Your target audience might access your enterprise app from multiple devices and different mobile platforms. It has emerged as a necessity to ensure a seamless and consistent experience to all users in this context. This can be accomplished by having cross-platform apps developed by a competent mobile app development company. However, the performance of your cross-platform apps entirely depends on the development process and the app development tools.
Here’s our compilation of ways that you need while choosing the best cross-platform app development tools.
Cross-platform app development: Then and now
Back in the 90’s, it was Java being released with the “Build Once, Run Anywhere” promise. Back then, the bottom line was to use a development tool offering support for different environments.
The scenario has now changed quite a bit. The present times herald the availability of numerous devices, and your developers require the most functional tools to create unique enterprise apps for those devices.
Simply put, cross-platform app development tools are reviving and recreating Java’s magic, thus ensuring smooth operations across the business landscape. As of now, we can categorise these tools into three crucial segments –
Mobile web tools: Powered by JavaScript and HTML, these types of tools are best used by low-cost developers.
Codeless tools: These tools lack a stable and finite code, thus making it easier for business analysts to use them.
Cross-platform developer tools: With advanced coding scripts, these tools are the best options for cross-platform app development projects.
The third category of app development tools will be our prime concern and point of emphasis in this article.
Finding the best options
Most of the mobile app development tools available today offer a range of choices to both — the mobile app development company and the users. Therefore, it is highly essential to opt for the tools that offer optimum functionality.
The following guidelines might prove to be helpful in this context.
1. Assessing Company Size
The size of your dream venture will play a vital role in the entire cross-platform app development saga. As a determining factor of your requirements, your company size will help you nail down the most functional tools.
Small businesses: If yours is a small business venture with a workforce of fewer than 50 people, you will inevitably not wish to spend too much on app development. Tools that help you launch business apps within minimum time will be the best choices in this case.
Large establishments: Compared to SMEs, large-scale business establishments will have bigger requirements, coupled with complex security issues and complicated back-office tasks. Therefore, it will be necessary to choose the most appropriate app development tool capable of belting out high-performance apps.
Mid-sized enterprises: With some unique customer requirements and employee preferences, mid-size companies require cross-platform app development tools for both Android and iOS applications. Appcelerator Titanium or Xamarin are some of the revered options here.
Some of the enterprise app developers might also think about leveraging apps available in app stores. Reaching out to your clients and making value additions to your teams will always remain your prime objective.
Therefore, it’s better to develop multi-tier app development approaches. Choosing cross-platform tools for small enterprises and native tools for mission-intensive applications will be the best thing to do.
2. Keeping security in mind
While choosing tools for cross-platform application development, you must never ignore the security aspect. Entrepreneurs giving more importance to app security will undoubtedly wish to invest in native app development. However, cross-platform app development will also turn out to be an excellent choice.
3. Cost and multi-platform support
Another great way of choosing cross-platform mobile apps is by considering the cost factors. Highly functional and efficient cross-platform tools such as Apache Cordova are capable of delivering some of the greatest apps at minimal investments.
Benefits to watch out for
Although cross-platform app development projects demand additional attention and care from a mobile app development company, it is still rapidly gaining grounds as a preferred type of development — particularly due to these benefits.
Flexibility: Irrespective of your mobile device platform or type, cross-platform app development tools will help your developers create highly scalable and functional applications.
Single development tool: With cross-platform development environments, you will not have to learn the art of using several other app development tools. That’s a huge saving on efforts as well as costs.
Parting thoughts
Going by the current market trends and the constant growth of enterprise mobility, cross-platform enterprise applications and using great development tools has emerged as a crucial necessity.
