Summary

Android applications do not exist in a vacuum. Users demand that their data be accessible (securely, of course) across any and all technologies they use regularly. Phones fall into hot tubs (more often than you’d think), and users upgrade to newer devices. The Android platform provides services for keeping local application data synchronized with remote cloud services and protecting application data using remote backup and restore services.

References and More Information

Wikipedia on cloud computing:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_computing

Android reference on the AccountManager class:

http://d.android.com/reference/android/accounts/AccountManager.html

Android sample app, Sample Sync Adapter:

http://d.android.com/resources/samples/SampleSyncAdapter/