Economic Development Agenda

App Development

App development is a booming business. "App" is an abbreviation for application. An app is a piece of software that can run on the Internet, on your computer, or on your phone or other electronic device.

Career Options: What Does It Take to Become a Software Applications Developer?

Apple’s iPhone and the Google powered Droid offer countless applications that do everything from tuning guitars to tracking the weather. Mastering the skills to develop these "apps" is something that Mike Soderstrom knows a lot about.

To the people who want to enter the field, he suggests courses in math and science, and that aspiring developers seek out part-time jobs or internships at software development companies. A passion for computers is a must as are analytical skills, said Soderstrom. "You have to fix problems by checking them methodically, because there is no easy way to do it."

Soderstrom built a "Rev it up!" app for the iPhone that integrates sound, images and motion for a motorcycle revving simulation. In addition to the programming, he had to record the sounds, take photographs, and work with Photoshop. When people purchase the app for $1.99, he gets a portion of the proceeds.

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Click to hear motorcycle sounds:

Recent Press Coverage Features Minnesota App Developers and Their Work

Mobile Talent in Short Supply as Employers Seek to Fill Jobs

(Bloomberg October 20, 2010) Technology companies are running up against a dearth of qualified developers to create applications for mobile devices, according to a survey by online job board Dice Holdings Inc.

Almost 57 percent of employers and outside recruiters that hired for mobile-related jobs this year plan to boost such hires in the next 12 months, the survey, conducted on behalf of Bloomberg Businessweek.com, showed. More than half the respondents described the supply of quality mobile-software designers and engineers as "scarce."     Read complete article...