building mobile apps for business
DESCRIPTION
Mobile is for business. Every firm with a web app must now consider the visibility and sales they are losing by not having a mobile version. Every new business or software product is faced with this same concern. Responsive design only gets us so far before it’s time to build a native app for several platforms. How do we build business apps for Android, iOS, and Windows phones and tablets? Learn about the key considerations when scaling up your company’s mobile presence.TRANSCRIPT
Building Mobile Apps Building Mobile Apps for Businessfor BusinessDan HermesMobile Consultant
Lexicon Systems
Website: www.lexiconsystemsinc.comEmail: [email protected]: 781-526-0738Twitter: @lexiconsystemsBlog: www.itshopkeeping.com
Takeaways Takeaways Responsive Design is fast and
cheap◦Good for websites ◦OK for some lightweight apps
Most serious mobile apps are native
Cross-platform is often necessaryChoose your toolset carefully
SponsorSponsor
Why mobile? Why mobile? Americans used smartphone and tablet apps more than PCs to access the Internet.
Source: CNN, January 2014 / corroborated by Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo(Google isn’t telling.)
80-90% of U.S. adults now own a mobile phone. 50-60% of those are smartphones. Sources: various (Pew)
¼ to ½ of online searches take place on a mobile device Sources: various
And what about tablets?And what about tablets?When we were an agrarian nation, all cars weretrucks. But as people moved more towards
urbancenters, people started to get into cars. I thinkPCs are going to be like trucks. Fewer people
willneed them. And this transformation is going tomake some people uneasy... because the PC
hastaken us a long way.
Steve Jobs, 2010
Post-PC Era: 2015Mobile Phones > first world
population◦1.9B devices
Tablets > PC sales◦320M tablets vs. 316M PCs worldwide
Android devices > 3x Windows◦1.3B Android devices vs. 373M Windows
Ultramobile > 20% of PC sales◦MacBook Air, Surface Pro, etc.◦62M in 2015
Source: Gartner 2015 Device Shipment Projections (June 2014)
The UpshotThe UpshotData Consumers (Conclusive)
◦Mobile phones and tablets
Data Producers (Jury is still out)◦PCs and Ultrabooks◦Some tablets and phones◦The future of business machines
Android vs. Windows
◦Many unknowns here
What Do Data Consumers What Do Data Consumers Need?Need?
Responsive DesignResponsive Design
Images courtesy of Beacon Technologies and Arcplan
Responsive Design #FAILResponsive Design #FAIL
Image courtesy of moxy ox
Responsive Design #WINResponsive Design #WIN
Image courtesy of moxy ox
Responsive Design #WINResponsive Design #WIN
Responsive Design #WINResponsive Design #WIN
The Responsive The Responsive ExperienceExperience
Image courtesy of responsivedesign.ca
Responsive Design isResponsive Design isrecommended whenrecommended when
the app is SIMPLE and user expectation is LOW
What is a website?
a simple app
Mobile Web Toolset Mobile Web Toolset OptionsOptionsHTML5, CSS, JavaScript
and
C#/ASP.NETJavaPHP
Limitations of Responsive Limitations of Responsive Web AppsWeb AppsReduced FunctionalityUnfamiliar InterfacePoor PerformanceDecreased User Experience
THE REAL RISK?
Responsive Web App Responsive Web App #FAIL#FAIL
Older Facebook app written in HTML5
Solution#1Solution#1
1. Escape Hatch / Full Screen Button
◦ Goes to full-screen web app◦ May or may not be useable◦ Doesn’t address experience
or performance
Solution#2: Native Mobile Solution#2: Native Mobile AppAppGo Where the People Are
◦App Store StatsBetter PerformanceOptimal User Experience
PCR EssentialsPCR Essentials
On iTunes and Play StoreAndroid version by our teamWritten in Xamarin
DineBostonDineBoston
DineBostonDineBostonVIDEO
Mobile App TypesMobile App TypesMobile Web /Responsive
◦Browser-basedNative
◦iOS, Android, OR WindowsHybrid
◦Web app wrapped in a native appCross-platform
◦iOS, Android, AND Windows
Mobile App Mobile App Tools/ResourcesTools/ResourcesMobile Web/Responsive
◦HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript, (C#, Java, PHP, etc.)
Native◦Objective-C, Java, or C#
Hybrid◦PhoneGap, Titanium
Cross-platform◦Xamarin (C#)
Smartphone OS Market Smartphone OS Market ShareShare(Q1 2014)(Q1 2014)Android – 81%iOS – 15%Windows Phone – 3%
What does this mean?
Source: International Data Corporation (IDC)
Single platform apps are risky
Hybrid AppsHybrid AppsWeb app wrapped in a native app
◦PhoneGap◦Appcelerator Titanium
Yes, it’s in the app storesNo, it’s not really a native app
Cross-platform AppsCross-platform Apps◦Shared Code
Code reuse
◦One technology stack Instead of several
◦Native app quality◦Native app performance◦Native phone functionality (location,
camera, etc.)
Cross-platform Cross-platform DevelopmentDevelopment
Cross-platform AppsCross-platform AppsHigh-performanceGreat user experienceFully native executableReusable codeJust one dev team
Gartner Strongly Gartner Strongly Recommends XamarinRecommends Xamarin
“Xamarin's architectural approach provides completely native UIs with better performance than other cross-
platform techniques... Xamarin uses multifaceted technology built by a cohesive team with a solid long-
term track record.”-Gartner, August 2013
Recognized as Mobile “Visionary” in 2013 Magic Quadrant for MADP
Xamarin Customers Xamarin Customers Include…Include…
Xamarin pre-3.0Xamarin pre-3.0
Layouts XAMLUIKit
Xamarin 3.0 with Xamarin 3.0 with Xamarin.FormsXamarin.Forms
Takeaways Takeaways Responsive Design is fast and cheap
◦Good for websites ◦OK for some lightweight apps
Most serious mobile apps are nativeCross-platform is often necessaryChoose your toolset carefullyNeed high-performance cross-
platform business apps?
Building Mobile Apps Building Mobile Apps for Businessfor Business
Do you want to know more?Do you need an app built?
Dan HermesMobile ConsultantLexicon [email protected](781)526-0738Twitter: @lexiconsystemsBlog: www.itshopkeeping.com
Jonathan LaMasterDirector of SalesLexicon [email protected](617)833-5816