untangle the complexity of developing apps. This features the following: extensive evaluation and assessment schemes, self-guided technical tutorials and more.

Android App Makers’ Challenge

Colleges and universities have crafted contests to showcase mobile development specifically for Android. There is no better way of exploring the potential of young imaginative minds than through school competition. In San Francisco, Immaculate Concepcion Academy launched the Technovation Challenge this week. With the help of volunteers from Bay Area technology companies, students will design and build and Android app that can be featured and sold in Android Market.

Mobile applications are the primary drivers of user engagement on smartphones and tablets, which should be augmented to generate revenues and market relevance. Android, while they’re currently improving their stance in the tablet market, still faces challenges, including fragmentation and competition from the likes of iOS, Windows Phone and even the tumultuous Blackberry OS.


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