Apple has announced that it is going to open its first iOS development center in Europe. The facility, to be located at a partner institute in Naples, Italy, will teach students how to create apps for the Apple ecosystem of devices.
Apple said that the center will support teachers and offer a specialized curriculum preparing thousands of future developers to be part of Apple's developer community. The company added that it will also work with partners around Italy who deliver developer training to complement this curriculum to create additional opportunities for students.
“Europe is home to some of the most creative developers in the world and we’re thrilled to be helping the next generation of entrepreneurs in Italy get the skills they need for success,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook. “The phenomenal success of the App Store is one of the driving forces behind the more than 1.4 million jobs Apple has created in Europe and presents unlimited opportunities for people of all ages and businesses of all sizes across the continent.”
Despite the reports of smartphone sales plateauing, mobile apps continue to generate a massive amount of revenue for Apple. It was reported earlier today that even though there was almost twice the number of applications downloaded from the Google Play Store compare to the iOS Store in 2015, Apple made a lot more money from its apps than its competitor across the year. Over the recent New Year period alone, Apple made more than $1.1 billion from iOS app purchases and in-app purchases.
In explaining why Apple has decided to open the center in Italy, the company says that more than 75,000 jobs have been created in the country thanks to its App Store, and developers in Europe have earned more than €10.2 billion ($11.11 billion) from selling their apps.
Apple was reportedly fined around $347.1 million last month as a result of an investigation conducted by tax authorities in Italy, and the company’s tax procedures are still being investigated by the European Commission. Not only will opening this center pave the way for a new generation of iOS app developers, but it shows a much-needed positive side to Apple’s European operations.
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