It is a systematic procedure of creating various applications for mobile devices such as personal digital assistants, enterprise digital assistants, etc. It consists of a plethora of steps that help in software development which can be run on mobile phones. A typical mobile app uses a network connection to work into remote computing resources. The creation of a mobile application traces its roots from traditional software development. The consequent, however, is a software intended to utilize the unique features and hardware of mobile devices. 

One such type of application is location-based mobile apps. There is an old saying that the key to making it through life is to know where you are, where you’ve been and where you are going. Well, today we have an app for that. Location-Based Mobile Apps refer to the geographical location or information about your device’s whereabouts. It can be an IOS or Android-based smartphone, fitness tracker or anything that has a GPS chip or connects to WiFi. That is because location-based mobile apps don’t necessarily use GPS and other satellite systems. In the quest for trends, more and more location-based or geo-dependent mobile applications have been appearing on the market. Navigators, guides, social networks with geological photos, a fitness app with the route tracking belong to so-called Location-Based Apps.

Features of Location-Based Apps

There are a plethora of features that are available for location-based mobile apps. It is very necessary to understand the characteristics of the same before venturing into any new location app. Here is a list of certain valuable features:

Mobile

Location-based mobile apps give you the ability to reach anybody with a mobile phone. This opens the location-based services to every mobile handset user, as long as the company is willing to maintain device-specific versions of applicators.

Check-ins

One of the most common location based mobile apps type is the check-in- which may be defined as the ability to announce that “I  am here” or “I visited this place”. The check-in can deliver a lot of high standard data for you to analyse and begin to build profiles of users who check in to your business.

Discovery

The very reason behind the need for a location-based mobile app is the ability to find something. Hence, the ability to get discovered becomes another one of the features that an app has to take care of.

Engagement

Engagement is a more personal sort of conversation so as to keep people interested. It is much more than just blasting “here I am”/ allowing you to carry a dialogue or group conversation. So, a lot of location-based mobile apps come with social media integrations too to provide a superior experience on the engagement front.

Future and intent

Sometimes you know what you are going to do, and you want to let people know so that you can connect with them or solicit their opinions about what you should do. People like recommendations from others whom they trust. They also like to know who’s going to be at an event so that they can decide with whom they will spend their time.

Platform

You can use platforms to build your own application to cater to your specific purpose and needs. Location-based mobile apps provide a plethora of opportunities to be worked upon, such as databases, check-in-functionality, tips and recommendations, authentications and much more.

Content Network

Some of these location-based mobile app platforms allow you to tailor your content to be placed right next to user-generated content so as to be consumed by the users, yet have a personalised tone to the same.

Pre-Requisite for the development of  Location-Based-Apps

Define Your Goal-

The first pre-condition for development of Location-Based mobile apps is to have a clear conception of the objective of the object initiated. Clear definition and clarity of the goals of the project is a must before inception Questions like what needs the app will cater to? The app will incorporate which feature of Location-based services (LBS) such as navigation, monitoring, etc.? Also, the goal needs to be kept in sight while the development of the software as Location-Based Information mostly have real-time implications.

Select Best Software Developer

It is a very important consideration for Enterprise application Development as it is the foundation for designing. Professionals who have prior experience in designing will be able to cater to your needs by tailoring the software according to your needs. Try avoiding cheap developers. Though budget constraint will prevail, it is not an excuse to scrape the bottom of the barrel. Cheap developing companies usually mean that you will bleed out that money you just saved and create havoc in the long run. Also, take a look at the portfolio of the developers regarding the satisfaction of their clients and whom all have they worked with. Previous records need to be checked before venturing into such projects

Efficiency over speed

It is most advisable to set precedence to the effectiveness of the code of the LBS app rather than speed. Most mobile app developers are guided by the principle that a fast code will save them a lot of time and thereby tend to be a better option for smooth functioning. But there is no point choosing speed over efficiency if the app is inherently wrong. Provide the time it takes, but making the right correct should be the priority so that the user’s car does not end up in the gutter!

Efficient Communication

Where it is an in house app or is being outsourced from a developing company, it is essential to provide necessary information to all the participants of the project to provide a clear idea of the updates of the LBS app development so that there is no room for any glitches. 

