Designing Your Mobile Strategy
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by: Ryan J Bell
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Word Count: 623
Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 Time: 12:00 AM
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In Part I of this article we discussed the fundamentals of the cell-phone application universe, and the way in which the marketplace is divided according to hardware ability. In Part II, we'll present the cases for universal app-development, and hardware-specific development, from two leading developers.
Using HTML, Javascript and AJAX, your mobile solutions become an extension of your present Web strategy. You can customize each of these browsers to your branding wants. Without doing anything else, app developers can become mobile developers.
Because every mobile platform has different hardware and development environments, you must double or triple your costs to deploy a single application across multiple devices. Those costs only cover the prevailing mobile landscape; what will you do a year from now, when new cellphones emerge that need fresh platforms on which you'll need to build? By building your application and internet site on the same platform, you guarantee it'll be read in all browsers, across multiple devices, anytime.
Browser-based applications also offer quicker feature enhancements without the trouble of waiting for Apple or RIM to approve each software update you issue.
For many business owners, providing staff equal access to work-related applications - irrespective of what devices they use - is good for operating smoothly and efficiently. In a survey of 2,300 American and European Internet technology leaders, 575 claimed they support individual employees' private mobile devices, as long as they meet two factors: one, Each phone's applications must be operable on all platforms, and two, device owners must make sure their phones meet company security protocols.
Native-Language Applications : The Most Impressive Results for Your Unique Needs
Each cellphone's platform can offer a unique experience, from an iPhone application's use of its lovely Map Kit for providing GPS information to the unique way users can engage with applications such as Facebook and MySpace on a BlackBerry.
Developers most frequently use Java and Adobe Flash Lite to build cross-platform applications. Unfortunately, Flash Lite is mismatched with many devices, and while Java ME is intended to provide the strongest compatibility, it offers a poor control interface. Some BlackBerry users learned this lesson when, using foreign, Java-written applications on their devices, the phones' trackwheels did not work. Some developers have replaced the Java-provided UI platform with their own to mimic the UI of the cellphone more meticulously. But imitation isn't replication, and users can 'feel' the difference fast.
Similarly, it's time-consuming - and in some cases, impossible - to write software that has complicated features common to all your target cellphones. While the Java ME platform supports extended APIs, it does not offer them for every feature, and they generally are released years after the local SDKs. Generally, a cellphone rewards those that purchase it with individual features and blocks all others from getting access to those benefits.
While a universal approach to mobile applications will reach as many folk as possible, it fails to deliver the top quality product the user has started to expect from his/her phone. Local applications are the simplest way to ensure superior user experiences.
Conclusion
It's difficult to deny the success of the mobile world. As of April 2009, consumers had downloaded more than 1 billion applications from the iTunes App Store. When choosing which mobile methodology to take on, consider these three things: user wants, sophistication of the device, and ease of distribution. While a universal approach may not offer ideal user experience, it has the power to reach a broad audience and expand access to neat products and app, whereas a native application may have a smaller distribution, yet can take advantage of a phone's native features.
About the Author
This information is furnished by EffectiveUI, an innovative agency providing interactive design and development. If you need http://www.effectiveui.com/ visit them online at http://www.EffectiveUI.com
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