App Development Pilots at BMC
06/12/2010
Belfast Metropolitan College is currently delivering three pilot training programmes in Mobile Web, Android and Apple iOS app development. The pilots are part of the Mobile Technologies strand of an Open Source project led by Southern Regional College which is funded by the Department for Employment and Learning’s Innovation Fund: Employer Support Programme. The pilots were developed by BMC staff in collaboration with Momentum, Digital Circle and participating companies and aim to up skill local industry with the capability to develop content and apps for existing and future smartphones and tablets.
Jonathan Heggarty, a Curriculum Centre Manager in Multimedia at BMC is heading the Mobile Technologies strand of the project. He said “The importance of mobile technology cannot be understated. Currently, a quarter of people in the UK own an Internet enabled smartphone, such as an iPhone or Android phone, a number which has doubled within just two years. Coupled with the arrival of a new generation of tablet devices, it is vital that local companies embrace this new technology and explore how best they can utilise it to engage with their customers and their employees. The new pilot courses at Belfast Metropolitan College facilitate up skilling in these new and exciting computing platforms and technologies.”
Nigel Bogle, Managing Director of Lakeland Computers who is a participant in the iPhone App development pilot course stated “Consumers of technology are only now just starting to see the potential of what is truly possible in the mobile arena. Even in the most traditional of business sectors, owners, managers and staff are becoming more convinced of the need to have key business information to hand when they are 'off-site'. It affords them the opportunity to work 'on' their business rather than 'in' it.
The Mobile App Development Pilot represents a very positive and pro-active step towards ensuring Northern Ireland remains at the forefront of software development and mobile platforms. The course content itself is delivered in an excellent manner and covers a full spectrum of topics within each platform.
We are very pleased to be working alongside the Colleges and The Department for Employment and Learning to create mobile solutions for our customers which provide a demonstrable difference to their bottom line.
Congratulations to Dr Heggarty, those involved at the Colleges and DEL for championing this hugely beneficial endeavour.”
The pilot courses are fully funded by the DEL Innovation Fund project and will run again in the New Year. If your company or organisation is interested in finding out more about the project or the pilot programmes in Mobile Web App Development, Android App Development and Apple iOS Development, please contact Dr Jonathan Heggarty,
jheggarty@belfastmet.ac.uk, for more information.
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