Motorola looks to accelerate Android development

Sunnyvale (CA) – Motorola has launched a new application accelerator program for Android.

Motodev will offer developers early access to a new suite of Google Android developer tools and programs, along with the opportunity to attend the next  Motodev Summit in San Diego, CA, on October 6, for training and information gathering. The program is intended to accelerate the development of applications to be used on Motorola’s mobile devices using the Android operating system scheduled to ship later this year.

“Motorola is focused on helping our global network of best-in-class developers create, deploy and successfully market their Android applications to ultimately unleash greater innovation into the mobile application development space,” said Christy Wyatt, Vice President, Software Platforms and Ecosystem, Motorola. “We believe Android and open software has the freedom and flexibility to foster innovation, accelerate time to market, and deliver the most personal and customized mobile experiences for consumers.”

To give developers a head start in creating apps that realize the full power of Android and utilize Motorola’s newest handset features, the company wants developers to join the  Motodev Program. Through the program, developers will have the ability to submit their applications to Motorola and have them distributed through a variety of channels, including carrier stores, the Android Market and third-party distributors.

In addition, the program will specifically offer developers early access to tools, technical specs, documentation and other  development support resources; exclusive pre-release access to upcoming Motorola devices for testing and debugging; access to Motorola’s developer support engineers via private discussion boards; and market exposure for applications as soon as new mobile devices ship to users.

Motorola will also make publicly available the Motodev Studio for Android Beta, an Eclipse- based integrated development environment that works with Google’s software development kit. Among the resources available to developers are design and development tools; handset emulators and virtual testing labs; intuitive interfaces for deploying applications; application creation wizards and frequently used code templates; and access to marketing and distribution channels.

Motorola’s  Motodev Summit 2009 is to be held on October 6, in San Diego. Registration will open on August 12.