The release of the iPhone in 2007 has created a new global software development industry. The refrain, “there’s an ‘app’ for that,” has not only sparked creativity in the Unites States, it’s also prodded a whole new generation of software innovators in Latin America. Nowhere is this truer than in Brazil.
Carros, an app developed by Brazilian technology consultant Renato Ornelas, displays the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment’s emissions rating (Nota Verde) for most car models sold in Brazil. This clever app reflects a new, trendy sense of environmental consciousness among Brazilians.
Another innovative app is TrânsitoRio, developed by Belo Horizonte-based Max Systems. Using more than 90 cameras positioned around Rio de Janeiro, it streams live video feeds of most major avenues. Using this app, cariocas can be the masters of their own commuter destiny.
In 2009, the sale of Apple-based apps totaled $2.5 million. The U.S. and Europe still dominate consumption and production of apps, but countries like Brazil (and its programmers) are showing an increasing aptitude for capturing demand for their own market. It’s a market that will certainly increase with the April launch of the iPad.
