Imagine you are a field engineer getting ready to launch the start of a new project and you need accurate geometric measurements. Should you boot up your laptop and spend several minutes trying to log into your project management software, or could you turn to your smartphone and get the same results in less than 30-seconds? The ease of using mobile apps is one of the many reasons why engineering professionals are turning to their smartphones each day, and it’s why engineering careers are on the rise.
So, what’s in store for the thousands of hard-working engineering experts and their employers this year? Expect that there will continue to be a large number of mobile apps developed specifically for the engineering market.
Let’s take a look at a few of these mobile apps, many of which are free or low cost to use.
AutoCAD WS: Designed for engineers to use on both computer and mobile devices, users can share complicated diagrams and designs in seconds. This adds convenience and accuracy to the lives of many engineering pros.
AutoDesk Bluestreak: Allows engineering project teams to collaborate and communicate from various locations, through a robust mobile app for iPhones, iPads or iTouch. This product coordinates with several of the other engineering project management tools available from AutoDesk.
The Meta Calculator: Is part of a series of mobile engineering apps designed for building and mechanical engineers. It provides hundreds of engineering calculations all in one convenient app for on-the-go accuracy.
What does the future hold for engineering mobile app development and careers?
According to a report released by MarketsandMarkets, “by 2015, the mobile application market is projected to be worth somewhere in the ballpark of $25 billion dollars.” The largest portion of this mobile app growth comes from business productivity and personal lifestyle management apps. This is largely in part, due to Apple opening up its mobile app marketplace in 2009, where millions of free and low cost apps can now be obtained in minutes by mobile device users worldwide.
Overall, the mobile application market is booming, with a high need for mobile application developers and input from engineers. There has been a shift from creating computer-only based applications to developing those that have mobile capability. Even traditional websites are moving onto the mobile scene, giving greater flexibility to businesses and content producers.
For more updates on advances in engineering careers and technology, take the time to review our previous posts on related topics here.