The UPC School of Professional & Executive Development and 22@Barcelona have organised (26th-28th July, 2009) the first And.roid.es meeting, which brings together Spanish and Latin American developers of the Android platform, Google’s operating system, to share their experiences and discuss future projects.

The event was held at the Tech Talent Center, the new headquarters of the UPC School of Professional & Executive Development, in the morning of Saturday June 27. The aim of the organisers of this “community meetup” was to create a gathering point at which developers of applications for Google's operating system could share their experiences and promote collaboration on present or future projects.

The initiative included a round table on the opportunities offered by Android, its present and future market position and its contributions to society. The round table was followed by a technical workshop on Android development and the presentation of the new GeekS’Phone.

Also present at the event, which was aimed at businesses, entrepreneurs, freelancers and amateurs with an interest in Android, were programmers of other technologies who were keen to learn more about current projects that use this platform in Spain. Participants were offered the opportunity to play an active role by presenting their own applications during the event.

Speakers from a variety of fields were invited to offer their views on this ground-breaking technology, including Josep Jordana of the Pirene Lab project, which focuses on collective intelligence in high-mountain environments, Gerard Romans, devoted to the creative study of applications for Android and iPhone mobile devices such as ScannerFM, and Jokin Cuadrado of Anuntis-Segundamano.

Javier Agüera of GeekPhone presented the first prototypes of mobile phones that use the Google platform and will be distributed worldwide.

The event concluded with a luncheon at which the participants were able to network and to establish channels for exchanging information on the Android operating system, which already has thousands of applications.

More on Android

Android is an open-source operating system that is mainly used in small devices such as mobile phones, PDAs and netbooks. It was designed by Google based on Linux, and is considered open-source because anyone with the right knowledge can adapt its code to their needs.

Google offers users a variety of facilities for creating programmes for Android. This has encouraged thousands of people to develop applications since the operating system was first launched, and has led to a feeling of “community” among computer technicians.

All types of applications have been designed for Android, including games, chats, information search engines and shopping programmes. It is a platform that opens up a whole world of possibilities.