From iPhone Apps To Connected Vehicles, Mobile Technology Presents Opportunity For Job Growth In Michigan

Cell phones and tablets are the “tip of the iceberg” for the mobile and wireless technology industry, said Linda Daichendt, president and executive director of the Mobile Technology Association of Michigan.

Michigan has an opportunity to step up as a leader in the mobile technology industry, a sector that includes everything from cell phone applications to vehicle technology.

But it needs to move fast if it wants to beat other states to the top spot, said Linda Daichendt, president and executive director of the Mobile Technology Association of Michigan.

Daichendt’s group recently hosted a statewide conference in Detroit where business owners, software application developers, and representatives from government and educational institutions discussed how to use mobile technology to create jobs and spur Michigan’s economy.

“The industry is so new and it’s so dynamic and it’s growing so fast that it’s really hard for companies to wrap their arms around it and figure out where their position should be in this business,” Daichendt said.

Michigan’s mobile technology industry employed more than 47,000 people in 2010, according to a study from the Michigan Economic Development Corp. That includes power and communication line construction, broadcasting and wireless equipment and battery manufacturing, electronics retail, telecommunication carriers and other positions.

A mobile tech company can be anything from a one-person mobile app development firm to large companies like Verizon Wireless or Compuware. Industry leaders say Michigan is uniquely poised to expand in the mobile world because of its large population of engineers and experience in manufacturing and automotive technology.

It’s one of the fastest growing industries in the state, yet it’s the best kept secret, Daichendt said.

“When they think of mobile, they only think of apps and cell phones/tablet,” she said. “That frankly is the tip of the iceberg as far as this industry goes.”

Michigan is already a leader in the telematics industry, which covers vehicle technology through services like General Motor Co.’s OnStar and Ford Motor Co.’s SYNC services.

The next step for automakers is how to better communicate outside of the vehicle, such as using mobile technology to control traffic in congested areas.

“It could be any state that’s doing this, but Michigan has the foresight with the leadership of MTAM and it has the opportunity with the convergence of the connected vehicle to bring this forward first,” said Scott McCormick, president of the Connected Vehicle Trade Association, an international organization based in Plymouth.

There are also opportunities in health care, such as wrist bands for patients that sends text messages to doctors with status updates, or business-to-business applications, such as tools for delivery companies to tracking packages, monitor routes and take signatures.

There are also machine-to-machine applications, like an alarm clock that wirelessly communicates with a coffee maker to begin brewing once the alarm goes off, Daichendt said.

As with any fast-moving technology, it’s difficult to find people with training needed to fill jobs, she said. Her group is contacting two- and four-year colleges, community school systems and other organizations to discuss ways to better prepare students for jobs in the industry.

MTAM hopes to secure funding in the next couple years to open a mobile technology incubator and training center.

One of the biggest challenges is keeping young people in the state, said Paul Jacobs, vice president and general manager of Jacobs Media, a media consulting firm, and jacAPPS, a mobile application developer.

Many students who graduate with degrees in the technology fields think they need to move to Silicon Valley or Austin, Texas, he said.

“In fact, if we can keep young people here they have an unbelievable opportunity to grow with companies like ours,” he said, adding that he thinks the cost of doing business in Michigan is better.

Jacobs employs four full-time workers in his application business, which has developed about 725 mobile apps with more than 15 million downloads worldwide.

Not all mobile jobs require a technology background. There are jobs in mobile marketing and product manufacturing and installation, for example.

“What you’re seeing now is the beginning of a lot of attention and capital being paid to Michigan,” Jacobs said. “Hopefully it will enable us to keep people here and grow them.”