What is the next great tech innovation? Research has suggested that wearable technology will inspire the next group of app developers.
It seems that 2015 will be the year of the smartwatch. With smartphones now commonplace amongst today’s youth and working professionals, the devices are now simply just another tool.
This has left the door wide open for new, innovative devices and apps to capture the imagination and spur job creation. Currently, it’s looking as though wearable technology will take this place, with smartwatches leading the charge thanks to high-profile backing from the likes of Apple and Samsung.
What do jobseekers need to do?
People seeking IT jobs should be taking note of current trends, as well as the firms, organisations and individuals that are shaping them. As with the smartphone, the Android and iOS platforms are looking to be the industry leaders.
While there already a number of Android options on the market, and Apple is soon to launch its first contender, this is not enough to start a revolution by itself. If smartwatches are to become a hit with consumers and businesses like smartphones, a ‘killer app’ is needed to make people take notice.
This sentiment was echoed by IDC, with the technology research company declaring that budding app developers should already be investigating the possibilities this new technology presents.
IDC has already presented a forecast for the growth. At the end of 2014, there were around 2,500 apps available for wearable devices. The firm expects this to grow to just under 350,000 by the end of 2019.
Research Vice President for Mobile and Connected Platforms John Jackson gave advice to jobseekers looking to capitalise on this market potential.
“To succeed in what we expect will quickly become a very crowded category, consumer-oriented app developers need to focus on intelligent service delivery and ‘always on you’ experiences that leverage the human factor improvements that smart wearable devices offer,” he said.
How are industry leaders reacting?
The next generation of app developers need support to ensure they have the resources required to make a difference. A partnership between Visa and University of Technology Sydney is ensuring this is the case, with 40 students challenged to create a future for these to devices to thrive in.
One of the innovations smartwatches can offer is contactless payment, with Visa’s study finding that just under a third (32 per cent) of Australians would be open to paying for things in this manner.
“Australians are among the world’s earliest adopters of new technology,” said Head of Emerging Products and Innovation George Lawson
“In a changing industry, it’s important we hear from the next generation of thinkers about what payments could look like, not just in the near future but in a world where our devices are capable of even more than they are today.”