Mobile app development and its advantages

Mobile App Development

How mobile applications are transforming the business world

Mobile applications (apps for short) have become an important part of our lives nowadays. In many large and medium-sized companies alike, they contribute to increasing value. The spectrum ranges from providing customers with useful information to providing services for employees.

As popular as these apps are, they are also complicated to develop. For this reason, more and more mobile application development platforms (MADPs) have become established on the market in the past. The advantages these offer for the creation of company apps are explained in more detail below.

Definition Mobile App Development:

Mobile application development encompasses all the processes and procedures used to create software for small, wireless computer devices such as smartphones or tablets.

History

Mobile app development has created a new, enormously successful and highly dynamic area of industrial software development in recent years. Even though the first mobile apps appeared on the market in the 1990s, the real breakthrough only began with the opening of the Apple App Store on July 11, 2008 in San Francisco.

Immediately after the launch, more than 100 million applications were downloaded via the App Store. More than 3,000 native applications were available to iPhone and iPod users at this time. With this launch, Apple set a new standard that has been established to this day. The development of mobile apps is now an everyday task for companies.

Creating “Mobile Apps”

The creation of mobile applications is similar to web application development and therefore has its roots in traditional software development. However, a critical difference is that mobile apps are often developed specifically to take advantage of the unique features of a particular mobile device. Depending on the device type and platform, app development is therefore very different. Development environments, programming languages and processes vary greatly. For this reason, apps currently have to be developed separately for each platform.

Due to the different programming interfaces (APIs for short), code reusability is only possible to a limited extent.

TYPES OF MOBILE APPS: WEB VS. NATIVE VS. HYBRID

When developing a mobile app, the question of whether the end product is a web-based, native or hybrid mobile application should be asked at the outset. In order to provide an answer, a number of factors should be taken into account, which are explained in more detail below.

Web applications

Web apps are (mobile) websites that are created on the basis of established web technologies such as HTML5, CSS 3 and JavaScript.

Normally, such applications are called up and displayed in the web browser of the mobile device. However, apps are not limited exclusively to mobile websites. In principle, all applications on the web can be regarded as a “web app”. Thanks to the so-called container display, the apps can be displayed and executed independently of the platform.

The advantage of the web-based approach is a lower implementation effort. However, as the web applications are based on the functions of the browser, the range of functions is also limited. Therefore, extensive applications that address and process various sensors cannot be implemented with such technologies.

Low development costs and implementation effort
Simplified development through standardized web technologies
Uniform update process for the application
Cross-platform apps possible
Simple distribution

Restricted access to platform functions
Limited range of functions
No platform-specific user interface
No access to native app stores
Partially poorer performance

Native applications

The development of native applications includes implementation with the development tools and APIs provided directly by the platform. The implementation is carried out using programming languages that can be executed directly natively on the platform. For Android applications, for example, this is Java, while Swift is the appropriate programming language for iOS applications.

When creating native applications, developers are required to have a high level of knowledge and in-depth knowledge of the respective programming language. In return, the applications have the highest level of functionality and performance. Further advantages are usually the visually appealing user interface and intuitive interaction concepts.

Native apps are installed directly on the respective end device. The application is usually distributed via a central location such as the App Store or Google Play. Nowadays, the majority of apps available are native-based.

High functionality and performance
Best performance and user experience
Attractive user interface
Hardware/software APIs (e.g. camera, address book)
Distribution via app stores

Platform binding
Complex development
High development costs
Specific developer know-how
Costs for licenses

Hybrid applications

As the name suggests, hybrid applications are a mixture of a web app and a native app. The aim is to balance the advantages and disadvantages of both variants. The application is developed using web technologies and executed in a native container. This approach makes it possible to develop cross-platform apps that are indistinguishable from native apps for the user.

The application logic and user interface are developed using the latest web technologies such as HTML5, JavaScript and CSS 3.

Once created, hybrid applications can be published in the Apple, Google and Windows App Store.

The basis of the code remains identical despite different target platforms
Simple development through web technologies

No platform-specific user interface
Restricted access to hardware
Poor performance

Which mobile application is the right one for my company?

The decision to create web-based, native or hybrid mobile applications is often not an easy one. Nevertheless, there is a suitable solution for every scenario. To find out which variant is the most suitable for implementing digital solutions in your company, the following questions should be asked:

How high is the budget?

The costs for web apps are generally based on the costs of a website. Native and hybrid apps are generally much more extensive and complex and therefore need to be budgeted for accordingly. For this reason, web apps tend to be the cheaper alternative for a small budget.

Are there resource bottlenecks among the developers?

Only a few companies have enough developers available to handle all projects. In the absence of the necessary specialists for mobile applications, companies should specialize in the development of hybrid mobile applications. In this way, existing programming skills such as HTML, CSS and JavaScript can be used.

Are native device functions required?

If device functions such as camera, calendar, contacts or GPS are used, the choice should be made to create a native or hybrid mobile application. Even if a web application can also perform hardware-related functions such as GPS, compass or acceleration measurement, the range of functions is usually limited or varies greatly between the respective web browsers.

Is the application distributed via the App Store?

If there is a need to distribute the application via an app store, a native or hybrid application is an option.

Should the mobile app also work offline?

If offline functionality is required, a native application should be chosen.

Requirements for the IT architecture

Mobile apps place special demands on a company’s IT architecture. For example, integration into the backend systems should be device-neutral. In addition, the mobile applications should be available promptly on the new hardware or the new mobile operating system with minimal effort. Furthermore, the administration of the application during operation must be as cost-effective as possible. In order to meet the requirements, the provision of the following functionalities is essential for a modern mobile platform:

Integration of business processes and the existing IT landscape

Business processes must be mapped in a consistent and user-friendly manner and internal and external IT landscapes must be networked with each other. The connection of existing systems and data sources such as SAP, Oracle, IBM and Microsoft, as well as machines that have a communication interface for data exchange, is a basic requirement.

Support for heterogeneous mobile device types and end devices

The applications must be independent of the operating system used (iOS, Android, Blackberry OS or Windows). The choice of end device (PC, laptop, smart phone, tablet, data glasses or wearables) must not play a role either.

Uniform development standards

A standardized and highly flexible application development platform based on current development standards. Common Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) include IntelliJ, Visual Studio, Android Studio and XCode.

Security Management

Encryption concepts to protect confidential information both on the end device and during transmission, as well as functions for rapid response in the event of theft, loss or misuse (end-to-end security).

Mobile app development platforms

The increasing proliferation of mobile devices and the growing demand for mobile applications makes it almost impossible for companies to develop and scale mobile applications for all devices using conventional means.

By using platform-independent development tools to create operating system-independent mobile applications, these can be created once and used anywhere. This can significantly simplify the generation and provision of mobile apps.

Platform-independent app development is also a promising approach for keeping development costs low and ensuring a reduction in complexity. For example, the low-code platform Simplifier speeds up the creation and publication of mobile applications tenfold.

Vendors in the mobile application development platform market offer tools, technologies, components and services that together form the critical elements of a platform. These products enable an organization to design, develop, deploy, distribute and manage a portfolio of mobile applications that run on a range of devices and meet the requirements of different use cases. Buyers in this market want to meet the challenge of building and delivering a comprehensive portfolio of mobile applications for customers, partners and employees.