Clarity of Feature requirement

Obscurity and ambiguity regarding the requirements of features and functionalities will lead to the delay and complexity of the software designing process of Location-Based applications, and it is also a huge turn-off for the software developers, who run on a time constraint. It gets into their nerves, every time the client keeps asking them to add new features and functionalities to the existing. Consequently, the pace of the project takes a toll, and strains on the budget and schedules, are also witnessed. So a framework should have been clear at the inception stage of the project as to which dimension of the LBS to focus namely: personal, spatial or temporal, in order to ensure the efficiency of the application

Ensuring Security

It should be a priority of the location Based mobile apps, to ensure the security of the same. Auditing and Compliance should be a priority throughout the process. Integration of tracking issues with performances of other checks, need to the ensured, leaving no room for human error. LBS application is real-time information about the geographical whereabouts of the device, which is highly susceptible to an online security breach. So, The last thing an application developer wants is the confidential information and data getting leaked in the wrong hands. So it should be ensured.

Application-level Logging

Application-level logging is a must for any LBS software product; various frameworks are built upon similar lines, which facilitate in tracking errors and debugs issues. These logs are available for monitoring with various tools that can provide several intricate insights to the people /users.

Management of Applications

Management of Location-Based application is pertinent to ensure that no information is discounted or disclosed, or predictable. This process includes the utilising of universal packages and not solely on public repositories. Since the information stored about the location is confidential and should only pertain to the user and his/her discretion, it is important to have a clear structure so as to manage the app.

Difference between Google Maps and Apple maps

Google Maps and Apple Maps are bot synonymous to digital navigation apps or (LBS). Google maps have been the go-to king of online mapping since its launch in 2005. Now it’s less of a mapping app and more of a sharing and data collection network. In 2012, Apple announced Apple maps, which ignited that Google maps Vs Apple maps war that has been stretched out to this day. Given below is an account of a comparison between Google Maps and Apple Maps.

Pricing and Availability

Both Apple Maps and Google Maps have made their mark and are available on almost every device. Apple subsidises Apple Maps as a part of its MacOS and iOS, and Google makes money off Google Maps by tracking your location based data and selling ads.

Supported Devices

The most crucial point of distinction between Google Maps and Apple Maps are their supporting devices. Google Map is available on iOS and Android, as well as online through any web browser. The Apple maps online version is not released yet either is the one for Android, so Apple Maps is only available on macOS and iOS devices.

Data Accuracy

In the last few years, Apple has invested a lot in improving the quality of its maps,  by prioritising it internally and buying other location-centric-startups outright. Apple may have faltered initially but it has amended its ways and has become reliable to great extent. However, in all honesty, it is still nowhere close to what Google Maps has at the offer and it will be a while before this finally happens

Conclusion

So, this was our take on location based mobile apps, their important features, the prerequisite for their development and a small comparison between two of the most powerful location-based mobile apps. Number of other such apps have also come up over time and a lot of apps include the location tracking functionality in them too. It makes sense given how programmatic advertising has been gaining a lot of popularity recently. We feel that a few years down the line and we will be seeing ads not basis our interest but probably based on our location. InMobi for one has been doing that, about time that we see many more such firms coming up.

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In our recent blogs, we will talk about the US market in specific. The reasons about why that happened will remain quite obvious but the same shall be touched upon as well.

Food

One of the most not so surprising entries. One major reason for this was that the US never observed a complete shutdown of the business. This was also another reason for the spread of the pandemic but nevertheless, businesses flourished well. Online food ordering was a big hit during this pandemic. When going out for food was not possible, Quick Serve Restaurants (QSR) made huge business with the idea of food delivery and online money transfer.

However, the citizens were well aware of the safety protocols to follow and the social distancing to be maintained. Thus, the bigger brands flourished- thanks to the trust that they have gained over the years of being in service. Some of the mobile apps which saw a sudden surge in their popularity and revenue include the following

DoorDash

Doordash saw a spike of roughly 30% in the daily orders immediately after the strict lock down was lifted. If one has a look at the internet, it will not be surprising to see so many Door-dash related memes because it became literally everybody’s best friend.

