The latest news says that Apple is looking to combined their mobile operating, iOS, and their desktop operating system, OS X, into one singular platform. This is a vision that Apple has probably had for a long time. Implementing a system like this would further unify their products, and make their product line all the more attractive to consumers. What dose this mean for iOS developers and OSX developers? Only the future can tell.

iOS developers will most likely welcome this change as it allows for an even bigger audience to take advantage of the apps they create. It could also mean bigger challenges for iOS developers. When this merger of platforms takes place, expected around 2013, iOS developers will be faced with the challenge of not only creating apps that function on the iPad, iPhone, and other iOS device’s, but also making sure these apps function on their desktop and laptop counterparts. iOS developers looking to develop apps that are supported on all Apple platforms will have to consider how to make the iOS app’s multi-touch controls integrate with the traditional computer’s user interface, and vice-versa.

iOS developers will have to make sure they are ready for these drastic changes. Now facing challenges similar to that of android developers (creating apps for a wider variety of platforms) iOS developers must make sure that they are equipped with the skills to develop Apple applications that are dynamic and interactive enough to take advantage of the current iOS devices user interface and the computing power of traditional Macs.

This integration of iOS and OSX are something that could turn the Apple development community upside down. iOS programmers will now have to work hand in hand with OSX programmers to make sure they are ready for the impending changes.

What does this mean for future Apple hardware? Apple is expected to use the 32-bit arm architecture to address the vast majority of the OSX product range, excluding high performance professional devices. This is believed to be the make up of the Apple ecosystem until 2016 when the 64-bit ARM architecture will become available. Once that takes place iOS developers and OSX developers can expect to be working on a single OS and hardware architecture.

Currently iOS developers must make sure they are at the forefront of iOS development technology. IOS developers must make sure their apps are taking advantage of, and ready to take advantage of, all the technology the release of iOS 5 is expected to bring with it. iOS developers must be primed to take advantage of technologies like iCloud because this is sure to be a big part of the Apple computing infrastructure in the future.

Ecom Solutions is an iOS development company ready to take advantage of all the features iOS 5, and future iOS development and OSX development technologies. Ecom Solutions is read to upgrade existing apps to take advantage of iOS 5‘s new technologies, and will be ready, when the time comes to upgrade existing apps to the expected iOS/OSX hybrid operating system.

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