Technology changes so quickly that it is usually impossible for most colleges to keep up. In many industries, it is still not unusual for new hires to undergo six to nine months of additional training just to learn how to start doing the job they were hired to do.

As a custom software development company, it is an exciting challenge to try to keep up with technology so that we can offer development services to our clients. In this blog, we look at some of the things we do that did not exist even a few years ago.

We freely admit that some of these are not entirely new, but rather they have become distinct professions in the last few years.

Mobile:

App development

Mobile application development is actually older than most people think. At Amadeus Consulting, we actually developed our first mobile application in 1997, for the first version of Windows® CE. But mobile "app" development clients were always sparse until the launch of the iPhone, with it’s truly app friendly platform and it becoming a mainstream device. Now, we receive dozens of requests each month, and actually have open jobs for people interested in mobile app development.

That is how quickly the market has taken off: like other technologies (such as Ruby on Rails) many tech companies are looking for people who have some programming experience and are looking to learn how to work on mobile devices, since people with previous experience on mobile devices are few and far between.

Of course, we have a few resident app development experts who mentor new recruits and ensure that they have a good technical background before hiring, but mobile app development is just one of those fields that is too new for most software programmers to have a lot of background experience. This has also been fun for us as we have already helped dozens of companies successfully create and market apps, and were recently selected as a top mobile development company in our region.

App marketing

Apps have become their own market, and many companies and startups are based solely around an app idea. This has been very successful for some companies and entrepreneurs, and has provided a unique source of passive income, and a powerful tool for connecting directly with customers.

However, as this market has exploded (over 250,000 apps on Apple’s app store), many new apps are becoming lost in the crowd, and so the specialty of app marketing has taken root. App marketing and promotion helps them rise above the noise and get noticed.

App marketers specialize in creating organic visibility for apps, as over 70 percent of people who download an app have found it solely by searching on the app store. However, app marketers should also be able to navigate the technological aspects of the app store, and other relevant online spaces. This includes traditional PR roles, such as engaging relevant online communities and publications to promote the app and encourage use and downloads.

Geo-Location

Geo-location is another unique feature of mobile devices that allows users the ability to determine their exact location. Previously this was only available on specific GPS devices, however with restrictions being eased on GPS transmissions (allowing for more accurate readings, and more sensitive devices), as well as improvements in receiver technology, geo-location has become an integrated tool into many mobile devices.

In itself, geo-location may not be so much a distinct job, as it is a valuable and necessary skill in dealing with the next generation of web-enabled devices. At Amadeus Consulting, we have used geo-location and tracking in everything from simple iPhone apps for restaurants to bike-share programs and international shipment tracking for the military.

This is becoming a new field inside of social media, and companies are using location based services to improve marketing and promotional efforts. Perhaps over the next year or so, it could develop into its own specialty as the need for location-aware software increases.

Hardware

Microsoft® Surface® Development

Microsoft Surface is essentially a table-sized multi-touch computer. We have one in our lobby that, at first glance, looks like a coffee table. Its surface is actually a multi-touch display that also has object recognition capabilities (such as placing a business card on the table to bring up a digital display or the owners profile).

Many high-end companies, resorts, casinos and real-estate companies (among many, many others), use the surface to engage and "wow" customers. However, Microsoft Surface applications must be custom developed.

The Surface comes pre-loaded with basic applications and it can run many windows programs, but there is no "app sharing" marketplace like Apple’s App store. Working with Microsoft Surface requires skills in Silverlight®, .NET, and C#, the latter of the two being standard Windows technologies. Silverlight, on the other hand, is a bit newer.

Web

Silverlight® Development

Similar to Flash, Silverlight is a cross-browser, cross-platform, and cross-device browser plug-in. Silverlight offers many capabilities similar to Flash®, such as interactivity and animation, but it has a much more powerful data back-end that makes it more suitable for integration with other enterprise level applications.

Silverlight development can be done in multiple .NET languages, which makes it easy to integrate into existing systems. This also benefits developers because there is less of a learning curve.

Social Media Strategist and Management

Social Media sites such as Twitter®, Myspace® and Facebook® (and many predecessors) emerged as a way to kill time, connect with friends, and share your interests online. Now they have become essential extensions of a company’s brand, and a useful tool for engaging consumers.

Social media management is usually a part of overall marketing, and advises and directs a company on how to use social media to connect with customers and potential customers over social media networks. This can also include research and reporting on how a company or brand is perceived online, as well as implementing measures to improve that perception.

Search Engine Optimization

Okay, yes, SEO has existed for more than two years. But in the last few years it has really turned into a mainstream and legitimate, albeit still occasionally controversial, profession. And in fairness, it is still rarely taught in colleges at all, much less as any type of degree.

This is likely because most marketers see it as only a small (but important) part of larger marketing strategies, and so effective SEOs should have a broader understanding of marketing in general, rather than just specific skills in one facet of the profession. Also, the "rules" for SEO are changed and updated at a rate of about 300 – 500 per year, so creating a curriculum or textbook would be even more difficult.

Search engine optimization (SEO) deals heavily in making companies and products visible on the web. SEO is a broad term that often can cover two other stand-alone professions. These are

PPC Management

Pay-per-Click (PPC) advertising generally describes the ads you see on the web. PPC managers control these ads and ensure that they are accurately targeted, and that they maximize the payback (ROI).

Web Usability

Web usability managers are experts in how people use the web, and can help optimize websites to make them perform better. This can help drive customer satisfaction and sales by making sites easier to navigate, and streamlining the process.

Old Jobs in new frontiers

In addition to many new fields and specialties becoming more common, there is also a continual shift in technology to making software more universally connected. For example, in some companies, accessing data used to be possible from only a few terminals, then through a few connected computers on the company’s intranet, then from a computer connected to the web, and now through any Smartphone.

More powerful software, combined with more powerful hardware, not to mention skilled and creative software developers, will continue to help us lead the way into new spaces, new technologies, and new services whenever and however they are invented.