Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) director of Android global partnerships John Lagerling is urging developers to create mobile apps that minimize network data consumption.
Speaking at a recent Pacific Crest investment conference, Lagerling said the move toward metered data pricing models requires the introduction of thinner applications. More interestingly, he said companies such as Google must give partners the incentive to create mobile experiences that address network limitations and subscriber billing concerns.
"What we haven't done yet that I think is sort of in the pipeline is to incentivize everybody, including the developers as well, to be able to lean their applications," Lagerling said, according to ZDNet. "We haven't even augmented yet the possibility to show users how much each app is using. How much bandwidth is my Skype clients using as opposed to my Twitter clients or my Google+ clients? And it's more U.S.--specifically in the U.S., carriers move toward metered plans where you basically pay per gigabyte even or you start with a bundle and then pay for add-on gigabytes. I think we naturally need to give end-users better visibility on which apps are consuming more."
Lagerling's comments come as mobile operators are calling for collective action to solve the network overload problem. That could happen via the introduction of an operator-led initiative that could then publish best practices for app developers by an industry group such as the GSM Association.
For more:
-read this ZDNet article
Related articles:
Operators cry out for solution to network signaling congestion
Report: Google, France Telecom may partner on ways to ease mobile network capacity strain
What's really causing the capacity crunch?
Smartphones causing network data overload, claims O2