Growth and more growth of mobile apparatus

By Macharia Kamau

In September last year, technology giant Google launched Android market, a distribution platform for mobile applications used on android powered mobile phones, in Kenya.

Other than information technology geeks and mobile users with phone running on google’s Android operating system, few may remember the announcement.

Few are aware of Android market or what it means for the local apps development fraternity.

The launch opened up the Android market to local developers of mobile phone-based applications, which means they now have a larger market for their products.

The developers are now able to upload their apps on the platform, from where anyone in the world with an Android powered phone can access the Kenyan made application.

"Any developer in Kenya now has a chance to get their applications downloaded by any user in the world," said Nelson Mattos, Google’s vice president for product engineering for Europe, Middle east and Africa when he made the announcement in Nairobi.

And in opening the platform to Kenyan developers, the decision by Google may have been informed by the emerging pool of talent in ICT that have many analysts say Kenya has potential to become an ICT hub for the continent.

And it is confidence that other global companies have exuded in the Kenya applications development market, especially mobile handset manufacturers.

Global affair

Nokia and Samsung held separate application developer contests in 2010 that had different impact on the mobile innovations and even increased popularity of mobile applications among individual developers and firms.

While the handset makers might have the selfish objective of getting mobile users hooked on their brand, it is somewhat a boon for application developer.

In October last year, a Kenyan developer stunned the world when he won the Nokia Growth Economy Venture Challenge.

The challenge was a global affair and John Waibochi of Virtual City beat 54 other developers from across the world to win the competition that had a price tag of Sh80 million.

A mobile distributor solution won Waibochi the $1 million. The solution is designed to help SMEs improve efficiencies especially for firms dealing with fast moving consumer goods.

"The future of Africa lies in technological innovation and this is where our energies need to be redirected," said John Waibochi, the Virtual City CEO.

Virtual City also won the World Summit Award on mobile content 2010 for its Agrimanagr mobile application. It enables users to manage agricultural processes using mobile phones. Waibochi said his firm aimed at leading in provision of mobile content that will impact on people lives positively.

"We are constantly innovating solutions that will simplify people’s lives and in turn change the way human beings relate with technology," he said.

And in mid December, Samsung announced five local winners for its Samsung Kenya Apps Contest.

The winners got a cash price of Sh200 000 each. And there is a steady growth in the uptake of these applications not only at the global level but also Africa.

Nokia in October said there had been a significant increase in downloads from Ovi Store across Africa attributing it to growth in application developers.

The OVi Store, like Android Market, is also a distribution platform where users of Nokia mobile phones can download applications both at a fee and for free.

Nokia shares revenue from applications with developers at a 70:30 per cent ratio, with developers taking the bigger share.

"It is not just about the quantity of apps, but the quality that is with Ovi Store," said Purnima Kochikar, head of Nokia’s developer activities recently.