Cross-Platform Mobile Applications

CROSS PLATFORM MOBILE APPLICATIONS

Refers to the development of mobile apps that can be used on multiple mobile platforms. In the business world, a growing trend called BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) is rising. BYOD refers to employees bringing their own personal mobile device into the workplace to be used in place of traditional desktop computers or company-provided mobile devices for accessing company applications and data. Because of BYOD, it has become necessary for businesses to develop their corporate mobile apps and be able to send them to many different mobile devices that operate on various networks and use different operating systems.

Cross-platform mobile development can either involve a company developing the original app on a native platform (which could be iOS, Android, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry/RIM, etc.) or developing the original app in a singular environment for development that will then allow the app to be sent to many different native platforms. There are both pros and cons to cross-platform mobile app development. These tools are useful because they decrease costs and increase the speed at which apps are developed. In addition, cross-platform mobile development tools are generally quite simple to use as they are based off of the common languages for scripting, including CSS, HTML, and JavaScript.

However, cross-platform mobile development does have a few drawbacks. First, mobile operating systems are frequently updated. Whenever a mobile operating system receives a new update, the applications must also be updated to be compatible with the new system. In addition, rendering times with cross-platform mobile development may be longer as each operating system needs a separate set of code.