Uber-Eats

Much similar to DoorDash, UberEats is pretty much a very strong competitor to the former. With uber’s extensive connectivity and network at its disposal, UberEats saw a significant surge in its orders too. The analytics reported that in the initial days, the mobile app saw an increase of over 50% in the number of app visits, re-installs or downloads. Soon, the conversion started and till the date of this article going public, the number had reached to roughly an increase of about 37% in the client base.

Grubhub

Grubhub comes third in the list and closely behind UberEats with an increase of about 13% in its daily orders. However, the latest estimates suggest that Grub-hub has been catching up soon and may overtake UberEats in the number of daily orders by the end of this quarter.

Little Caesars

A pizza chain and a really surprising entrant given that Dominos and Pizza Hut are its main rivals. However, Little Caesars saw an astounding 63% increase in its sales overtime during the lock down. This could be because of their pricing and also the super personalized services that they offer-thanks to the local hiring that these guys do.

Social Apps

This category of the trending mobile apps during the lock down shouldn’t really come as a surprise. Social apps are largest trending mobile apps during lock down, reason being people who are not social also were surfing the social apps. The lock down, however, saw a sudden surge in the activity levels. For instance, Facebook alone was responsible for an increase of over 50% in the screen time per user.

Let us look at some of the obvious apps which saw an increase in usage and a few facts and figures in support.

Facebook

Do, we really need to say something here! Facebook was flooded with jokes about the lock down, discussions on masks, groups protesting against the use of masks, multiple dad-groups popping up discussing dad jokes, memes, entertainment, videos and everything.

The platform saw a significant spike especially after the Black Lives matter campaign which had clearly shaken the globe for the atrocity committed.

Multiple online vigils were set up, multiple live webinar sessions were done and a lot of information was exchanged. One could say that Facebook literally became a group knowledge-sharing platform.

Instagram

The major spike in the Instagram traffic came in the form of people experimenting with DIY across the food and personal care. So, there were videos of people cooking something, there were equally beautiful images of cooked food too. The influencers and bloggers’ community got especially active telling the world about their day. While the travel bloggers could not really go out, they kept sharing throwback pictures of their travel to keep their audience engaged.

Instagram, which saw an average of 1.5 posts per person earlier, saw it increase to 2.4 posts per person. There were numerous live sessions being done, mental health became an exceedingly important topic being discussed. Then, with the recent TikTok ban in India, Instagram launched its Reels feature which saw an increasing growing partition from not just Indians but everyone across the globe.

Snapchat

If we talk of numbers then Snapchat didn’t see as much increase percentage-wise but if we talk in absolute terms, then the number stood at 83.4 million already so a 4.3% increase meant a lot. With people barely going out and mostly confined indoors, Snapchat saw an increase of roughly 33% in its daily interactions making it 13th on the list of top 20 trending mobile applications during the lockdown.

TikTok

Though the mobile app has been facing some serious issues and is negotiating a buyout with Microsoft, yet it saw some of its major peak usages. This was until the privacy issues came up and ByteDance, the parent firm saw a major hit to it. However, during its heydays, Tiktok saw a whopping 73% increase in its engagement with multiple videos being put up every second. Prior to the talks about its acquisition by Microsoft and rumours of Data security, TikTok had clocked about 50% growth in its ad-based revenue.

Books & References

A surprise entrant to the list of trending mobile apps during the lock down but the US did see a surge in people being religious. Multiple Bible apps saw a surge in their downloads. While about 6 different types of Bible apps featured in the top 50 list, the Free Bible App was the ruler in the domain. 

The Free Bible App

A surprising entry in the list but the Free Bible App is actually amongst the top 5 of the trending mobile apps during the lock down. Another surprising fact about this is that the new installs were done mostly by people in the age group of 16 to 24, i.e. not the kind of age group which is considered spiritually inclined on an average.

Amazon Kindle

Well where would one go if one has to read books online- Amazon Kindle. After all, the app which provides access to almost all the possible books that have been converted to an online version of themselves. 

BravoNovel & Knots 3D

These are two more apps which we would want to include in the list of the trending mobile apps during the lockdown. Though, not much data is available on how much surge these say, yet BravoNovel and Knots 3D were being discussed almost everywhere on the internet.

While BravoNovel is a different version of Amazon Kindle so to say, Knots 3D is a really addictive game where you have to untie the knots.

