Appcelerator Adds Cloud Services To Mobile Developer Platform

Appcelerator, a mobile development platform provider, recently announced the launch of Titanium 2.0, which features new Appcelerator Cloud Services (ACS) and support for HTML5 mobile web apps.

Appcelerator simplifies the process of integrating cloud services into mobile apps – enabling not only Titanium developers but any native or mobile web developer to quickly create, configure and deploy rich, cloud-connected applications. Developers can use ACS to leverage all of the new Titanium 2.0 features and capabilities or use it as stand-alone services in conjunction with developers’ choice of development environments, the company said.

Cloud services

“Our goal is to help every enterprise and developer quickly and easily create rich, cloud-connected mobile apps for any device and any platform,” Jeff Haynie, chief executive of Appcelerator, said in a statement. “Appcelerator’s Cloud Services enables developers to do three things really well: build, launch and scale full-featured mobile apps without the headache of building the backend infrastructure and services that are typically required. By opening the playing field for developers, we anticipate a broad rollout of mobile cloud services.”

ACS helps companies integrate cloud services like push notification or check-ins into their mobile apps. Appcelerator’s new solution also enables app publishers using Objective-C, Java, PhoneGap, Sencha and HTML5 technologies to create and configure a server-side backend, add mobile app features without writing server code and easily deploy their cloud-connected app.

Tasks that can require server programming or integration with multiple SDKs are performed through one simple interface. Developers need only choose which APIs to use, and Appcelerator takes care of deploying and maintaining a full server stack that includes a database, search engine, file storage and application logic, the company said.

Developer demand for cloud-connected mobility is on the rise. For instance, the Q1 2012 Appcelerator/IDC Mobile Developer Survey showed nearly 60 percent of developers either using or considering the use of cloud services in their mobile applications, while IDC also forecasts that in 2012, 80 percent of enterprise apps are expected to be deployed on cloud platforms.

ACS offers 15 popular cloud-based mobile features, designed to drive deep and extended user engagement. New cloud services includes user management, photo collections and social media integration.

Software development kit

As part of the Titanium 2.0 release Appcelerator also announced its mobile web SDK release candidate. This means the mobile development platform provides an integrated hybrid, native and HTML5 solution. The product extends Titanium support beyond native iOS and Android mobile applications and into the HTML5 mobile web to reach the broadest array of devices.

Appcelerator says there are more than 40,000 Titanium-built native apps in production today, and Appcelerator is giving developers an incentive to deploy those apps to the mobile web using Titanium 2.0. For each Titanium app that is deployed to the mobile web between now through June 1, Appcelerator is offering developers a chance to win $1,000 (£621). The company will randomly choose five apps and offer $1,000 to each winner. Full contest details are available at http://bit.ly/titaniumcontest.

Earlier this month, GlobalLogic, a provider of software product R&D services, announced plans to collaborate with Appcelerator to develop and deliver a suite of new mobile offerings and related services aimed at enterprises. As part of the partnership, GlobalLogic selected Appcelerator Titanium as its platform of choice for creating cloud-connected mobile apps for their Global 1,000 customers.

Meanwhile, a week after that partnership with GlobalLogic, Appcelerator became involved in an agreement with SAP. On April 10, SAP AG announced agreements with Adobe, Appcelerator and Sencha to provide users with an open mobile apps development framework for developing on the company’s mobile platform.

How much do you know about smartphones? Take our quiz.