Android developers to converge in Goa

PANAJI: Android app development may soon see a spurt in Goa. Aiming to enable students and professionals to enhance their knowledge of Android, the Google Developer Group of Goa (GDG Goa) and the Goa Android user Group (GAUG) are organizing two Android events- DevFest Goa and NitroDroid 2012.

The DevFest would be held from September 29 to 30 at Hotel Queeny, Vasco, and BITS Pilani, respectively. NitroDroid 2012 will be held on October 6, at International Centre of Goa, Dona Paula.

Addressing mediapersons on Friday, Smarth Behl, manager of GDG Goa said, "One of the aims of organising the event is to encourage students to develop apps." He said many students from the state's engineering colleges will be attending the event.

Bhel said, "the developer fest was an opportunity for app developers to learn and share ideas."

He said the aim of GAUG was to educate users about Android and the conferences and other events organised by the group were non-commercial and open to all. Behl also said there were 19 active chapters of GDG in India.

Prajyot Mainkar, an Android app developer and head of GAUG said, "NitroDroid 2012 is Goa's First Android Developer Conference for software developers building Android apps and for all those developers and IT Professionals willing to enter the world of Android."

Mainkar said NitroDroid 2012 "would be followed by a hackathon to build apps through Android or HTML 5 thus helping put Goa on the IT map". He said so far the organisers had received over 200 entries for the events including 120 corporate entries.

Jonathan Pereira of GAUG said, "Students are interested in developing but do not find a platform; GAUG was giving them a platform through these events."

Goa Android User Group is an Android centric official group under GDG Goa and is targeted towards Google Android Developers and people who are linked to Android in Goa.