If you ask digital directors at leading organizations what the next evolutionary step is for the Internet, they probably don't actually talk about the Web. Instead, they most likely talk about applications and devices. They also probably say that app developers are becoming worth their weight in gold.
That is certainly the case with Cameron Clayton, president of the digital group at The Weather Channel in Atlanta. The Weather Channel has the second most downloaded app on the iPad and the fifth most downloaded app on the iPhone. Clayton obviously knows the demand for mobile application development -- and developers.
"Looking out five years, I see increasing traffic on mobile devices, and for most companies, that probably means hiring more developers," Clayton told us. "But we're already not even close to having enough people to do the work." This demand is already making application developers among the highest-paid information technology professionals in many companies -- and deservedly so, according to Clayton.
He advises college students who want to be in high demand (and cash big paychecks) to concentrate on app development now. "If you want to earn $100,000 your first year out of school, become an applications developer for the Android or iOS. There is a real shortage of talent in the marketplace for people that can code for these devices."
Steve Nelson, technology director for the Oregon Virtual Schools, can confirm the growing demand for mobile devices and apps. Two years ago, the Oregon public school system became the largest test bed for Google Docs and Google Apps; the entire state adopted the Google Docs platform for digital education delivery.
"The Oregon Virtual Schools provide online learning applications, digital content, and digital courses," Nelson told us. Google provided its Google Docs and Google Apps technologies to all local school districts in the state, and it provided training for IT personnel and teachers. So far, 122 of 197 school districts have made the move to Google Docs. As part of this effort, students are given their own Gmail accounts, student portfolios on the cloud-based system, and mobile devices to access course work anywhere at any time.
As to the future of the Internet, it's not as much about the Net as it is about instant messaging and text messaging in mobile applications. I watch students and how they communicate. They don't want to talk on the phone so much anymore as much as they want to be able to text. Eventually, you'll see students taking tests on handheld devices.
This move to the 1:1 environment, as it is known in public education, is gaining popularity across the country. More school districts are embracing mobile devices as the preferred delivery device for the classroom. Even in districts that can't afford to purchase a lot of mobile devices for several classrooms, the new trend is to bring your own device.
Clearly, we are pumping a lot of new mobile consumers into the pipeline. More students will access and share their work via tablets and smartphones. Business travelers are increasingly leaving the laptop at home and opting for the tablet and smartphone. Put any number of people in a room for any length of time, and the odds are you'll find half of them on their Android or iPhone immediately, looking for entertainment, information, or companionship. Consumers are seeking apps to do virtually everything. We're almost there now.
Clayton and his friends recently had a friendly competition to see how long it would take to find a topic or function for which they couldn't find an app of any kind. "It took us two hours."
— David Weldon is an experienced editor, writer, and research analyst with more than 30 years of experience in the communications and research fields.
Yes stotheco. I think this is making apps a lesser demand. Overloading things do make people dislike them in quick time. Apps have lot to offer so lets keep it short and clean.
Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later at this rate. I suppose we need to train more people at the art of building a good app for companies or people. Either that or long waits and price hikes can be expected for this kind of service. However, I will be honest and say that I am shocked that no one has invited a drag and drop app builder. I think that would do well and while it couldn't make the most fancy ones, I do think a market could be found for it.
Up until now, app developers have adapted their apps to what the devices could do. Are we starting to see a change where App Developers are setting their requirements, in order to be able to provide richer apps?
In this day and age of rapid development tools, I find it hard to believe that we can't make it easier to create apps for various devices with relative ease. A nip here, a tuck there, and you should be able to port them without too much fuss, either. I would think the tough part would be coming up with something that people will want to download and carry around in what is sometimes limited storage space. Weather and news are a given, as is chat and communication. But how many pedometer apps do you need, or exercise planners, or even video players? It's been estimated that 30% of the apps in the Apple Store are really just variations of the classic "fart app." I find it amusing that IE would actually choose to put their content on the Apple tablets, knowing that they are more and more just me-too appliances rather than innovative products. Let's get it rolled out for Android platforms, so the intelligent half of the population can use them, too.
mobile apps are increasing popularity, thats why our very own liked website internet evolution also lauched its Ipad App. i would sure download it and use it. Also it is free of cost. It will sure be easier having an App, rather than opening safari first and then redirecting to the internet evolution site.
@mtechie, I'm a fan of the native app--very much so, in fact. As a user, I want the app to work when I'm not connected, on a plane, for example. If I wanted to go to website, I'd have started with the browser :-)
And, yes, I think there is a huge place for enterprise native apps. Maybe some of it is really a hybrid VPN kind of thing, but, again, having the app and data reside on the device has value. I get the mobile security concerns, but there is a point of view in the latest Computerworld magazine about "containment software," and I'm not sure it's not a pipe dream, but I like the idea.
usman, - but app monetization is actually one of those industry failure points. making reasonable cash out of most apps is difficult no wonder many developers just do it for the passion.
