Rethinking Mobile: Enterprises Need to Take a Transformative Approach to App Development

Mobile apps have come a long way since their inception. Both, individuals as well as enterprises are getting increasingly dependent on mobile for solving their everyday problems. This can only mean one thing – the ‘app boom’ is far from over.  

Speaking of enterprises, they are dealing with mobile apps more aggressively and integrating them at work.

Enterprises can create in-house mobile apps, commission app development, or invest in ready-to-use apps. This is, by far, the easiest and the most popular option.

But, they often ignore the drawbacks that vendor-supplied apps bring to the table.

Drawbacks of Vendor-Supplied Mobile Apps

Vendor-supplied mobile apps are a popular choice for startups and SMBs. While these apps do solve their problems to an extent, they hardly solve all the problems. Also, these apps vary in their quality and may not always perform as they are expected to. Enterprises, therefore, use whatever features and functionalities an app brings to the table.

This restriction is not the only drawback of vendor-supplied mobile apps.

The next big issue is the availability of free code for developers used for creating enterprise apps. Unless enterprises settle for the topmost mobile apps (often expensive), there’s a chance of a security threat. That’s because hackers sometimes create codes meant for developers and get that information after the app’s release. Even when trusted sources provide the code, developers need to carefully scrutinize each line to ensure robust security.

Opting for low-cost mobile apps is, therefore, a major security threat that spells doom for enterprises.

Benefits of Building Customized Apps

Custom-made apps can change the game for organizations. It is true that the cost of developing business-specific apps pose more challenges and increase the budget manifold. But then, when we look at the long-term benefits, these apps are worthy investments.

Such apps target and solve specific issues pertaining to an organization with possible updates in the future. For other apps, enterprises have to wait for the next update and are never sure of what to expect.

Looking at the drawbacks of vendor-supplied apps and the opportunities of custom apps, the latter is the better option. With the resources and the budget, organizations should kick off custom mobile app development to reap the benefits. Even if there are one or two techies, it makes sense to train them in app development.

Knowledge of both iOS and Android platforms is an essential part of developers’ skills these days. Online training sites such as Zeolearn offer cross-platform development courses (with an integrated development environment like Xamarin which is widely used) that address these skills. These courses, along with hands-on, instructor-led sessions, help bring your team up to speed quickly.

Going forward, here’s how enterprises can take a transformative approach to app development:

• Go Beyond Design

Enterprise apps need to focus more on core functionalities and problem-solving abilities than design or gamification. This doesn’t mean that the user-experience will take a backseat. App developers need to create apps with maximum features and functionalities so that users don’t look elsewhere.

• Automate Everything Possible

According to a report by Gartner, about 85% of human interactions will be managed without a human by 2020. This hints at the rise of bots/chatbots.

They fortify human interaction with machine learning and artificial intelligence and enhance the user-experience as compared to static apps.

They are clearly the future of mobile apps, and businesses can tweak them to cater to their needs.

Chatbots have witnessed a phenomenal rise in the past couple of years. Several businesses and brands have come up with their own bots to help customers. They have a wide range of applications, including providing 24×7 customer support, which is immensely beneficial for enterprises.

• Integrate IoT

IoT aims to make the world more connected. The smart technology will disrupt the way enterprises work and conduct business. It is estimated that by 2020, there’ll be 25 billion internet-connected things.

One of the best examples of IoT is the partnership between Microsoft and Rolls-Royce. The luxury car maker will integrate Azure IoT Suite with Cortana Intelligence Suite in the next-generation Rolls-Royce intelligent engines.

Apps integrated with IoT are definitely something enterprises will be looking forward to.

• Embrace Simplicity

Custom-built enterprise apps are often the mixture of several apps. This is how organizations cut down time and do away with the hassle of downloading and using several apps. Moreover, they also help reduce the complexities that often arise in developing custom apps from scratch.

In essence, the app should be easy to use, manage, and maintain. And the first step towards achieving this is embracing simplicity and doing away with anything abstract or complex.

Learning and using clean codes in the application can help enterprise mobile app developers reduce the complexities arising later.   

Conclusion

Creating apps that have the power to transform the way businesses function is no longer a difficult feat. With the right talent, new technologies, and other opportunities, it is easier for enterprises to create futuristic mobile apps. Have a say on this? Leave a comment and let us know!