Mobile Application Development in Pakistan
The mobile phone has come a long way since being a simple gadget used for communication on the go; onto becoming something indispensable, something that has changed the way people function in their daily lives. These days everything can be done through mobile phones i.e. shopping, banking, making reservations, learning, finding locations, entertainment, and so much more. That is why thousands of applications have been developed in the past decade, and continue to be made as consumer demands just keep increasing.
From PDAs to Smart phones- How Smart Phones Evolved
The PDAs (Personal Digital Assistant) were the first mobile devices that contained software applications and specifically that of a personal organizer. The first PDA was the Psion Organizer II launched in 1986. Then in 1994 IBM introduced Simon which was a handheld touch screen phone and PDA. It included an address book, calculator, clock, calendar, electronic notepad, appointment scheduler and could send and receive emails as well as faxes. This is how the current smart phone evolved.
Today nearly 1.5 billion people are using smart phones worldwide. The reason is simple; the smart phone of this era is a multi-purpose device that has the complete functionality of a computer that fits into your pocket. Furthermore it provides advanced web browsing facilities allowing you to easily install and use thousands of application specifically made for the mobile.
Application Development For Mobiles in Pakistan
The focus of our IT industry is on web and application development. That is why there are many companies that are developing a variety of apps not only for the local market but also for international clients. Therefore Pakistan is getting worldwide recognition for its apps. One can find a multitude of these on Apple App Store, BlackBerry App World, Google Play, Nokia Store or Windows Phone Store.
The Frontrunners of Our Industry
Following are the major companies that are successfully developing mobile applications:
Pepper.pk
Starting out just in 2009, it has gone on to become the world’s foremost developer of apps for all chief mobile platforms. They have to their credit more than 150 applications, many of which are games. Three of these apps reached Number one on the Blackberry AppWorld in a span of just a year. The first one was Photo Editor which allows the user to easily edit pictures on their Blackberry device. You can re-color, add text and special effects, as well as draw on the photograph. The second one was LED Notifier Pro this lets you set the Blackberry LED light to different color codes so you can distinguish between a call, message or email and whom it is from. The third one was a very innovative game called Ninja Fruit Bash.
GenITeam
Ranked among the top 100 Asian companies by Red Herring in 2012, it is an award winning enterprise which was established by Khurram Samad in 2007. It specializes in making Web 2.0 applications for smart phones. They have developed over a 100 apps and games, which have high ratings.
They have also become the first company to have collaborated with a reality game show in Pakistan, as they launched the official Pakistan Idol app. It provided viewers with updated news about contestants and judges as well as let them to cast their votes easily. They could also participate in live conversations with others and use the Karoke feature to share their talent with the online community.
Smonte Limited
It is a leading company in mobile application design and development, embedded applications and enterprise systems. Big names such as Pfizer, PepsiCo International, Lundbeck Research have used their services.
They have developed a large variety of mobile apps for all platforms. One of them is iSeeker which is a very useful and unique app for all those people who often misplace their iphone. To find it all you have to do is say iphone out loud and it will start ringing! This has been immensely popular as it has been downloaded over 3 million times till now.
Other companies that are doing commendable work are Pexsol interactive, Pi lab, Interactive technologies, iFish technologies and M3Tech.
Start-Ups Making Waves in The IT Industry
Plan 9 is Pakistan’s first and largest technology incubator launched in August 2012 by Punjab Information Technology Board. It provides the resources and guidance for young entrepreneurs wanting to start a new company. Tech incubators are instrumental in forming a sustainable IT sector in any country. A few of Plan 9’s start-up success stories are:
Eyedeus Labs
Eyedeus labs first app Groopic is doing really well. It has simplified the long existing problem of the photographer unable to feature in a picture. All you have to do take two pictures, one with the photographer and one without and this app will merge them to make it one. It has been downloaded 150,000 times.
Currently they are considered overall Number 10 in 26 countries and have already won a number of national awards.
Technolsys Labs
It was started last year by four graduates of Beaconhouse National University, Lahore. Their first product is AllSecure. A very comprehensive security app for all Android phones, which has features such as anti-theft, phone finding, data backup and restoration. Currently they are working on a new app, which they anticipate will be a smashing success.
Rocxial
Initially they were providing vendors a means of selling their products through Facebook. Then they got the opportunity to work under Accelerace which is a business development organization in Denmark. That is when they re-vamped their product and named it kickstoro. They offer two great apps, one that installs a shop on your Facebook page with all e-commerce features, and the other that creates Facebook advertisements for your products to attract customers. People have the facility to buy via their mobile phones as well. In just a few months they have had more than 400 sign-ups and some potential clients.
So mobile application development in Pakistan is taking great strides and the future seems very bright!