Recreation

Surprisingly Netflix did not top the charts when it came to recreation and Amazon prime Videos did not even feature in the top 10 in the domain. However, apps which dealt with emojis and/or meme creation saw a surge.

Another set of mobile apps which became especially popular were the ones offering digital detox or the promise of mindfulness. 

Digital Detox: Focus and Fight Addiction

Well, pretty counter intuitive to the social media apps of the world, the digital detox app helps people put their phone away by giving them a virtual incentive. The app offers a gradual plan to follow to reduce the dependency on the mobile. The thing is, this app came out as a surprise entrant in the list because it simply shot up. The increase was over 200% but before you get overwhelmed, the number of downloads currently stands at 13 million.

Netflix

We really do not have much to say about this one since the lock down phase was all about “Netflix and chill”

iFunny

This app was built pretty recently so as to give the users the option to create their own stickers. iFunny has been doing rounds of the interactive/recreational circles for a while and saw considerable downloads, roughly 100,000 within the first week of its launch.

Healthcare and Self development Apps

With most gyms shut down and restrictions on going out, not many people were able to stick to their workout regime. However, as much as the Americans love a good workout, it was only obvious that they turned to apps for assistance. With the surge in healthcare applications, there is an astounding surge in self development mobile apps.

• Calorie Counter
• WW (Weight Watchers Reimagined)

Calorie Counter and WW were two major apps that saw the maximum number of installs. While Calorie counter saw an increase of roughly 25% in its downloads and 47% in its engagement, WW saw about 34% increase in the downloads. The engagement didn’t see a lot of increase and was only about 6% up from the usual. This could also have been due to the fact that Calorie counter was offering most of the features that Weight Watchers had.

But, that is just an assumption that we are taking. It might not necessarily be true.

Productivity Apps

Needless to say, with the work from the home culture at its peak, the productivity apps saw a significant spike in their downloads too. Some of them were downloaded because of the need to hunt for jobs too, for instance, Indeed and LinkedIn were such apps which were installed by people who were looking for a switch or to network with the relevant people. Let us look at some of the major trending productivity mobiles apps.

Slack

Estimates suggest that Slack saw a 23% higher download number over its usual average and the app usage hours increased to roughly 2.3 hours per user as compared to the earlier average of 45 minutes

Indeed

We do not really have much to add here given how indeed is the app for finding jobs. With the corona crisis and the impending recession hitting the markets, a lot of people lost their jobs and had to take to some or the other job search apps. Indeed ranks 19th in the list of top 20 trending mobile apps during the lock down period.

LinkedIn

Be it blowing the professional trumpet, engaging with the network or finding jobs that would suit your profile or help you proceed in your career, LinkedIn has become the preferred network. Needless to say, it saw a spike in its engagement too, sadly though it was mostly for job seekers. To cater to these, LinkedIn even started its “Open for work” initiative whereby people could mark themselves like that. This helped recruiters to reach out to the immediately available candidates faster.

MobileIron Email+

MobileIron Email+ is essentially an app that can enable all the office mails right at one place.Targeted at android users in general, this app provides a platform to install all the mailboxes, right at one place! Needless to say that with the remote working becoming a norm, this one saw a huge surge in its downloads

Conclusion

So, this was our list of trending mobile apps during the lock down. We have tried to cover the most important ones here as per the categories mentioned. Needless to say, the apps that fulfilled the most basic of the necessities survived and the apps which turned themselves around or were following a model offering companionship saw a spike in their usage.

Having said that, hope this blog gave you some good insights into the world of trending mobile apps.

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The fact that we are living in the age of technology, changes our milieu and lifestyle than what it used to be. Most of our essential activities around us have taken a digital path. Constantly surrounded by smart technology like touchscreen phones, digital locks, tablets, etc. All your questions can be easily answered on the Internet just with the help of a single click on your smartphone. Children are being exposed to devices like tablets, smartphones, and game consoles from the beginning of their lives. Every teen today demands to have their personal mobile phone. While on the one hand, a mobile phone in today’s digital age is necessary, but it also has its own side effects. Teenagers have unmonitored direct access to the Internet, and that is why it is most likely to invite all the troubles with it. Online scams and cyberbullies are waiting just around the corner.

