Androps: Apps in the Cloud

I’d hazard a guess and say that, at some point, you have run out of room on your device. More apps, bigger apps, better apps – this means users need more room without the inconvenience of a bulkier device. Big pocketed jeans aren’t quite as cool as they were in the 70s.

Cloud computing has really taken off over the last couple of years. Increasingly, both businesses and consumers make use of clouds to manage their IT needs. Since mobile apps are now such a reliable market, the two trends, cloud and mobile, become one. Syncing your apps (and the data in them) with the cloud is the new norm! It’s generally safe, accessible, and the storage capacity pretty much unlimited.

So how does this affect app developers, and what tools are available to help facilitate their coding efforts when it comes to cloud?

Well, the first thing to remember about Android is that, by providing powerful APIs for internet connectivity, developers are able to create apps that can easily sync their data with remote web services. This is a good thing.

Intel Software’s YouTube channel gives a neat little introduction to the Intel Developer Zone Cloud Services Platform. Intel’s Cloud Service SDK lets you take advantage of cloud technology for apps and those APIs I mentioned. Here are some examples of the kinds of resources that are available to you:

• Location Based Services: Embed location capabilities into your app or website.
• Identity Services: Build experiences that carry information seamlessly across devices, operating systems, and platforms.
• Commerce Services: Create and manage shopping carts and securely process transactions.
• Context Services: Build experiences that are aware and personalized—with quick, easy collection and analysis of user data.

As a developer, you can create apps that take advantage of the services provided for both mobile and traditional web apps.

For a closer look at what’s on offer from Intel’s Cloud Services Platform, have a look through this selection of videos which give an overview to its various elements. More information about that can be found on in the SDK Developer’s Guide.

• This blog post is written by Softtalkblog, and is sponsored by the Intel Developer Zone, which helps you to develop, market and sell software and apps for prominent platforms and emerging technologies powered by Intel Architecture.