Nokia Developer Conference
More than 800 Nokia app developers from across the country participated in the third edition of the Annual Nokia Developer Conference 2011 held in Bangalore on Friday.
The ‘next wave' will be about local apps and services created by local developers, said Zhen Liu, head of Nokia Research Growth Economies Lab. Nokia Lumia 710 and Lumia 800 mobile phones were demonstrated.
The event had industry experts speaking on issues ranging from the mobile apps economy and recent innovation to how one can monetise on apps.
D. Shiva Kumar, managing director of Nokia India, said he believed India would be the “apps superpower” of this decade.
To enable Nokia to be the leader in the “apps boom”, he said special focus needed to be given on design/user interface and quality. He also spoke of challenges such as monetisation models and building awareness among developers to source better talent.
Getting SMEs online
Google India announced the launch of its nationwide initiative to help small and medium businesses in India get online with a free website, personalised domain and hosting.
The initiative, titled ‘India Get Your Business Online', aims to break down the barriers that stop small businesses from getting online, by offering a quick, easy and free tool to set up and host a website.
While India is home to an estimated eight million small and medium businesses, only about 400,000 have a website, the company claimed.
Google's goal is to help 500,000 small and medium businesses in India get online in the next three years through this programme, working with Web hosting provider HostGator, a press release stated.
Small business owners in India can logon to www.indiagetonline.in and use the tool to get a get a free, easy-to-build website and Web hosting for one year.
Businesses also get a customised domain .in name and free tools, training and resources to succeed online.
This programme is supported by the Federation of Indian Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. HostGator also provides free services through a call centre (1800-266-3000).
New gaming platform
Alienware Arena, Dell's community site for PC gaming and technology enthusiasts, announced its expansion in India, offering Indian gamers a one-of-a-kind PC gaming experience, and the opportunity to connect, interact and compete with serious gamers across the world.
Members can use this forum to connect with the best gamers out there, meet and compete against rival gamers either online or at special events, in head-to-head and team tournaments for opportunities to win prizes or simply join discussions about their favourite PC games, a release stated.
P. Krishnakumar, executive director – Marketing, CSMB, Dell India and Mobility APJ, said: “We received tremendous response from PC gamers worldwide to engage in the Alienware Arena community. With over 1,000,000 gamers already registered with a free member account, we are excited about growing into one of the largest and most influential communities in the entire industry… We hope to connect this community on a single platform and offer them the experience and benefits of being part of a global gaming network.”
Engineering simulation
Altair Engineering, global provider of simulation technology and engineering services, announced the release of the HyperWorks 11.0 Student Edition, a personal academic version of the popular suite of computer-aided engineering (CAE) software used by manufacturers around the world. The Student Edition offers affordable opportunities for engineering and design students to gain experience in computer simulation with the same software that engineering professionals use to design and develop everything from aircraft and automobiles to computer chips and golf clubs.
As part of the programme's global rollout, the first 200 students in each country to register at the Altair Online Store will receive the HyperWorks 11.0 Student Edition for free, a release from the firm stated.
