JavaME & .Net Compact Top Wireless Development Platforms

The .Net Compact Framework and Java ME top the list of platforms being targeted today by wireless developers, according to a survey of 384 professional developers working on wireless apps conducted last month. Forty-two percent were targeting each platform. Linux and Windows Mobile 6.0 trailed behind, while Android and Mac OS were being targeted by fewer developers than any other major platform with only 7% of wireless developers creating any apps for either of those platforms.

“Android is less than a year old, and interest in Mac OS for wireless only started with the iPhone, so those two platforms haven’t had the same time in market as most,” said John Andrews, President and CEO of Evans Data Corp. “But both .Net Compact Framework and Java ME are very strong and well entrenched in the wireless development community, so it’s hard to imagine any competing platform dislodging either of them any time soon.”

In this survey
developers were asked to identify any platforms they were targeting from a list of sixteen that included Symbian, Nokia series 80, Palm OS, RIM OS and others in addition to .Net and Java ME. Margin of error for the survey was + – 5%.

Nokia was the leading device manufacturer with 56% of respondents saying they target Nokia devices. Motorola and Sony / Ericsson followed in popularity with 33% and 29% respectively.

Other highlights include:
* Over one-third of wireless developers are developing applications for external use by their company’s customers
* The biggest obstacle to be overcome in creating wireless applications is cross-platform testing requirements, followed by lack  of access to device APIs
* Location based information is used far more in development in Asia and Europe than in North or South America.