HTC targets tablet developers with pen SDK

HTC is pushing its OpenSense SDK for developers as the company looks to build a broader range of pen-driven applications for its Android-based tablets.

HTC said at the Droidcon developer conference in London that it sees pen support as a big differentiator, and is keen for developers to create applications that make full use of the pen for Android-based tablets such as the Flyer and the firm's new 10in Jetstream, which is not yet available in the UK.

"The pen is very important for us, because it's a very precise tool that you can use in addition to your finger. We think it's attractive for a lot of different types of applications we are talking with developers about, both in the enterprise and creative markets," said Michael Ludden, developer evangelist at HTC.

Earlier this week, Adobe launched a suite of Touch Apps designed for creative work on tablets. Although not pen enabled, these show the kind of applications that are now coming to touch-screen devices that would benefit from the greater finesse offered by a pen.

HTC's pen support comes in the OpenSense SDK, which was launched in June along with a developer web site offering resources for Android and Windows Phone developers.

However, HTC is keen to avoid fragmentation in the Android ecosystem, and said that the SDK is an add-on to the standard Android SDK that lets developers build in pen support without having to produce one app for HTC tablets and another for rival devices.

"We can say to developers that, if you add a few lines of code and enable special pen functionality for our devices, your app is still going to run normally on any Android device," said Ludden.

With pen input capability, HTC's tablet devices could also prove more attractive in the corporate market, enabling handwriting capture and form filling.

"We're very interested in the enterprise, and we think pen has a lot of relevance there for signature capture and more natural input methods," Ludden said, although he declined to elaborate, saying it is still early days for HTC's developer community.

The company will hold events like Droidcon across the globe to meet developers and build a closer dialogue, according to Ludden.

The HTC OpenSense SDK is available from the firm's developer web site.