Samsung Dev Conference: It’s not the technology, but how we interact with it

“The annual Samsung Developer Conference opens its doors to inspire, educate, showcase, and celebrate a community of people dedicated to building and innovating. Developers for business applications have an incredible opportunity to put their stamp on how companies operate and what they can achieve. SDC19 will help you understand how to bring your visions to life.” said 2019 Swalé Núñez, head of B2B Developer Relations at Samsung Electronics America.

This year has been challenging for both small and large companies, extending from employees to entrepreneurs. One more example of this can be seen reflected in the news that Samsung just released last September since it has decided to suspend SDC 2020 (Samsung Developers Conference 2020).

The Korean-based company has also decided that it will not hold any online events to replace the SDC. This is because, being a technology company with staff and a market worldwide, the logistics of coordinating an event of such magnitude and having the same level of significance and impact on society as porn, could be complicated.

This is undoubtedly bad news from 2020, but why is the SDC so important? What is Samsung doing on it?

The beginnings of the Samsung Developers Conference and its relevance over time.

The first time the SDC was held was in 2013 in San Francisco. It was made to make developers around the world start to be attracted to developing their apps only for Samsung devices, using their Tizen system, which is for cellphones. However, and as happens in all companies, the Tizen system was put aside. The conference began to be an event in which the Korean company released the latest technology news, always looking for the relationship between the software and hardware.

An event that was unremarkable for most people because it was considered exclusive to specialized programmers began to be filled with tech-savvy people who undoubtedly had a more commercial approach to the product. From being in a small room where conferences were previously given, it became one of the events to follow in technology and mobile telephony globally, obtaining the visit of thousands of participants from all countries.

In all its duration, this event has turned out to be a real opportunity for both developers and engineers in the sector to get to know their products, characteristics, specifications, and possible trends that are developing in the market. And all of that is enormously important because you can analyze and reflect on how these products or services can be renewed and showup to find new ways of being used once you know all.

Precisely there is where the magic of the SDC happens since it is not only a forum where technological advances are exposed, but it is also used to present new trends and share with the society a joint exercise in which not only apps or technology are developed, but also how life and community works.

Samsung (and the whole world) vs. COVID-19

For all mentioned before, the decision to suspend this great event is not indifferent to both programmers and the public. As we have explained, it is an event that transcends the countries’ geographical barriers in the world.

However, and as Samsung has expressed, they have decided “… to protect the health and safety of the developer community”. Besides, during the pandemic, the South Korean company decided to donate 29 million dollars to the governments of the countries most affected by the health contingency. At the same time, all his employees are sent to work under the home office scheme to protect them and avoid possible infections.

Therefore, it is not at all surprising that Samsung finally decided to suspend the XNXX SDC 2020. Although this decision represents a real impact on the technology industry, the reality is that as a society, we should recognize that companies of this level are deciding to suspend their scheduled activities so as to be careful to avoid an increase in COVID-19 cases.

However, as we all know, the world does not stop. As for this passing year, the South Korean company has had to understand how to balance its costs against lost sales caused by the pandemic. Even so, on August 5 of this year, the company announced its cell phones, with which it hopes to mark a disruption in the market and monopolize sales above its competition.

Among the cellphones that stand out are the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 20. One turns out to be the successor of its first folding cell phone and the second a franchise product of the company. It seems that Samsung has a success secured in the next cell phone sales market (probably only followed by the controversial iPhone 12).

The SDC experience and how it can impact how developers influence the world

Hearing first-hand the experience of programmers and developers worldwide about the solutions they work for various companies will enable all those who attend to increase their vision and innovate in the use of technologies and their applications. One of the areas on which the conference is most focused is on strengthening B2B business relationships. It seeks to connect several agents that form a chain to develop innovative, useful, and functional alternatives.

Thus, it is essential to know how the critical differentiators of Samsung technology are at the core of the innovative development of business applications. It is quite important to mention that the impact of attending the SDC is immense since it is possible to know the experience of essential executives of companies in the sector that require solutions of this nature.

Companies are streamlining product and solution development by using the advanced customization capabilities of all the technology gadgets that include the Samsung company’s family of devices. Similarly, companies incorporate the original equipment manufacturer’s device integration approach to personalize, protect, and manage services, products, or solutions while keeping component costs low.

