At Google I/O 2013, Google has announced an updated set of tools that I find particularly interesting. First, there the new Android Studio IDE (integrated development environment) which makes Android development more agreeable and also more productive by showing a lot of previews in multiple device formats, multiple languages etc. This basically allows developers to spend less time going back and forth to check on small details. In the near future, it will also be possible to add more complex things like a Google Cloud back-end etc… we’ll see.
In terms of online tools, there is also a new set that will be particularly interesting. Beta-testing and staged roll-out are key to developers who 1/want to test their apps in the best possible conditions 2/ roll out an app slowly to get feedback, or adapt the back-end infrastructure smoothly.
Other tools include referral tracking to see which promotion/ads are working best. This allows developers to optimize how much they spend to promote their apps. Usage metrics is another tool that is particularly interesting since it is basically the in-app equivalent of Analytics software for websites. Knowing how people use apps is key to improving those apps. Finally, Google now provides an app translation service (paid) that help developers enter new markets in a cost-effective way.
All in all, these are tools that are genuinely useful to developers, and the thunderous applause during the keynote shows that Google’s new announcements were very appreciated by the development community.
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