The smartphone and mobile devices app have experienced exponential growth since the launch of the first iPhone and Android-based devices, and app developers and telco operators have been heavily investing into the development of the mobile app ecosystem.
According to a recent international survey, the demand for mobile app developers has doubled over the past two years, and the demand for developers especially in the mobile application space will continue to grow over the years.
Mobile development has come a long way in the last few years and it continues to evolve at a rapid pace with the constant release of new and more powerful smartphones that are packed with new features, Multimedia Development Corp Sdn Bhd (MDeC) COO Ng Wan Peng said.
“It can be a challenge to keep up with this rapidly changing environment especially for Malaysian app developers who are still fairly new to this sector.
“The growth of the application development industry in Malaysia while still relatively new has been a significant and encouraging one,” she told The Malaysian Reserve.
Ng pointed out that one of the biggest challenges that Malaysia still face is the lack of developers in the country, which could be attributed to lack of awareness on how to become a mobile app developer as well as the lack of knowledge on the potential and opportunities in the mobile app development.
The low number of developers resulted in a less competitive marketplace for mobile app development in the country, therefore, there aren’t many new innovative mobile apps that garner worldwide acclaim and recognition from Malaysian app developers as from mature markets such as America, South Korea and Europe, she said.
“While MDeC has pioneered grants, training and development programmes for app developers, there are not many other service providers, agencies or industry players offering training and development programmes for the public in general.
“While there are partnership and collaboration efforts to develop the talent in the mobile development space in the country, these are usually limited to employees or students under scholarship of that particular organisation or company,” she said.
Ng said due to the lack of developers, training and development opportunities, it is no surprise that the Malaysian app development market is far from globally competitive just yet and the ecosystem is still in its infancy.
This has contributed to the lack of innovative spirit among developers as they do not see funding and monetising opportunities from their apps that can benefit them in the long run.
Furthermore, most local developers are still focused on developing the ultimate “killer app” that will earn them critical acclaim and the most number of downloads, instead of looking at how the app itself can serve a greater benefit.
“For example, how this particular app can be used as a tool in delivering a part of a commercial or enterprise related service. Only by looking at this bigger picture can developers expect to monetise their app and sustain their business in the long run,” she added.
To a question on talent shortages in other areas in the mobile development market, Ng said there is still a shortage of talents in the app development market in Malaysia.
“Unlike complicated software programming or niche IT services, app development is something relatively easy to pick up for anyone with a basic interest and knowledge in computers and programming.
“Therefore in order to generate and sustain interest in mobile app development it is important to start with the younger generation, particularly secondary school students and university undergraduates and once they have had a taste of the industry, it is easier to cultivate their long-term interests while further developing their skills and knowledge in the field,” she said.
In order to achieve this, MDeC has partnered with various parties to create mobile app development challenges and competitions designed to appeal to the younger generation, she said.
Juniper Research, a UKbased analyst firm in the wireless sector has forecast that over 160 billion apps will be downloaded globally onto smartphones and tablets in 2017 compared to 80 billion in 2013.
The sharp increase is a result in the upgrading from feature phones to smartphones, and a growing number of apps downloaded at no upfront cost.
According to US-based information technology research and advisory company Gartner Inc, by 2015, mobile application development projects targeting smartphones and tablets will outnumber native PC projects by a ratio of 4-to-1.
The global content delivery network market is expected to reach US$4.7 billion (RM15.4 billion) by 2015, with Asia Pacific recording the fastest growing market share at over 30% per annum in the next three years.
Touching on app development talent, BlackBerry Malaysia and Brunei MD Annamalai Muthu said due to the growing demand for mobile apps, developers are increasingly seeking to improve their craft through training and development courses.
This includes new and budding developers who are keen to learn to build and market their app to experienced developers who are looking to upskill and build the next big app.
“We believe that there is great talent available locally that is able to tap on the opportunities offered in the mobile app development market.
“BlackBerry Malaysia aims to continuously nurture the growing pool of developers and ensure that they are equipped with the right knowledge and strategic skills to compete in the mobile app development arena, both locally and globally, and this is executed through providing ongoing training courses, workshops for developers and organising app development competitions to bring out the best and brightest ideas to life,” he told The Malaysian Reserve recently.
He said BlackBerry is committed to the mobile app development space and will continue to reinforce the growth in apps for the BB10 platform.
Just recently, BlackBerry Malaysia and MDeC collaborated to foster the development of local mobile app content via the MSC Malaysia integrated content development programme.
*http://themalaysianreserve.com/main/sectorial/technology/4532–blackberry-mdec-to-develop-app-ecosystem
No comments:
Post a Comment
Leave Your Message here