Insight

The emergence or evolution of a technology is often met with a dire shortage of skills. This is a situation currently facing the Mobile Applications' market, especially in the area of mobile smartphone applications development. As an example there is a dire need for expertise in Objective C programming, mobile business analysis and HTML5 among others. There is a shortage of digital design and conceptualization skills, an area that combines technical skills and aesthetics. If you are a technical person or business analyst the following trends in mobile smartphone platforms is an area for you to track. Those in other functions also need to track this space for their career planning as this looks like being the "next big thing" in technology. 

If anyone doubts the emergence of the mobile smartphone/pad/tablet as a serious business device, they would be in the minority. In many boardrooms of many companies, the smart phone is being discussed seriously as a business device. For you as an IT professional the questions are, how is my company addressing this and the next, which platform or platforms should we get behind.  

For this article I will attempt to answer the latter question for the Singapore context.  

The iPhone is currently the hottest item in the local mobile environment, the power of the brand, the very high local penetration even among the business community and the availability of applications, albeit consumer type apps, make it a very serious contender. Granted its use in the business world is at the early stage, but it is happening and momentum is building. The negative side is that the platform is proprietary but the product is good. The iPad also offers a very real computing platform for business because it is a very attractive and very user friendly alternative to the desktop, kiosk,netbook and laptop. 

The current business champion in this space is of course the blackberry, but really the blackberry is only seen as a business messaging platform, an area the other platforms are fast encroaching.

Android is a serious competitor to iPhone, what's driving this is the availability of a good variety of phone models, the open platform and increasing number of applications. We are also seeing tablet type devices built on the Android platform. 

Symbian (Nokia mainly) has a huge user base but again did not really address the business angle well, furthermore there have never really been much in terms of applications. Newer versions notwithstanding, Symbian maybe late in the applications game, it is unlikely they will be able to take the initiative away from Apple and Android. 

As for Windows, as usual a follower rather than an innovator, the upcoming Windows 7 Mobile has not captured the imagination ofthe mobile community, I believe it is a case of too little too late. I doubt if smartphone manufacturers will seriously get behind this platform. But Microsoft has the money and power to make some impact. As for the tablet, Microsoft probably has a better chance if users see the tablet as nothing more than an alternative to the netbook and laptop and not take advantage of its unique features and user friendliness.  

In conclusion, if you are faced with the question of which platform either for your company or your end-user, or yourself in terms of career planning. My recommendation is, as a priority use Apple followed by Android. If budget allows then perhaps the Blackberry, Windows and Symbian for its current (but declining) user base.