Android phones excite local software developers

By FREDRICK OBURA

The arrival of pocket-friendly Android-powered Huawei U8150 IDEOS smartphone in the market is slowly defining mobile phone applications.

IT students and entrepreneurs are using the platform to mass produce applications relevant to local consumers.

The Android Operating System (OS) is developed by Google and other open source contributors. It is available on a range of phones from various manufacturers including Samsung, LG, Motorola, Sony Ericcson and Huawei.

"As part of the many features available on the platform, users have access to the Android Market — a virtual store offering thousands of both free and paid for applications for download," says Shadrack Kioko, a developer and a masters student at Strathmore’s Safaricom Academy.

"As the adoption of such phones rises, demand for local applications is also expected to pick up, " he says.

In a recent exhibition at Safaricom House in Nairobi, students from Strathmore University showcased different applications targeted at different sectors including transport, retail marketing, agriculture, health, religion, and babycare.

Arnold Ogola through a Wapidiscount application aims at solving consumers’ shopping headache in the country.

Crowd sourcing

The system allows users find sales promotions and discounts from their mobile phones. "Wapidiscount is a centralised mobile solution where users can locate promotions and share with friends," he explains.

"WapiDiscount uses crowd-sourcing to get sales promotions and discounts in a locality."

"The application utilises Google Maps, and Global Positioning System (GPS) to give the exact location of the shop where the discount is on offer."

"We have cleared the testing period and in two weeks time, the application will be available to Safaricom subscribers through Safaricom stores," he says.

The matatu industry also stands to benefit from the Android platform through an application titled SmarTout.

The application helps keep a tally of amount collected by the matatu crew and overheads. A distinguishing feature is its capability to automatically log the distance travelled and location hence eliminating forged travel and distance logs.

Another app targeted at the transport industry is the iDhibiti application. iDhibiti hopes to tame Kenya’s high road accident rate and toll.

Passengers can use the application to monitor the vehicle’s speed. If the driver is above the legal speed limit, they can caution the driver and reporting them to the police or manager.