What is Mobile Development?
Today, the digital world has moved beyond computer screens and found a popular home on mobile screens. A significant result of this development is that there is now an entire branch of software development, called mobile app development, that is devoted entirely to applications for smartphones.
Going Mobile
Often shortened to simply 'Mobile Development', the term 'Mobile Application Development' refers to the process of developing software for mobile devices. This type of software takes many forms:
1. Personal Assistants
The mobile app Siri has done a lot to popularize the idea of a digital personal assistant for your smartphone that can help you search for things on the internet using verbal commands, set up alarms and reminders, and even hold a conversation in a manner similar to a human being. In the past few years, many more companies from Apple to Amazon have also come up with their own versions of Siri, each equipped with better AI than the last.
2. Enterprise Assistants
Although not as well known in the public sphere as digital personal assistants, digital enterprise assistants cater to entire companies rather than any one individual. As a result, they are capable of far more heavy duty work. They are responsible for keeping huge enterprises running smoothly by coordinating work between different departments of the company. This keeps employees from different parts of the world in contact through the internet and generally acting as an entire digital workforce for the company.
3. Games
The most popular aspect of mobile development in the eyes of the general public, gaming apps have been a staple of mobile software since its inception. Every year, bigger and more complex games are squeezed inside smartphone screens, and the gaming app industry is always on the lookout for fresh new talent that can help create games with simplified screen controls that can nevertheless deliver an engaging playing experience.
4. Geo-Location
Many apps are devoted entirely to helping users find their location in the real world using satellites, such as Pokemon GO and its predecessor Ingress. This category of mobile software has resulted in many invaluable additions to the world of apps, such as the navigation apps which are so popular among vehicle owners and tourists, and the apps which help companies locate customers who need to have a package delivered to their doorstep.
5. Website Apps
These apps cover a large section of the software used in mobiles. The apps are a means for industries to interact directly with their customers, and provide them with services. The service can take the shape of delivering goods, supplying information, connecting customers to the company's employees, etc.
All such software apps may come pre-installed on mobiles or need to be added by the user. The aim of mobile development is to present users who surf the internet using their mobiles the same digital experience as using a computer. For this, websites need to be configured to adapt to the mobile screen and respond to the smartphone's swiping system of navigation rather than through a mouse and keyboard.
Expansion Opportunities
Studies show that an ever-increasing number of users prefer to use mobiles to surf the web. Total revenues generated from mobile apps is projected to reach $99 billion by 2019. More and more sites are being designed specifically to be used on smartphones. It falls to mobile developers to oversee this mass migration of websites from laptops to smartphones.
The number of jobs in the field of mobile development has been increasing as well. The top developers behind the most popular apps easily make six-figure incomes every year. Then, of course, there are the outliers who's successful apps resulted in them making millions within months.
Education for Mobile Development
Since anyone with a basic knowledge of software languages can make a mobile app, a surge of enthusiastic mobile developers have flooded the market with their software. This has led to some people believing you can become a mobile application developer without going to college or getting a degree.
The truth is, having a bachelor's degree in mobile development can be of great help when you're starting your career as an app developer. Holding a bachelor's degree indicates you have a level of expertise that amateurs lack. You could thus receive better offers from bigger companies and can command a higher salary at the start of your career than someone who never bothered to get the degree.
Companies understand that those who have received a degree have been thoroughly trained for several years, and can thus become far more valuable employees than untrained freelancers.
If you’re interested in breaking into the field of mobile app development, a great place to start is with a solid education. If you want to earn a Bachelor of Science in Computer and Information Science Degree with a Major in Software Development - Mobile Development Track, this could be your opportunity to get started. Contact ECPI University to learn more about our year-round schedule and accelerated classes, helping students graduate faster and start working while students in traditional colleges are still taking exams. For more information, contact a helpful admissions counselor today.
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