Setting the Context

To save many parents from these added tension and stress, parental control apps are here. Parental Control apps help the parents to keep a close eye on their children while giving them enough privacy too. Parental control apps have gained immense popularity because they help monitor the children’s online activity on their smartphones and laptops. With the help of parental control apps, teenagers are safe from online dangers and can experience a hassle-free digital ride.

Parental control features can be included in computers and video games, digital television services, smartphones, laptops, etc. It enables parents to easily restrict access to various kinds of content for their teenagers. These controls are created to assist parents in their ability to control the content viewed by their children. This is because certain content that their child may see or stumble upon may be highly inappropriate for their age. Also, a certain type of content is meant only for an adult audience

Classification of Parental Control Apps

There are broadly four categories in Parental Control.

Monitoring controls – These can track the child’s activity and location when using the devices.

Computer Usage controls – These are management tools which enforce the consumption of certain software

Content filters controls – This is to restrict the access and consumption to age-inappropriate content.

Usage controls – This constrains the usage of these devices by placing time-limits on usage or restricting certain types of usage.

Understanding the Filters

Content filters were the first type of parental controls that gained popularity and limited access to the content on the Internet. Television stations also followed suit and introduced the V-Chip technology and set bounds on access to television content. Contemporary usage controls enable an individual to restrict a wide range of explicit content like explicit songs/music and movies. They also have the capability to switch devices off during specific times of the day. This helps to cut down the volume output of all devices. As GPS technology has become affordable, now it is also possible to easily locate gadgets like smartphones.

Needless to say, parents, today are raising a generation of techies. Toddlers can be seen using smartphones and tablets, and teenagers are mostly busy on social media. Also, most educational institutions have integrated computers and tablets into their curriculum. Parents are forced to allow their children and teenagers to have a personal smartphone. Most parents are constantly faced with the challenge of evaluating the pros and cons of providing their children with digital freedom.

This calls for clearly defining the boundaries of such freedom, which is mostly not an easy task. Modern parents feel that restraining a child’s access to the Internet could also keep him/her away from learning skills. But this also automatically means that the child is exposed to the dangers and threats of the online world. Sometimes, the content consumed is beyond their level of comprehension and accurate judgment. That is why installing a robust security system with parental controls on all electronic devices is important. This will help the child to surf through the digital world safely.

Importance of Parental Control Apps

Parental control apps help to monitor your kids’ electronic gadgets.

You can play your part to ensure that your child is safe by monitoring their electronic devices. While your children are learning to be tech savvy and making friends through social media, they mustn’t get astray in the virtual world, as kids are gullible. Parental controls will also help you to monitor social media profiles, emails, texts, and other mobile operations. Parental controls come to the rescue when you are especially anxious about tricky activities or conversations. For example, some apps will notify you when it detects specific words like “drugs.”

Parental control apps will allow you to limit what your child can search on search engines

Search can answer any of your questions these days. The worry here is the unlimited access to content which may be inappropriate for most of the kids. Many factors come into play in deciding what is good or bad for your child. Parental controls such as Google’s SafeSearch can help the parents wedge out adult content, and explicit videos, in search feeds. The best way, though is to talk to your child about inappropriate and age-appropriate content. They should have the comfort-zone to approach you or a trusted adult whenever the need arises.

Parental controls apps block specific features of games that your kids play online

Gaming consoles have internet access that allows your child to browse the web, undertake inn-app purchases etc. Kids can be fooled easily, and this makes them the prime targets for hackers/ cyber-criminals. These features are targeted at making the game more fun, but for parents, it can be a cause for concern. No parent would want their kid to spend money on anything random without asking for permission. Parental controls will enable you to set up user profiles through which kids can only access certain features. Thus, you will be able to monitor their activities better.

Parental control apps enable you to track your child’s location

With the help of GPS apps, you can track your entire family locations. These features guarantee that your child is safe, and they are exactly where they are supposed to be. In case of emergencies, GPS is the best solution. However, for this feature to work, your phone’s GPS needs to be turned on. It is also a good idea to instruct your child not to share their location on social media.

Parental control apps will establish good cyber safety practices

It is a known fact that cybercrime is a multibillion-dollar industry,. The cybercriminals prey on people’s poor safety knowledge and habits.

