APPFORUM2015 Instant Replay: A Video Recap of our NALA Event
Developers flew in from as far away as Venezuela, burned up an on-site social media wall like true twitterati, and a few fortunate raffle winners went home with rock-n-roll memorabilia, including an electric guitar autographed by Sir Mick himself.
It all took place at APPFORUM2015, a two-day learning event that Zebra hosted for North and Latin American developers recently at The Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. And in spite of the standard warning that most of what happens in Sin City is supposed to stay there, we’ve put together the following video recap of APPFORUM’s most unforgettable moments to underscore the unique position that developers occupy vis-à-vis the enterprise and to continue our ongoing conversations about all of the next gen developments that are happening NOW.
Begin at the Beginning
Take a moment to review this brief montage that captures the unique flavor and atmosphere of this annual developer event. It’s a quick reminisce that will make you smile.
The Guy Who Puts the Internet in IoT
The remarkable Zach Shelby, Vice President of Marketing at ARM, was the keynote speaker at APPFORUM, and we’ve captured Zach's entire presentation for your viewing pleasure. Zach inspired the crowd with his take on what IoT is (and isn’t), provided insight into why IoT is accelerating and why it matters to developers and to the enterprise, and explained the fundamental trends around IoT that are developing along with paramount changes in the marketplace. Even if you saw Zach live at the conference, I encourage you to take a moment to listen again and let his message sink in.
Our social media crew spoke to Zach directly after his keynote and captured this exclusive onsite interview that we’re sharing with the LaunchPad community. Enjoy Zach’s supplemental remarks about how IoT is becoming a technology platform, a smart city IoT app to that monitors California water leaks, and his involvement with a Bay area volunteer initiative in which ARM brings tiny micro bit computers to the classroom and shows students and teachers how to use them.
And That’s Not All
In addition to Zach’s keynote, we’ve downloaded a boatload of additional information for you to reference when you’re home and back behind the screen. Go to our Storify to access presentations and other highlights from APPFORUM.
A Word from our Sponsors
APPFORUM received some solid support from its sponsors, who talked the talk with developers about the very latest technologies in mobile device management, terminal emulation, mapping and navigation, and more. Our video recap wouldn’t be complete without a meet and greet from some of our sponsors, including:
The Proof is in the Pudding
Our social media crew also spent a good part of APPFORUM out on the floor with developers. This is the part of the video series where we pat ourselves on the back a little bit . . . because we can. Time and again, people who spent their hard-earned cash coming to APPFORUM told us that they continue to attend the conference to:
- discover the new technologies that they can use for next year’s development cycle;
- get a more in-depth look at different platforms;
- obtain that particularly valuable insight that can only come from face-to-face collaboration with Zebra engineers;
- actually pick up and configure the devices they always hear about; and
- kick-start their careers as mobile developers.
Reinforce the value of APPFORUM by listening to what your peers said about the event in our developers’ video.
Hackathon With a Twist
I’d like to wrap up this recap with a nod of respect to the participants in our Hackathon competition—especially Elton Sanders and Jordan Joseph, the winners from Team Miles Davis—who built an education/public safety-based app that ran on at least three operating systems.
Rather than engaging in the usual all-nighter marathon, this year’s Hackathon participants worked throughout the summer on apps, earning extra points for incorporating locationing technology with Zebra’s MPact beacon or any other technologies using a Zebra printer. (Additional kudos to Team Miles Davis for using BOTH locationing and a Zebra printer in their winning app!)
Judges reviewed submissions during live presentations and determined winners based on a high point score. Take a look back at the contest, the judges, and the participants, and relive the winners’ glory in our Hackathon video.
Same Time Next Year
APPFORUM was an excellent event all the way around, and you can be certain we’ll be doing it again in 2016. Until then, continue to visit us here on LaunchPad and @ZebraDevs on our new developer-centricTwitter page.
Ritesh Gupta