With almost everyone you know owning a smart phone, there is a rush in the mobile application development market. If you have the skills, the field has a lot to offer, finds Reena Jhaveri
Sector overview
For the past few years, this segment has constantly been shutting the mouths of those sceptics who have been panning down free mobile applications for a long time now, the world over. In fact, time and again, the market has demonstrated how profitable and well functioning it is. Even though the market has come off age and does not mind paying a small amount to download an app, even the free app market has been proving its viability for a long time now. It is the niche many thought would damage the overall app market by undercutting demand for paid apps.
From a cash flow perspective, the savvy mobile app companies are golden. Product development takes just a few months; only small portion of the game has to be produced before the launch; lack of physical distribution allows them to cut out distributors; initial marketing costs can be held low.
A point that the critics do not think about is the long-term benefits of a popular app, because it gives users an entirely different return on investment over console games, songs or movies. There are six apps in the iPhone paid app download top-40 chart that were published more than 1,000 days ago. Three years after their debuts, they are each still grossing more than their development budget every month.
Many also feel that the app market is over-saturated, and that there is no more room for more apps, unless it is absolutely unique. But that is just an opinion. True there is no predictability for the life of a particular app, but one can just move to creating another one. There is no limit to that! The number of available apps is an illusion. There are thousands of flashlight apps out there. And thousands of apps for unit converters and most are nowhere near to being competitive.
To get there
In simple words, a mobile app is a software programme that can be downloaded to your phone, for various purposes. These apps as simple as having a flashlight for your camera or a word learner to as complicated as a navigation system. Popular websites also have their mobile apps designed for those on the move, and some of the most popular apps are games on the mobile.
With this sudden spurt in the popularity of mobile apps, mobile application development has become a popular specialisation in software programming.
A mobile developer is a software engineer or software programmer who can design, develop and test mobile application on one or more mobile operating systems and devices (such as Apple iOS or Google Android).
To enter this field, it is necessary that you know programming languages such as C, C++, Objective C and Java. Additionally, there is a necessity to understand the user-interafce design, a subject that most software engineers study during their course. This is of utmost importance, since the app usage is extremely personal to the user of the phone.
Merely being a programmer is not enough. you need to know the basics of application design, development and testing. Once you have the basics then you have to choose what platform and mobile operating system you want to specialise on and focus on it.
Currently, there are no certified programmes available for developers to pursue. Yet, mobile application development is fast becoming a popular specialisation in engineering colleges. The students who want to go through the engineering route need to finish plus two with science and opt for software engineering. For others, many private institutes offer diploma and certificate programmes in mobile app development.
The market
With everyone owning a mobile phone today, and the sheer number of options available to the public via the phone, makes this a vastly emerging area. Many technology companies are sprucing up their operations to effectively meet the mobility needs of their clients and customers. This background creates a lot of career opportunities for those who have suitable aptitude and ability.
With enterprise mobility being a fast emerging technology area, many IT companies are ramping up their operations and capabilities to effectively meet the mobility needs of their customers. This opens up many career opportunities for those who have the right expertise in this area.
Once you specialise in thsi field and you have the adequate knowledge, there are several kinds of jobs that are available to trained personnel:
You can become a mobile user-interface designer which requires you to have artistic and creative skills.The user experience and usability expert requires understanding of human interaction and ease of use metrics, and the most popular, applications developer/ engineer requires the relevant programming skills.
Remuneration
There is no doubt that the future is mobile and all the services and offerings are going to run through application. In India, there are many more mobile connections than there are computers, or perhaps, even television sets. Mobile app development is in the evolutionary stages and will in future be designed to integrate with television, entertainment, shopping, commerce and banking. It is safe to say that the future of apps is about future growth prospects in the industry.
For those who are starting a career as developers, starting salaries range from `3 lakh to `5 lakh per annum. This ideally depends on the technology they are working on, the size of the comapny they work at as well as their ability.
Those who are working on content at the entry level could expect anything in the range of `2.5 lakh to `4 lakh per annum.
Mobile operators have seen a significant growth in revenues in the last couple of years, which has significantly increased demand for developers.
A student says
Veer Thakur, Fourth year engineering student
Usually, for an app developer working for a company, the job involves taking a brief from the client, create the app and deliver it on time and on budget. Of course, it is easier said than done! At the place that interned over last summer, the group leader took up this responsibility, and they had several groups working on multiple projects for different clients. The group leader then delegated the duties and kept the group united.
I also learnt that while some apps can be built in days, others can take up to two weeks, or even up to a few months. It depends on the level of complexity. I also feel that even if we learn in college, or in a course, it is very exciting to be in an actual work environment where the real work is happening.
I know that even if one has some experience, training in this module helps. User-interface design has helped a lot in terms of knowing what to expect and how the scheme of things would fit on different screens. For games, it is essential that the users have a wonderful experience to keep coming back. For other apps, the experience has to be as smooth as possible. Apart from the programming skills mentioned, students need to realise that soft skills like critical thinking, team playing, problem solving and presentation skills are required.
In the field
Nihar Sharma, Working for a mobile app development organisation
While studying for a computer science degree, I did a module on software programming for mobile phones and realised I could become part of a new wave of technology. While I was growing up, computers took off in popularity, then later the web exploded and now mobiles are too. I have worked on several apps, including one, which allows friends to create user names and put up common expenses that are incurred when they go out as a group. They can divide it in any manner they want, and swap debts with each other to minimise transactions. This is extremely useful during college years when you hang out with the same friends, and when you want to be fair in splitting the expenses.
I love the experimentation that this field requires, and I also enjoy working on apps that can run on multiple platforms. One must also realise that efforts are seldom individual, it is almost always a team effort.
An aspirant asks
Mohan Khanolkar, FYJC science student
I am interested in developing a few apps for which I already have the idea, and I also have a vision regarding the design. However, I am not at all technologically qualified to execute the design. If I take up a short-term course, will it help me? Or will I have to wait till I become an engineer? That will be too late!
Professional Nihar Sharma answers: If you are interested in developing a few apps in the near future, it would be advisable that you take up a short-term course for programming and try your hand at designing it. Every now and then, you might be faced with some glitches, for which you will need to trouble-shoot with an expert. You can also resort to the internet as well, there are many resources that can help you with your programming language.
At least that will start your process, and enable you to realise whether you are on the right track or not for the apps. You can also check if you want to change anything in your design or your thoughts to make the app more viable with a larger number of people. After you work on these initial apps, you can figure out whether this field interests you enough to pursue engineering and become a full fledged developer, and then you can take up software engineering after class 12.
