Intel and iHub have today held a press event where they announced a partnership between the two to grow and nurture the developer ecosystem in Kenya. Intel has over 35 software sites around the world and it plays a huge role in software development for mass consumption across the globe. iHub – Intel partnership, a first of it’s kind in Africa, is one such part Intel is playing to propel the skill in applications development of both consumer and enterprise apps for developers in Kenya and across Africa. This partnership also includes a third Intel Software Partner AfriLabs to assist replicate the reach to several hubs across the continent which host developer communities.
There are many people who would like to develop platforms that run on mobile, but there is a shortage of mobile software engineers with advanced skills in multi-core programming platforms. iHub’s partnership will see collaborations developed with Universities in the Intel Academic Community Program, hubs across Africa and the Africa developer community who will work closely together through various hackathons, trainings and competitions. Partnering with Universities will ensure that cutting edge curriculum goes into universities to enhance developers’ abilities to create rich user experiences when developing.
This partnership will see developers access Software Development tools like:
- Technical computing , HPC and Enterprise Applications develpment
- Highly Responsive Client Applications Development
- HTML5 App Development – Intel acquired a HTML5 company to expand the tool-sets available to developers to help them develop compelling apps that will see them scale their apps with minimum restrictions from platforms and hardware
- Embedded and Mobile System development :- tool-sets that developers will have access to will help them optimise for the devices they develop to ensure for example that applications don’t contribute to battery drain
Intel has been developing form factor reference designs even in the PC segment, Intel Yolo is based on a reference design of what mobile vendors can do when developing with Intel Chips. Intel doesn’t really want to venture into development and going into hardware development of the finished products . Android is the choice platform for Intel on mobile for the moment, and this is a business decision in what Intel thinks the market demands and the Lexington project for reference design has been quite successful with the Intel Yolo running out of stock within three weeks of launch at Safaricom. Intel works with Mobile Vendors and Telecommunications companies to develop devices on the Lexington Platform. Acer is the most recent vendor to launch an Intel powered device on this platform and they use it to customize vendor specific tweaks to suit their needs.
