App developers embrace Qt application development

LONDON, UK: A new global study of the Qt developer community by Quadriga Consulting reveals a strong, broad-spectrum community that is planning to extend its reach into mobile and machine-to-machine (M2M) applications.

Qt is a software development framework used to create desktop, mobile and embedded applications. Qt developers surveyed as part of the Qt Insights program create applications targeting businesses, consumers and in-house business use.

The Qt Insights study included a survey of nearly 2,000 developers in over 90 countries as well as discussion panels and developer interviews.

Respondents claimed high levels of satisfaction with the framework. Moreover the survey data indicates that Qt adoption is growing with around 10 per cent of users adopting the framework in the last 12 months.

Kevin Franklin, one of the authors, commented, "The Qt developer community spans a broad spectrum of companies from well-known corporates to small companies and individual developers. The framework enables them to target the widest range of device types and operating systems. Developers told us they achieved productivity gains through time savings in coding and prototyping, and are able create applications with the highest levels of performance."

"Availability of good documentation, support, and an active, growing community means that applications are being produced in abundance. Qt developers target a broad spectrum of sectors including media & entertainment, defence & aerospace, and academic research," added Franklin.

Jeffrey Peel, who jointly led the Qt Insights project, said, "Qt developers will continue to create desktop applications across Windows, Linux and Mac OS X. But this multi-platform mentality means that Qt developers are increasingly moving beyond the desktop or embedded systems into mobile."

He continued, "Although Qt is not widely used to develop consumer apps for smartphones, there are signs that mobile developers are choosing Qt to expand their user base by targeting mobile devices and platforms. Qt's imminent support for Android and iOS will accelerate this trend."

"Use of Qt to develop applications for embedded Linux systems - for example in the automotive and medical industries - continues to be a strong use-case. But the explosive growth in Internet-connected devices means Qt could be a key catalyst for the creation of the Internet of Things," concludes Peel.