Cloud computing as the Next Big Thing (Part 2 of 2)

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http://selectioneffect.info/blog/programming/cloud-computing-as-the-next-big-thing-part-2-of-2/

The fastest growing market these days are tablet computers. Although there have been tablet-like devices for many years now, the iPad has really opened the way for other manufacturers. 

Consumers have seen first hand that a hand held device the size of an Ebook reader can also be a general purpose browsing, typing, dictation taking and network enabled computer.

There are thousands of Apple Store applications, which can work on the iPad, and they can do anything from entertain you with a puzzle game to planning your business schedules. This is an important fact to recognize: the applications available for tablets are both for personal entertainment, and for serious business use.

The iPhone is a device that is technically just as capable as the iPad; it just has a different form factor. Just as many apps are available for the iPhone as for the iPad, if not more.

The iPhone and iPad have paved the way for serious business use of the first really capable smart phones. Sure, there were the Blackberry devices, and they’re still around, but they didn’t have the amazing diversity of applications, nor did they have the force of thousands of software developers competing to deliver great applications to an eager, yet fussy, market.

A market with money.

Most iPhone and iPad applications are not free, and the low cost per application makes sure that sales figures remain high, even through a Global Financial Crisis.

The businessperson is spoilt for choice with a plethora of applications for every conceivable business need. And when the day is over, of waiting for the plane, commuting, or when the kids borrow the phone, there are games galore

Of course, Apple isn’t the only player in the game.

The Android platform specification has seen the smart mobile phone and the consumer tablet industries grow to competitive highs, and that means money for everyone.

The consumer benefits from the competition and the ease by which new features and applications can be acquired.

The software developer benefits from the high volume sales of low priced applications, and from a skills demand in mobile development like never before. The Apple Store, Android Market, or the Amazon Android App Store does all of the usual marketing and selling.

At this point, it seems that developing for the Android platform is a smarter choice, as it uses the Java platform, prospective software developers can leverage so existing skills, and any new skills learned are transportable to web development as well.

The marketplace providers profit from the efforts of developers by taking a share of the application sales. They provide a valuable marketing service, and a consumer transaction-processing platform, which is well worth the money to the developer.

The Android device manufacturers profit from consumer demand for devices that are compatible with the superbly empowering Android application ecosystem. Apple has monolithic control over their platform, but the same principles apply to them.

The power of today’s mobile devices, coupled with the immense choice of high applications, give the consumer a level of lifestyle comfort and sophistication unrivalled by any point in history.

Now connect that with the cloud.

Cloud computing programming skills, together with modern mobile development skills, are in extremely high demand, and that demand is only increasing.

The reason for that is clear: the cloud solves many computational and storage problems faced by start-up companies or even existing small to medium companies. The cloud will take care of security, database maintenance, storage capacity, processing power and network connectivity needs.

Today’s developer cannot go wrong with learning Java, UML fundamentals, and cloud computing programming concepts.

Prev: Cloud computing as the Next Big Thing (Part 1 of 2)