posted by on July 16, 2010 10:41 AM

Google just launched its App Inventor earlier this week – making it possible for anyone to create applications for Android phones, regardless of whether they have programming experience or not. Google has been testing the program with kids in MIT’s Lifelong Kindergarten Group in order to ensure user-friendliness, reports CNN. “You can build an app to help you remember where you parked your car, an app that shows the location of your friends or colleagues at a concert or conference, or your own custom tour app of your school, workplace, or a museum,” Google says on its new website for App Inventor.
 
 It ‘s great to see Google embrace the concept of letting normal users build applications for their specific needs; something TrackVia has been actively engaging in for the past 5 years. For TrackVia, we feel it’s especially important to empower the business user to be able to create and implement applications that could have profound impacts on their workflow. Google is aiming to let users create fun and educational applications such as an app to find where you parked your car, to quiz you on an upcoming test for school, or to send periodic texts to friends, for example. While all of these are wonderful ideas, it is also important to relate the idea of app creation to the business world. Because of online databases such as TrackVia, business users are able to create mission critical enterprise applications; much like the way Google is empowering un-programmer types to create their own Android applications.
 
Many have been wary about the acceptance of cloud computing and the use of online applications. In opposition, many have also embraced this new technology or claim that it’s only detrimental to ignore the powerful concept of the cloud. Companies such as Google have the size and market power to drive such acceptance, and have done well so far. However, there are other players in the arena (including TrackVia) that offer additional track records and customers who have already accepted, adopted, and gained tremendous benefit and strategic advantage from such online applications. The announcement from Google only further validates the position of cloud supporters and the benefits online applications can bring to business users. Non-tech users want to build apps quickly and easily, without relying on developers or internal IT. The market is ripe for the taking, and we are confident we are well positioned.
 
Additional Resources: "App Inventor for Android." Official Google Blog. 12 July 2010. "Google Debuts DIY Code Tools for Android Phones." BBC News. 12 July 2010. "Google’s Do-It-Yourself App Creation Software." The New York Times. 11 July 2010.