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Mobile Application Development Platforms Buyers Guide

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Mobile Application Development Platforms Buyers Guide 2014 Mobile Application Development Platforms Buyers Guide A Compilation and Capabilities Summary of the Top 36 Solution Providers in Mobile Application Development Platforms Released by Solutions Review 1/1/2014 INTRODUCTION: Mobile Applications are certainly big business. Companies like Rovio Entertainment are seeing huge revenues generated from B2C entertainment apps like its flagship game, Angry Birds. Mobile apps, however, are no longer just a consumer entertainment play, with new business and enterprise apps able to generate increasing efficiencies within companies. In other words, apps are becoming a part of running a business. Critical business functions such as work and order processing are now being carried out on mobile devices with enterprise mobile apps. Whether you know it or not, you will eventually have at least one business or enterprise app, which means that you will need to start wrapping your head around how best to build and implement them. One of the key challenges facing mobile app developers and companies looking to implement mobile business/enterprise “Critical business apps is the multiplicity of devices and environments the apps functions such as need to work in, as well as the number of languages you can work and order write the apps in. Coding can be done in several languages, ranging from Java, Javascript and HTML5 to more environment processing are now specific languages like Objective-C, generally for iOS and C#, being carried out generally for Windows to the heavy duty C++ to WYSIWYG on mobile devices (what you see is what you get) languages. Environments that with enterprise Apps operate in include Apple’s iOS, Google’s Android, Microsoft’s Windows mobile 7 and 8, RIM’s Blackberry family of mobile apps.” OS’s, and Nokia’s/Accenture’s Symbian OS. On top of that you have many different devices within and across environments. So many different languages and environments across so many different devices means that Apps have trouble working across many different devices and OS’s without significant trade-offs in performance. For example, an app written in Objective-C with great functionality for iOS, usually referred to as a native-architecture app, won’t work in Android, whereas an app written in HTML5 as a web architecture will work on both iOS and Android, but can have performance and other issues such as less functionality. You will need to understand, utilize and take this into account when planning your business and/or enterprise app development strategy. One method of developing apps is to hire a development company to write a specific app, and have them help you deal with the challenges above. This artisanal approach to app development, however, faces increasing competition from more industrial development platforms. A Mobile Application Development Platform (MADP) can enable both non-technical and technical employees at your company to build, test, distribute, manage and update business and enterprise apps far more rapidly then a development company can while enabling you increased control. The MADP space is currently undergoing an explosion of growth in the number of solutions and types of solutions. For example, there are free, open-source community-based platforms like JQuery and Dojo. However, these usually require serious coding skills that won’t come cheap, either in-sourced or outsourced. Page | 2 Solutions Review | 500 West Cummings Park | Woburn, Massachusetts 01801 Additionally, dedicated support can be spotty, meaning you’re on your own if something isn’t working correctly. There are a whole host of other services you’ll be missing out on as well. The support, services and much easier app creation come with the paid MADP solutions. Examples include Kony Solutions’ KonyOne platform and Antenna Software’s AMPchroma, and offer your business the benefits listed above and more. If you’re going to heavily invest in business and enterprise apps, then you need to seriously consider investing in a paid MADP solution. On the other hand, enterprise level solutions will come with enterprise level prices. If you don’t have a lot of money to throw around or you won’t be investing much in business or enterprise apps, less-expensive but more skills-intensive or outsourced solutions may be appropriate. We are considering adding a solutions directory for outsourced development solutions. Finally, we at Solutions Review have noticed an interesting geographical spread of solutions providers. A little less than half of the solutions listed in our directory are from the US, and a little less than half are from European countries along with 2 Latin American Solutions and 5 open source platforms. This means that if you need support for your app development platform in Slovenian, you can get that support in Slovenian, courtesy of Resco, SRO.’s MADP solution, or Swedish with MoSync or Spanish with GeneXus. In order to help you start the process of sorting all this out, below are 10 questions, five for yourself, and five for a prospective solutions provider to your mobile app development needs. It will help you walk through why you want the app, what it’s supposed to do for you, your own resources and needs, as well as the solution providers offerings, services and staying power. Michael Jamison Editor Solutions Review [email protected] (339) 927-9232 Page | 3 Solutions Review | 500 West Cummings Park | Woburn, Massachusetts 01801 5 Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before Selecting a Mobile Application Development Platform Solution QUESTION #1 What do you plan on using the Apps for and what features are most important for you? Before you take action, you need to decide what that action is. All too often developers and platform providers are approached by companies who want apps, but don’t know what they want to do with them. Are you planning on using it to generate revenue? Enhance your brand? Streamline internal procedures? Depending on your answer to this question, the requirements for your App will vary in sophistication and cost. QUESTION #2 How technically savvy is your organization and its IT department, and what level of technical support or maintenance might you require from a solutions provider? There are many platforms and tools that require a higher level of technical sophistication for their use. Many open-source platforms are like this. If your “There are many organization does not have a resident coder, you will need a tool platforms and or platform with a simple user interface. Another alternative is to hire an application developer to simply create the App for you. tools that Additionally, if you lack the requisite technical sophistication, require a higher fixing and maintaining the App on your own will be difficult, and level of technical you will need to make sure your solutions provider offers these services. Of course, if your IT department is chock-full of tech sophistication talent, you can save yourself some cash by selecting a solution for their use.” without maintenance services. QUESTION #3 Will your planned Apps be used on only one OS, or across multiple OS’s? Think back to what you’ll be using the App for. Is it for internal, company approved devices only? Or is it meant for use by consumers, on any and every type of device imaginable? For internal Apps used on only company devices, it may make sense to limit devices to one allowed OS environment and therefore design an App using native architecture that can operate on only that OS. If you are looking to reach across multiple device types, then you will want an architecture (web-based for simpler, wrapper or hybrid for more complex) that will allow your App to do just that. If your App strategy includes the need for both, you should consider investing in a Mobile Application Development Platform that gives you that capability. QUESTION #4 Are you planning on using Apps in just one or a few specialized places, or do you plan on integrating Apps more broadly into your business strategy? If your desired App strategy looks to use Apps in only a few areas of your business, you could consider hiring a developer to create the App. If the planned App won’t be technically sophisticated, then you can consider using one of the simpler development tools available. On the other hand, if you plan on using multiple Apps for a variety of purposes, consider some of the Enterprise level Mobile Application Development Platform solutions out there today. Page | 4 Solutions Review | 500 West Cummings Park | Woburn, Massachusetts 01801 QUESTION #5 What is the security need for the apps you are planning on implementing? This is one area that many Mobile Application Developers and Platforms have not put as much attention into as they should. If your proposed App is a simple branding tool, then that probably won’t matter. However, if the App allows access to sensitive data, critical infrastructure or impacts compliance and legal, then you need to seriously consider the security features in a solution. Another alternative is finding a mobile security specific solution that would layer onto your mobile ecosystem. The last thing you need is someone hijacking your business from a stolen or hacked mobile device. And 5 Questions You Should Ask Your Potential Mobile Application Developer or Development Platform Provider Before Selecting a Solution QUESTION #6 What OS’s/Environments does your App or Platform support? If the people that will be using the app have devices on iOS, then obviously you need a developer or platform that supports iOS. Also, apps can be created that work across multiple environments, so if your business needs include a single app that must work across several environments, be sure to ask if the developer or platform solution can do that, and what if any trade-offs there are for their product’s functionality to do so.
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