What is the APPeal of APPs?

It APPears to me that there is an App for everything today. It is APParent that while the merits of these tools can be very APPetizing, they are not APPLicable for all situations. In this brief article, I will APPraise some of the many benefits of APPs, and consider some APPropriate options.

APPle can likely be considered the grandpAPPy of the current day APPmania (APProx. 100 billion downloads from APPle alone by mid-2015!). With the APPeal of the smartphone and tablet devices, compact, powerful and functional tools were in demand from consumers and business users alike. As mobile bandwidth is still relatively expensive and not entirely persistent, device manufacturers grAPPled with how to best provide users with the best interfaces and functionality while retaining mobility and dealing with the bandwidth constraints. A self-contained APP with the ability to maintain functionality and local data met the APProval of the user community and the adoption of mobile devices and APPs soared. These tools have done nothing less than revolutionize how we interact with technology - in less than a decade!

Have you Considered a Web APPlication?

While APPs can provide a wide range of capabilities and advanced features, they do require a measured APProach to adoption. As many users do not want to be trAPPed into a single platform in the Bring Your Own Device world, developing Business APPs for IOS, Android & BlackBerry can make this venture more challenging. In order to APPease this varied audience, there are several instances where a mobile optimized web APPlication can provide similar or enhanced functionality while mitigating some of the limitations of APPs.

Let’s Compare; Mobile APPs vs. Web APPs

As you are evaluating your next software APPlication, do not forget the mobile aspect. When evaluating methods for development you may want to evaluate the unique and overlAPPing attributes of Web and APP development. Consider some of the following:

Mobile Applications

Pros

• Excellent capability and control.
• Highly functional (especially when using device for capturing data / photos).
• Always available (not connection dependent).
• Data resident on device.

Cons

• Device Dependent (requires uniformity of devices or multiple platform development and deployment).
• More costly to develop.
• Requires deployment and update management strategy.

Web Applications

Pros

• Strong capability (especially for informational capture and management).
• Excellent User Interface.
• Same application can be deployed on all devices.
• Reduced development costs.
• Reduced training.
• Simpler deployment and management.
• Open standards for user devices.
• No/reduced cost of deployment of updates.
• Manage and manipulate unlimited data - not device restricted, data can be synchronized locally if needed.
• Increased security as data does not reside on device.
• Can be integrated with many other systems.

Cons

• May require internet connection for some functions or alternatively utilize synchronization to overcome obstacles.
• Some limitations may exist for specialized functionality.

Web vs. Mobile WrAPP-up

As you can APPreciate, there are many items to consider as you APProach the prospect of developing business software today, especially when you want to extend this to mobile platforms. With the many solutions and options available to the user community, their APProval of the solution will dictate the success of the deployment and the ability to deliver the business value through its adoption.

If you want to consider this in more detail, let's grab a cAPPaccino and see what hAPPens...

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And as always, Thanks for Reading!

Al MacKinnon