Bada: make things happen!

While Android and iOS have become increasingly popular and must-have platforms, Samsung has an alternative to suggest: the Bada ecosystem. In June 2010, Bada-based Samsung Apps were launched in 118 countries, with over a hundred million downloads and more than 13,000 applications available by March 2011.

Based on these facts, Dr. Manfred Bortenschlager, Engineering Manager of Samsung Electronics, noted in a lecture given at the Department of Computing on the 23th of May that “Bada is one of the fastest growing ecosystems. It can be seen as a threat or as an opportunity that needs to be taken into account”.

The vision behind Bada is a “Smartphone for Everyone”; its main goal is to extend the smartphone market by providing a lower-price segment for smartphones. In other words, Bada’s mission is not to compete with other existing smartphone platforms but turn Samsung’s conventional customers into smartphone users by providing cost-effective smartphones.

Bada’s feature-rich technical platform is composed of various services abstracted into four layers to simplify things, starting from the kernel (or nucleus) in the lower level and finally reaching the framework layer which the developer uses directly. Developers need not fully understand the lower levels, but can simply take advantage of the available services in the framework layer.

Specifically, there is support for 3D graphics, multi-touch and various sensors, which should enable you to create exciting and adventurous games.

You are also given direct access to external social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as the opportunity to enable commercial transactions in applications, such as trading game items and selling music, so developers can provide free applications that are profitable by internal sales.

The best place to get started with your development is the Bada Developer site. There you can find anything you need to start developing apps almost for free, including online lectures, sample code and useful blogs. A useful development guide is the ‘Introduction to Bada’ book, available to download free of charge on their website. It contains various recipes (code segments) you can learn from and then extend if you wish.

Everyone interested in application development is encouraged by Samsung to share their ideas and implementation skills. As part of their ‘Device Loan Program’ if you are able to sell your app idea to them, they promise to provide you with a Bada device to develop it on.

In addition, the Bada Student Developer Challenge, which kicks off in September 2011, gives you the chance to promote any cool app ideas you might have, competing with the best student coders of 10 leading universities in a 48-hour codeathon. All qualifying applications resulting from the competition will be awarded with free promotion on the Samsung App Store plus a Bada phone.

Dr. Manfred also pointed out that everyone who works on an application can make money from it by directly selling it, providing advertisements through it or by selling virtual goods using it.

This is not only for money though; it will be a unique experience that will look wonderful on a CV and of course will give you fame if you win!