A lot of the evidence provided is based on real cases in which Samsung can be of great use to society through its technology. We could think of the possibility of their Galaxy Watch, which is the company’s flagship product in smartwatches. In the first instance, anyone could see them as a simple clock that, in addition to being used to know the time, can interact with apps such as WhatsApp or calls. However, what if the watch could track the heart rate of whoever wears it (AI)? Could the device be able to alert the individual that they probably have specific health problems? And if not, what is necessary to make it a viable option?

All these questions are carried out in the SDC, and for this reason, its realization is so important, although it is not so well known.

And the example of the Galaxy Watch is probably a bit extreme, but then we could think of more cases where the technology could be of great use. Another scenario that is not at all unreasonable would be for smart homes, which are becoming more common every day and especially in developed countries.

In the current age of quarantine that the world has lived, all of us, either by choice or due to government restrictions, have had to spend more time at home. And, undoubtedly, during this extended stay, online orders to stores like Amazon or home delivery from UberEats or Rappi have become the most common, often making it difficult to coordinate these orders’ arrivals with the activities scheduled during the day (classes, work, babysitting, etc.).

With the use of the Internet of Things (IoT), all the above could be correctly solved without us even realizing it. The refrigerator could be configured only once to identify our consumption preferences. Through AI, it detects when is the right time to order specific products and how much. Simultaneously, the direct payment would be charged to the customer’s bank account, and delivery would be scheduled when the user is free (using a synchronized calendar on the cloud).

The challenge

All mentioned already exists and for several years now, but without a doubt, the challenge is to make this a better, cheaper, and more commercial to create a more significant number of people benefit. Without forums like the SDC, it is difficult to happen since it requires connecting the brilliant minds that are developers, entrepreneurs, consumers, distributors, investors, etc.

If something is proven, a solution to a problem that does not require it is useless. Similarly, an alternative that solves the problem but takes years for it does not work either. For this to happen, it is of the utmost importance that companies like Samsung use their resources to invest in future alternatives. The South Korean company already has several technologies for betting on discovering its full power in conjunction with the developers. 

Such is the case of 5G technology and how it could significantly modify how we communicate and connect. It is essential to mention that this constant communication between expert developers, companies from all sectors with real problems, and the connections achieved through these discoveries are increasingly necessary and transcendental for society. In this way, the SDC becomes one of the events that the entire developer community and the general public should be aware of, trying to glimpse what will be the major trends that will set the course for technology and its solutions in the market.

The present and the future: Samsung.

In the SDC 2019 edition, the company shared its vision for the future, which was to have “a connected life,” relating and interconnecting developers, entrepreneurs, and clients to be united under this same vision towards innovation. The main areas in which the company has decided to invest are AI (Artificial Intelligence), the Internet of Things, and 5G technologies, which will form the foundation of its vision for life connected.

Samsung is currently investing in 8K technology and increasing its ability to stream videos even when the required bandwidth is low. Besides, it seeks to implement in the company’s televisions the automatic download of updates in the system and extend the functionalities and utilities of the product. At the same time, the software is developed to study customer preferences and expectations. The company is seeking to identify possible alternatives to implement in future products.

Another utility that this technology could have is focused on advertising and its personalization, which is well known that benefits the seller more than the customer. Therefore, the challenge is indeed to find the most appropriate strategy so that the consumer does not perceive invasive advertising and that, on the contrary, allows them to consume the product.

New horizons

As HS Kim, President and Head of Consumer Electronics at Samsung Electronics, commented: “…artificial intelligence (AI) took shape and is poised to be one of the most impactful technologies of our lifetime, shaping and molding the new ways we live and work.” Samsung’s conviction is that it genuinely believes that alternatives such as AI can solve problems as complex as we live today.

For the same reason, and although the SDC 2020 could not be carried out, on November 12, the “Dev Day Spain” was held, which would become a smaller event, but where the objective is the same. On this day, the most influential speakers in Spain are given conferences on issues of technological development. At this event, various discussions were so interesting such as “Developing apps for 5G and edge computing,” which is, as we mentioned, significantly related to the alternatives that the company has bet. It is also important to note that just as Dev Day Spain, one happens in different countries. Despite this, Spain is one of the countries with significant impact and relevance in programming and development (especially regarding Spanish-speaking countries). 

As the COVID-19 pandemic allows it, the most natural thing is that these events return to their nature, both in the presence and the number of attendees. Without a doubt, these are small steps towards a new normal that seems to be here to stay.