CanvasM to launch apps on Android for Airtel

MUMBAI, INDIA: CanvasM Technologies Limited, the joint venture of Motorola Inc. and Tech Mahindra, is offering mobile applications on Google's Android platform for HTC handsets.

Airtel will be launching the Android based HTC Magic handsets in India and is expected to hit the market later this month.

While speaking to CyberMedia News, CanvasM's COO, Amar Agarwal said, “About a couple of months back, Airtel had approached us for developing, customizing and integrating mobile applications on Android platform. And in the past, we had worked with Singtel (Singapore Telecom), where we designed and provided our mobile applications on Android platform for HTC handsets.”

He said the company has deployed its two mobile applications for Android based Airtel's HTC handset which include Weather Channel and In-Mobile Search. “Along with these two applications, we have bundled and integrated several third party applications for Airtel,” Agarwal added.

Weather Channel application provides weather updates and forecasts to users from its current location for the same day as well as for the next three days. It's a location-based application that works on global positioning system (GPS).

According to Agarwal, WetherBug, the US-based company, will be providing all weather-related informations and data for this service.

In-Mobile Search, the utility application, helps users in searching information stored on the handset such as contacts, images, audio/video files and other details from a single interface.

It searches information by query string and also allows to view images and play audio/video files without using any external applications.

Apart from these applications, CanvasM has bundled and integrated several third-party mobile applications such as City Search, Portfolio Manager, Hello Tune Manager and Mob Share for Airtel's HTC Magic handsets.

However, HTC has been using Windows Mobile operations system (OS) for many of its handsets.

Moreover, Airtel has partnered CanvasM for bundling, developing and integrating mobile applications.

“All applications are integrated, customized and along with testing of devices on fields and networks are done by CanvasM,” Agarwal said.

On the Android platform, CanvasM has its own Android practice group for last one and half years with 25 professionals that work in application development and customization.

“Android is an open platform, where lots of applications are available and provided by the developer community called 'Android Market', which is similar to Apple's iStore. Hence, consumers can get many applications compared to any other platform,” Agarwal explained.

Airtel's HTC Magic handsets powered by Android OS are expected to hit the Indian market later this month, he said.