The ThinkerNet does not reflect the views of TechWeb. The ThinkerNet is an informal means of communication to members and visitors of the Internet Evolution site. Individual authors are chosen by Internet Evolution to blog. Neither Internet Evolution nor TechWeb assume responsibility for comments, claims, or opinions made by authors and ThinkerNet bloggers. They are no substitute for your own research and should not be relied upon for trading or any other purpose.
In the 1970 science fiction thriller Colossus: The Forbin Project, two giant supercomputers from the United States and Soviet Union secretly join forces to take control of the collective nuclear might of the two countries. In the film, the two machines discover each other's existence, communicate back-and-forth, share their collective data, and cut their human creators out of the process. It is the ultimate example of machine-to-machine communications, or M2M.
In legal circles, intent is nine tenths of the law. In other words, what someone meant to do or say is equally important as what they actually did or said.
The Internet is rapidly becoming the preferred delivery vehicle for placing medical prescriptions and tracing medication history, according to two current studies on e-prescribing. That spells good news for pharmacists who have long struggled with trying to read a hurried physician’s scribbling on a paper prescription pad.
Whether 2013 really will bring much-needed economic relief remains to be seen, but there is no shortage of job forecasts saying this will be a rosy year for the IT sector. From mobile and web developers to network administrators, all the leading reports have identified a number of IT roles as the ones most in demand or up and coming in the workforce.
A survey by JD Powers found that customer interest in product features is lessening as phones evolve. Rather than features, price is driving purchases, and that change could have a dramatic impact on how IT departments secure these devices.
The iPad Mini is the latest iteration of the exploding tablet category. Because most tablets are WiFi-only, they create a new kind of mobile network. The problem is that we don't have issues like roaming and security defined for this new world.
A recent release of the popular TweetDeck app for Twitter power-users gives new life to software that had previously taken a wrong turn. Here's a quick walk-through of the new TweetDeck, to show you why it should be at the top of your Twitter toolkit.
When whole departments do BYOD and consumerization, it's a threat to IT and the whole organization. It's also an emerging business technology cliché you'll be sick of soon enough.
Companies used to be confident they'd know exactly what a cellular OS would look like out of the box. Today, that confidence should be fading. Reiter discusses how a cellphone OS's looks could be deceiving, and why businesses need to understand it.
New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority is conducting a pilot test of digital kiosks to guide subway users to where they want to go more efficiently and at lower cost.
While NFC's original goal was to enhance mobile commerce applications, it is finding its way into a number of other uses, which is creating both opportunity as well as challenges for IT departments.
Subsidized handsets, rather than locked handsets, should be the focus of regulators. We're not getting good deals, not fostering innovation, and weakening our power as buyers.
New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority is conducting a pilot test of digital kiosks to guide subway users to where they want to go more efficiently and at lower cost.
The whole Amazon.reader debate is a double-stupid. It's stupid to think that there's any e-book buyer who doesn't know Amazon's URL, and it was stupider to let ICANN launch the whole free-form TLD initiative to start with.
While NFC's original goal was to enhance mobile commerce applications, it is finding its way into a number of other uses, which is creating both opportunity as well as challenges for IT departments.
Enterprises would like to move to cloud computing but are hesitant because they are concerned about providers’ ability to secure company data. Here are some tips that help to ensure that if breaches occur, the business is not left holding the bag.
Edmunds separates customers into segments based on the info it collects on its site and from partners, and uses that to push out custom content, said Brian Baron, director of business analytics for Edmunds.com, at Predictive Analytics Innovation Summit.
The automotive website uses propensity modeling to target ads and customer registration forms, said Brian Baron, director of business analytics for Edmunds.com, at Predictive Analytics Innovation Summit.
Expert Integrated Systems: Changing the Experience & Economics of IT In this e-book, we take an in-depth look at these expert integrated systems -- what they are, how they work, and how they have the potential to help CIOs achieve dramatic savings while restoring IT's role as business innovator. READ THIS eBOOK
your weekly update of news, analysis, and
opinion from Internet Evolution - FREE! REGISTER HERE
Wanted! Site Moderators Internet Evolution is looking for a handful of readers to help moderate the message boards on our site – as well as engaging in high-IQ conversation with the industry mavens on our thinkerNet blogosphere. The job comes with various perks, bags of kudos, and GIANT bragging rights. Interested?
To save this item to your list of favorite Internet Evolution content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
M2M: Rise of the Machines? Not Yet David Weldon In the 1970 science fiction thriller Colossus: The Forbin Project, two giant supercomputers from the United States and Soviet Union secretly join forces to take control of the collective nuclear might of the two countries. In the film, the two machines discover each other's existence, communicate back-and-forth, share their collective data, and cut their human creators out of the process. It is the ultimate example of machine-to-machine communications, or M2M. CLICK FOR MORE
M2M: Rise of the Machines? Not Yet David Weldon In the 1970 science fiction thriller Colossus: The Forbin Project, two giant supercomputers from the United States and Soviet Union secretly join forces to take control of the collective nuclear might of the two countries. In the film, the two machines discover each other's existence, communicate back-and-forth, share their collective data, and cut their human creators out of the process. It is the ultimate example of machine-to-machine communications, or M2M. CLICK FOR MORE
Email This
