Blackburn technology expert launches scheme to tame Android 'chaos' (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Blackburn technology expert launches scheme to tame Android 'chaos'

10:09am Monday 8th October 2012 in News By Jonathon Dillon, Assistant news editor

MILLIONS of Chinese software developers could sit an exam developed by a Blackburn communications company.

Technology savvy businessman Carl Whalley has helped to develop a new certification to set a worldwide benchmark accreditation for mobile phone ‘app’ development.

Carl, 48, is the owner of OTAMate Technology Ltd, based at Whitebirk, Blackburn, and has been immersed in the communications industry since 1998.

His company partnered with London-based Steely Eye Digital Media Ltd to create the exam.

In June 2012 the Android Academy Certified Developer programme – known as the AACD – was launched.

He said: “We are taming the chaos. Everyone and his dog is developing android apps and it’s a massive growth area but there’s no quality control. We spotted a gap in the market and we have developed the AACD certification.”

He said android mobile providers - which include giants Samsung, Motorola, Sony, HTC and LG - sold four times as many phones as Apple’s iPhones in Q2 2012.

He said: “Lots of places are providing training, but there is no common way of measuring the competencies of the developers.

“This web-based exam adapts to the competencies of the person taking it and provides a very accurate measure of the developers experience. No two exams are the same “The exam is aimed solely at android developers and we hope will become a global standard for android development.”

Carl said the AACD is now the official android developer qualification for China, after the company signed a contract with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) - China’s equivalent of the Department of Education.

The exam will be provided to the training centres and universities MIIT works with.

The company has also been in talks with London Metropolitan University to use the exam as part of their qualification, and the BBC are also using it to screen job applications for new android development staff.

Negotiations are ongoing with authorities in Brazil, Portugal, India and Australia.

The company was awarded 'Outstanding IT/Digital Media Achievement' in the 2006 Lancashire Telegraph Business Awards.