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Lauren Darcey and Shane Conder

Project Pitfalls: 10 Business Risks of Android Development

Android is an exciting new platform to develop for, but there are a number of risks associated with Android projects which should not be overlooked. Here’s a short list of what we see as the project pitfalls of Android development at this time.
Submitted by Conder and Darcey on Tue, 11/24/09 - 5:20pm.

Android is an exciting new platform to develop for, but there are a number of risks associated with Android projects which should not be overlooked. Here’s a short list of what we see as the project pitfalls of Android development at this time.

#1: Platform Fragmentation

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Android Needs Google For Now

Today, we’re seeing two types of Android devices on the market: those with a basic, “vanilla” installation of Android and those with Android and Google services. This means developers and manufacturers have choices as to whether or not to integrate tightly with Google services. This decision requires some serious thought.
Submitted by Conder and Darcey on Mon, 11/23/09 - 4:11am.

Android is a free and open platform. Device manufacturers can take the platform and put it on their own devices. Software developers can write applications for Android without concern about being blocked from publishing as they can always choose to self-distribute their applications. However, this freedom comes as a price. A price the end-users often end up paying: a fragmented platform with a fragmented market.

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Key Questions Any Good Mobile Application Business Plan Should Answer

Coming up with the right business model for your mobile application can be tricky. Here are some of the key questions any good mobile application business plan should answer.
Submitted by Conder and Darcey on Thu, 11/19/09 - 7:13pm.

Coming up with the right business model for your mobile application can be tricky. Here are some of the key questions any good mobile application business plan should answer.

What kind of mobile application am I building and why should people buy it?

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19 Ways to Make "Free" Mobile Application Pricing Profitable

In terms of app pricing, one of the first questions to ask yourself is: are you going to charge users or give the app away for “free”? But can you give away your app and still make money? Here are 19 ways you can try.
Submitted by Conder and Darcey on Thu, 11/19/09 - 3:38am.

When developing a new mobile application, you need to decide how you’re going to price it. This question is best answered early, while the application is still being designed. Wait too long and your choices regarding application monetization become limited.

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Some Thoughts on Mobile Application Business Plans

Mobile developers are struggling to determine the appropriate business plans for their applications.
Submitted by Conder and Darcey on Wed, 11/11/09 - 7:33am.

Over the past few weeks, we've been talking to a lot of mobile business professionals--some veterans of the mobile marketplace and many just getting started. With easy and accessible mobile platforms like Android, writing a mobile application is often the easy part, but monetizing your application can be a real challenge. We're going to be talking a lot about different mobile application business strategies this month, but we thought we'd kick this topic off with a few high level thoughts.

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Six Hot Android Topics at DroidCamp

We're currently in Berlin attending droidcamp and droidcon conferences. Droidcamp, primarily for Android developers, was quite a success today, with many great sessions.
Submitted by Conder and Darcey on Tue, 11/03/09 - 4:42pm.

Lauren and I presented two--one on tips and tricks for Android projects (which are up 94% this month, according to http://bit.ly/1TxPAw) and another for Android beginners. We listened to the developer buzz and went to a bunch of sessions. Here is our take on the hot topics simmering within the Android community here:

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  1. Augmented Reality: This came up many times in discussions.
  2. New Handsets: To date, there aren't many shipping Android handsets. Many, however, have been announced. These new handsets are highly anticipated.

The Top Five Business Benefits of Android

With the 2.0 release newly available, perhaps you’re wondering if the Android platform is right for your business or your project. Here are the top five benefits of Android from a business perspective (primarily for prospective application developers).
Submitted by Conder and Darcey on Sat, 10/31/09 - 1:01pm.

Here are the top five benefits of Android from a business perspective (primarily for prospective application developers).

#1 Low Barrier to Entry
Android has a low barrier to entry. There are no costly licensing fees or development tools. In fact, it is possible to develop applications without spending a dime. The primary costs fall into three categories: development and testing expertise, royalty fees (if you decide to distribute using third party app stores), and test devices.

#2 An Ideal Platform for Companies New To Mobile

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Hello!

Welcome message from Shane and Laurie
Submitted by Conder and Darcey on Thu, 10/29/09 - 5:31pm.

Hello, we're Shane Conder and Lauren Darcey. We have one book, Android Wireless Application Development, published and are working on our second Android book.

We'll be guest blogging here throughout the month of November. In just a few days, we'll be at Droidcon in Berlin, Germany.

More to come...

About Android Applications

Lauren DarceyLauren Darcey is responsible for the technical leadership and direction of a small software consulting company specializing in mobile technologies. With almost two decades of experience in professional software production, Lauren is a recognized authority in enterprise architecture and the development of commercial grade applications. She has designed and developed applications for the Android, iPhone, Blackberry, BREW, and J2ME platforms.

Shane ConderShane Conder has extensive mobile development experience and has focused his attention on mobile and embedded development for the past decade. He has designed and developed many commercial applications for Android, iPhone, Blackberry, BREW, J2ME, Palm, and Windows Mobile devices. He has also written and contributed to numerous articles and books about mobile development technologies.

The authors' book Android Wireless Application Development has been selected as the November, 2009, book giveaway by Google Subnet. Visit the Google Subnet home page for details on the monthly giveaways, or you can purchase the book now from InformIT.

 

 

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