Google may have just wrapped up I/O 2015, but it looks like the company already has another developer-focused conference in the works. This fall in San Francisco, Google will host a Ubiquitous Computing Summit that will focus on making it simpler to bring software to different form factors and devices. The conference will also place emphasis on making software more contextually aware, and reducing the amount of duplication across different platforms to make it much easier on developers.
According to SlashGear, Google developer advocate Timothy Jordan says that the summit will focus on building apps that understand the context in which they’re being used, whether that means where, when or how. At Google I/O, Jordan explained that WhatsApp is a great example, giving users the ability to pick up active conversations whether they’re on an Android phone, Android Wear smartwatch, an Android tablet or in a vehicle with Android Auto installed. Jordan explains that the idea is to build software in which the only aspect that changes is the user interface, not the overall functionality of the software.
Making software that works across multiple platforms affects every party involved.
This is certainly not a new concept for Google, as the company has been talking about app ubiquity for years now. Making software that works across multiple different platforms with ease ultimately affects every party involved. Google is trying to say that developers don’t have to go back to square one every time they develop for a new form factor, and that in turn makes for a more simple, unified experience for users.
Google isn’t the only major company pushing app ubiquity, though. Microsoft has been ramping up its efforts to bring its own applications to many different form factors, especially with the recent unveiling of Windows 10. Microsoft’s new software can run on computers, tablets, smartphones, and even the Xbox One. The company is accomplishing this by urging developers to write apps with the same underlying code while only making adjustments for input options and various screen sizes.
Microsoft’s recent efforts on this subject seem promising, though no company has really been able to deliver quite yet. A date still hasn’t been set for Google’s big Ubiquitous Computing Summit, but we’ll be sure to let you know when more details surface. Folks interested in learning more about the summit can follow the source link below to receive updates as they come about.