6/4/2012 3:23:13 PM
With the onset of the digital age, consumers are deeply attached to their mobile devices. Just look around - at work, home, in the streets, on buses, in airports, in restaurants... they are everywhere. Behind every mobile device are a whole host of apps waiting to be downloaded. But who develops those apps?
Branko Cirovic is an instructor for College of the North Atlantic’s (CNA) Computer Systems Engineering Technology (Co-op) program. He has little doubt that graduates of that program will have a hand in creating many new products for the ever-expanding mobile app market.
“Do you spend more time with your mobile device or with your desktop?” asks Cirovic. “There are more mobile devices in use right now than desktop/laptop computers. The network traffic on mobile devices is about to surpass traffic on desktops.”
To stay current in training graduates in the latest cutting edge technology, CNA has done a complete revision of the program previously known as Software Engineering Technology.
“Mobile computing is not going to appeal to people - it already has. Many are going to continue using it, some will raise the question - 'how is it done?’ These are the minds we would love to have in our program.”
He says that while computer engineering programs are quite common among universities and colleges across North America, what sets CNA apart is offering courses in cloud and mobile computing - the cutting edge of technology.
“To the best of my knowledge, there are only a handful of universities and colleges offering these kinds of courses. This is our golden opportunity to become regional and national leaders in this area of post-secondary education.”
CNA changed the old Software Engineering Technology program curriculum radically after a review and renamed it to Computer Systems Engineering Technology to better reflect the new content. Cirovic now expects there to be a large demand for graduates of the revamped program.
“Let the numbers speak for themselves, and only for one aspect of the program. Since 2008 when Apple
opened the gates of the App Store, 25 billion, that's right - 25 billion apps have been downloaded! Over 500,000 are in the iCloud and in the first quarter of 2012 Apple paid $700 million to developers. And that's Apple's App Store only!”
He says if you add in the Google store, Amazon store, Web development, networking, cloud development and maintenance, and hardware, there is a huge demand for developers.
“I worry about supply of qualified people to meet the demand, not the demand itself. Apps are popular indeed. There are several courses on app development and students will be ready for the Apple's App Store before they graduate, but, it's not all about apps.”
CNA’s Computing Systems Engineering Technology (Co–op) program prepares learners for the field of scientific and engineering computing. A combination of programming theory and practice, networking, and electronics will ensure graduates are prepared to enter the workforce.
“Mobile development is one of several key additions to the program. Is the program all about apps? No. There is a course on iPhone/iPad app development and there is room in the course to accommodate Android app development too. We also cover mobile Web apps. So, lots of apps, but it’s not only about apps,” says Cirovic.
Graduates obtain theoretical and practical experience with analog electronics, digital systems, including: logic, microprocessor interfacing, and embedded microcontrollers and applications. Learners will work with mobile devices, robotic systems, and wireless control systems.
"Computing, Cloud, iPhone, Embedded Controllers, Networking, Robotics, GWT, OpenGL... If that's what's calling your name, you found the right place. Three years with two semesters on work term and you'll be ready for the high tech world.”
In fact, the college has already started implementing part of the new program.
“Thanks to the Small Research Grant from the Office of Applied Research, we acquired a number of work stations that our third year students, during their Tech Thesis Project this summer, will use to build private/hybrid cloud computing systems with different kinds of software/infrastructure/platform services. It's very exciting!”
For more information about the Computer Systems Engineering Technology (Co-op) program visit www.cna.nl.ca.
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Media Contact
Glenda McCarthy
Public Relations Assistant
College of the North Atlantic
709.643.6408
glenda.mccarthy@cna.nl.ca