Smartphones are too mainstream now, every new phone launch which makes it to news is taken for granted to be a smartphone, we are talking in the time when a company claims to sell smartphone for just Rs 251. So what makes these phones really smart is it just the Hardware, NO not at all the hardware capabilities were always present but the real hero of these smartphones are the Apps installed in these and their capability to get everything done for you. Some one has very aptly said that, "your smartphone is not a smartphone if it is not on smart network and doesn't have smart applications" this is so true in today's scenario. While the hero of our Smartphones are these smart applications which we fondly call apps, the real heroes are the developer who develop these applications. There's a lot of effort that goes right from conceptualization to design and then to build the application that we install on our smartphones find a solution to our day to day chores. India being one of the largest smartphone user country the application market is also huge and opportunities are just growing day by day, however the development is also not a cakewalk for our heroes as well. We have tried to list out current challenges faced by Indian app developers which are as following.
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| App Development |
Resource Crunch: Well this can be very conveniently attributed to our orthodox thinking, traditional teaching methods and lack of courage for taking risks. Our educational institutions need to rethink how they want to mold the students thinking , whether they want them to learn or to innovate, to follow or to lead and take risks. We have highly talented resources but they are familiar with Windows OS and hesitate to try out OS X or Linux. Cost of app development software also plays a big part which is another challenge, for example to develop a cross platform application one has to purchase license of Xamarin and also should have access to OS X for building applications for iOS. These limitations narrow down number of developers available and thus a significant quality developers never come on board for application development.
Idea Evaluation: App stores are flooded with applications, you go and search for one application you will get many. Some times these applications are all same and one is not adding value over that of any other. Good market research and zeal to solve real problem is one thing and to execute this is another. Its always better to get your ideas reviewed by experts and get it validated, however finding experts is another big task for individual developers.
Connectivity: Apart from few metro cities we as a country are way behind in internet connectivity, situation is getting better gradually but it still a major road block for any IT professional and our app developers are not untouched with this fact. Better connectivity opens all doors to online forums, educational materials to get help and references.
Technical Challenges: Even if all of above is mitigated, we have the biggest challenge in front of us that is technical challenges which includes making your application responsive to different screen sizes, making application in optimized way so that it takes lesser of mobile resources and consume less battery power. Security of the applications as well as the device itself becomes developers responsibility as you don't even know which other apps the user is using and from back door if any spam app access data shared to your application.
Post Development i.e. Marketing: After one is done with the development of a particular app then comes the herculean task of getting your application some visibility on the app store. The marketing cost are mostly higher than the budget allows specially if you are an individual developer.
Mr. Ebrahim Popat, Country Manager 9 Apps says "While the Indian app market is on a high-growth trajectory, it continues to face lot of difficulties,including connectivity, local online payment issues and lack of effective promotional channels. Effective addressal to these issues will attract more talent to the sector. The app development industry has undergone rapid expansion and is flush with talent in India. What is missing is the right platform for these developers to showcase their talent, get exposure for their apps and connect with fellow developers.
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| Mr. Ebrahim Popat, Country Manager 9 Apps |
9Apps, as one of the most important products of UCWeb, is part UC Open Platform - an ecosystem to help Indian mobile internet players acquire users and monetise traffic. As far as I know, there is no other local mobile platform in Indian market that can compare with us, in terms of user base and app distribution.
We have also announced the launch of 9Apps Trends, India’s first comprehensive local app market monitoring service that provides app trends, data analysis and an in-depth market report. The monitoring tool will address the growing need for a comprehensive app industry analysis and help local app developers and distributors. 9Apps Trends is a public web facility with free access to all. With the right platform for distribution and monetisation, developers in India will come up with content and apps relevant for the Indian market – compact, localised and in regional languages."
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