Busy mobile developers are probably used to stretching themselves a little thin, which could make them great candidates to join "the elastic workforce."
A recent study released by New York-based consulting firm Bluewolf examines the degree to which companies are outsourcing IT work, both today and over the next few years. Application development features prominently in the areas where outsourcing will expand quickly, according to the report, which leads to what Bluewolf describes as a need for an elastic workforce--highly skilled experts that will be able to help companies grow on demand. Mobile app developers will be a part of this workforce, the report adds.
 |
|
Bluewolf examines which types of companies are outsourcing IT work and how they plan to do so. |
"The explosion of Web and mobile technologies remade entire industries," Bluewolf says. "As organizations continue to integrate Web and mobile strategies into their marketing and eCommerce efforts, CEOs and CIOs are re-evaluating the best ways to manage demand. Some choose to keep web and mobile development within IT and leverage an elastic workforce mix. Others reorganize these functions under marketing or sales because of revenue potential."
Developers that specialize in consumer mobile apps could still get a piece of this action if they have the right experience and skills. Bluewolf lists Android and iPhone expertise as among the most critical, while front end developers and user experience (UX) designers will also be highly marketable.
 |
|
Bluewolf lists Android and iPhone expertise as among the most critical skills. |
"Seventy-three percent of our survey's respondents currently outsource application services at least partially, and 30 percent are planning to outsource more in the next 12-18 months," the report says. "Within our own practice, 40 percent of our technology staffing placements fall into application services. Implementations of hosted applications such as Salesforce, Eloqua, Google Apps, as well as Amazon Web Services."
Here are a few reasons why mobile developers might want to consider adding a little corporate work to their portfolio:
- Business insights: When you work in enterprise IT, you'll pick up a lot about project management, marketing strategy and other lessons that could help you manage your own firm, even if it's focused more on a consumer audience.
- Revenue: IT outsourcing can help pay the bills with only part-time effort. According to Bluewolf, 48 percent of companies are looking at contract outsourcing rather than full-time hires.
- Free focus group: Enterprise users can have high expectations around features and user experiences which can give developers insights into other apps they make. If you can satisfy business people, consumers could be a piece of cake.
For more:
- see the complete report
Related articles:
Study: Demand for cloud applications is growing for both consumers, enterprises
Survey: iOS will win the enterprise market
Study: 74 percent of developers that make specialized apps prefer paid apps over free apps
Many enterprise apps are not reaching their intended market
Enterprise to mobile developers: We need business apps