Career in mobile app development

 A mobile app i.e. a mobile application is an application developed for mobile phones and smartphones. In simple terms, a mobile app is a software programme for ones phone. These can be as simple as a basic flashlight application or a dictionary or something similar to a Google Maps navigation app. 
There are mobile apps developed for entertainment like the Facebook and Twitterapp (social media networks) or the Angry Birds mobile app (games). Mobile applications are basically a lighter version of computer applications meant for mobile devices/tablet devices, which cater to infotainment and entertainment. 
The mobile applications market is not just restricted to general users but has also reached out to business and institutional users. This ever-changing and growing industry and its revenue generation opportunities have not only enticed customers, but also business conglomerates. The year 2011 witnessed a breakthrough for mobile application development and many new players have entered this domain, there will be more in the coming days. 

This year featured a steep rise in text messaging, Smartphone purchases and mobile advertising. Location-based services, social networking application, m-commerce, context-aware service, object recognition, mobile instant messaging and mobile payment or mobile money transfer will be the areas of growth. Also, more social games apps in mobile devices will be developed. 

Industry statusThe mobile application market is rapidly growing and gaining popularity as an emerging job opportunities market. India is the third fastest growing app market in the world. As per Gartner report, Indias active mobile connections will exceed 900 million by 2016, which translates to 72% penetration. According to Trai in January 2012 the number of active mobile connections in India has reached 659.99 million and the total mobile subscriber base stands at 903.72 million. 

It is estimated that every Indian user spends nearly 52 minutes per-day using mobile apps. Similarly, mobile app economy-estimated at nearly $4 billion (Rs 20,000 crore) in 2009 and expected to grow to $18 billion in half a decade-continues to expand exponentially. 

There is an increase in the demand of mobile applications as more and more people are using smart phones. It has been projected that mobile value-added services market (which includes mobile apps) will reach Rs 214.1 crore by the end of 2012 from Rs 158.6 crore in 2011. Revenue generated by mobile VAS was INR 122 billion, as on March 2011. It is estimated to reach Rs 482 billion by 2015. 

Growth areasThe future is mobile and all the services and offerings are going to run through application. India has more mobile connections than PCs or TVs and landline phones. Mobile app development is evolving to integrate with television, in-car navigation and entertainment, shopping, commerce and banking. It is safe to say that the future of apps is This talks about future growth prospects in the industry. 

Mobile operators have seen a significant growth in revenues through VAS, which has significantly increased demand for mobile application developers. This booming industry is struggling to get quality developers who have ideas and creativity. Go to any job site and you will observe the number of jobs that come under the M-VAS industry. Here the demand and supply ratio is inadequate and industry is looking for talented professionals. Planning a career in this industry will surely be a good move. 

As it can be seen, there is more demand than supply because there arent enough good mobile developers. As mobile phone companies look to attract users through applications, the demand for application developers is growing and will grow. 

Skill-sets requiredSince mobile apps are based on the IT platform, application developers should have a BTech (computer application) or MCA degree with experience of gateways/servers (WAP, XML, VXML, WTA, etc), browsers (WML, XHTML), clients (SMS, e-mail, chat etc), and stacks (WAP2.0 and TCP/IP). 

Apart from developers, the industry also seeks product and content creators who could be experienced graphics designers, content writers, researchers, etc. Innovation and out-of-the-box thinking can allow freshers in the industry to grow quickly. 

With the changing technology, keeping pace with industry trends, technological innovations and new products in the market, it is important that freshers constantly update themselves with the latest developments. 

One should also have the ability to understand client requirements, change specifications promptly, if needed, and have the confidence to sell the product in the market. If one wants to become a mobile app developer, one would need to be proficient in a programming language such as C, C++, Objective C for writing applications on iOS (iPhone, iPad) or Java (Android,Blackberry OS). Now private academies and training institutes too offer short-term crash courses and one-year diploma courses in apps development. 

RemunerationThe starting salary of a developer at the entry level could be from Rs 3-5 lakh per annum depending on the technology they are working on. Those who are working on content at the entry level could expect anything in the range of Rs 2.5-4 lakh per annum.