Happy days lay ahead for applications developers | Bangkok Post: tech

The prolific growth of smart phones and tablets devices is driving the development of a new range of applications, and making creating exciting opportunities for many Thai businesses.

One of the many children’s and family applications now being offered for sale from the vast library at the True App centre.

Utai Khumkong, the deputy director for Mobile Internet Convergence at True Corp, said the company plans to capture growth opportunities by expanding mobile application development to cover more platforms, especially iPads and other tablet devices, as well as the Android market.

He believes that, in 2011, many new mobile applications will leverage near field communication (NFC) and augmented reality (AR) as well as location-based services.

Recently, the company introduced 13 new applications for two to five-year-old children and their families, with support for the iPhone4 and plans to expand to the Android and iPad platforms. Titles include "I Know My 123", which helps children practise mathematical calculations.

It is partnering with NanmeeBook and Aksara For Kids to remake several bestselling children's books and classic Thai fairytales for use on mobile digital devices.

Mr Uthai noted that mobile gaming was "'an interesting area but its quite challenge due to highly competitive environment".

Pichit Thanyodom, chief information officer, convergence, at True Corp added that the company expects to reach 1.5-2million downloads of the 292 application in its library this year, with sales worth about 100 million baht.

Worldwide, mobile application downloads are expected to reach US$6.8 billion (205 billion baht) in 2010 - a 70% increase on the previous year. iPhone, BlackBerry and Android are the three key platforms for developers.

In 2010, it is estimated that there are 300,000 apps for iPhone, up from 150,000 in 2009. For the Android, the numbers of applications has grown to 80,000 in 2010 from about 30,000 the year before.

Viroon Vichianwattabachai, the managing director at G Softbiz, said iPad and other upcoming tablets are an interesting market for corporate applications due to the growing adoption rate.

Next year, mobile 3D, augmented reality and QR codes would play a significant role in the mobile application market space.

Ekkachai Charoenpatanamongkol, managing director of Thai mobile developer i-App Creation, Thai mobile developer mainly in iPhone, said mobile developer trend would be to support multiplatforms rather than focus on a single device, and for local companies to look at the global market.

Currently, the company has three applications for the iPhone - passcode and pattern-protected apps for video and images called VideoLock and PicLock, plus fCam, which allows users to take pictures and post them to Facebook with one click.

Two mapping applications are planned for next year, and i-App plans to establish a new company called Fusioniz to publish Thai mobile applications.

The deputy general manager at ARIP, Prasit Worachatrawanit, said the Thai mobile application market would explode in 2011, with smart phone and tablet devices that are suitable for local use.

This emergence of mobile application in the various form factors both in the consumer and corporate arenas would create opportunities for software developers,

Dr Virach Sornlertlamvanich, assistant executive director of the National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre, said Nectec would co-ordinate with the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) in Japan to provide a cloud service for mobile developers to access its research assets.

This would enable developers to mesh exciting applications in the cloud with their own apps to create innovative new products.

Dr Thanachart Numnonda, director of Software Park Thailand, said mobile applications had a lower entry barrier than other software development and were therefore suitable for Thai developers with fewer funds.

The Software Park will joint force with the Telecommunications Research and Industrial Development Institute to establish a mobile testing centre which expect to open in February 2011.

The centre will enable developers who register with their database to access various smart phone devices in different platforms.

Gold for QR technology

Quick Respond codes and augmented reality technology featured strongly in innovation that gained recognition at the 2010 Samart Innovation Awards.

The iSight Ad team of Teranai Vichyaloetsiri, Tanapon Laddagrom and Werasak Jianrapanichpong, from Rajamangala University of Technology Krungthep won the gold award in mobile applications for their use of QR codes as an advertising tool.

Their app allows mobile users to use a camera to capture a QR code which then links their device to video advertising as well as a map of the location.

They plan to use augmented reality to display product pictures in three dimensions, and to support iPhone, iPad and Android devices.

Also among the winners was an app using near field communications to help shoppers record data about products for future reference.

Charnwith Jakteerangkool and Watchapol Phatraralaotrakun at Thammasat University who win silver award in mobile application said its develop logistic application on Android mobile phone because its help to increase efficiency and there is multiple brands mobile vendor to support Android.

The program is allow admin manager to check the deliver product list and then car driver can use the mobile phone to customer destination confirm when the product deliver.

Phattarakorn Singsopha and Pawat Apiparinya at Thammasat University who win Testimonial award in Business software said its use of Near Field Communication on its project 'One Clicks Shopping' design device that shopper can use RFID handheld to read RFID tag on target purchase products.

This solution can apply in high expensive product that cannot or easy for carry which help buyer pick the products later. "The NFC should apply more widespread due to next application Android version 2.3 will support NFC capabilities."