A teenager is constantly learning and processing new things. Young minds are curious, and their curiosity may lead them to involuntarily engage in risky behavior online. They may disclose too much information, such as their date of birth, school name, and address. This leads to compromising the safety of everyone involved.

Parental control apps also set screen time limits

Long hours of screen time are extremely harmful to eyesight and brain functioning. Also, it is highly addictive. In comparison to an adult, children may find it tougher to break free from their favorite game or show online. Prolonged screen time can also result in bad posture and a lack of physical activity. Parents have to incorporate a healthy lifestyle amongst their children by restricting screen time. Parental controls also help set strict boundaries by putting time limits on the various types of media children consume. Designated gadget-free time and activities like taking a walk, playing an outdoor game, can drastically change your child’s outlook.

Parental control apps also defend the online reputation

Kids today are addicted to making posts on social media and flood the internet pictures from occasions and vacations. Many of these social media posts may go unnoticed. But all it takes is a Google search to make a quick judgement of a person based on the information they shared online. Monitoring social media of your kids by checking the security and privacy settings can keep many troubles at bay. Most social media sites have options for controlling the privacy of your information. Educate your child to make him/her better aware of things.

Cons of Parental Control Apps

Parents at all times need to be aware of their kid’s intelligence. If a child has high intelligence, he/she may outsmart the parents and uninstall monitoring systems from the devices without parents getting a hint about it. Sometimes, the parental control of software or mobile apps can incur high costs. Some mobile apps have highly advanced features, so the price for them is huge too. But this is an issue that can be tackled easily as there are many options for parental control software in the market.

Scope of Parental Control Apps

Parental control apps are the perfect solutions that block undesirable web content and restrict the consumption/use of risky, disturbing content. Basically, these mobile apps are a measure to help keep your kids safer on their mobile devices and computers. Globally, the parental control app industry is expected to expand to $223 million by the year 2028. Studies show that 39% of parents with kids between the age of 4-16 set access controls on their Internet and mobile network. Around 35% of parents set controls on devices that their kids usually use at home. Also, 45% of parents of teenage children implement privacy settings to their kid’s social media profiles.

Popular Parental Control Apps in the US and Australian Markets

Some popular parental control apps in the US and Australian Markets are Qustodio, Kaspersky Safe Kids, Norton Family Premier, Net Nanny, etc.

Kaspersky Safe Kids 

It is a well-featured and affordable parental control app that can be used for both mobile and desktop platforms. The Kaspersky safe Kids app does not have any limits on the number of devices that can be connected to it. It has robust Geofencing and web filtering features. That doesn’t have restrictions on the number of devices you can use it on. However, it has some operating system limitations. Content filtering can be applied to only limited browser options. If you are a fan of a premium interface, then this app might disappoint you.

Norton Family’s Premier 

It is easy to set up and a smooth configuration. It comprises a well-designed dashboard and has no cap on the number of devices connected. The downside is that this app does not work on Macs and has some time-limits on per-device usage. Also, unlike Kaspersky Safe Kids, this app has no geofencing.

Qustodio 

It is a parental control app that boasts features and controls for a wide range of platforms, making it a very popular free parental control app. It is also available for iOS, Mac, Android, Kindle, and Nook. The free version of this app provides you options such as setting rules and time plans and blocks unsuitable content on the Internet. If you, however, choose to use the paid version, you get extensive controls like SMS monitoring and social media tracking. Net Nanny is considered to be one of the best parental control apps. It has a powerful web-filtering feature and a contemporary and easy to use interface. Net Nanny can help you track your child’s location along with their location history. It is devised for both ios and android operating systems.

In an ideal world, parents should not have to monitor their children on such an extensive level. But that can be moral for an “ideal world,” and we all know the world today is a very unfair and tough place to live in. The web is not a safe place, and children are not mature enough to make the right decisions. This is why parental control apps are the need of the hour. It is an industry with huge potential and is expected to grow exponentially in the coming days.

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Well, in this blog we will be discussing this in-depth and in all the possible relevant details.

What is a Progressive Web Application

A Progressive Web App or PWA is literally the usual web application albeit with modern capabilities. The major Progressive Web Application benefits include easier URL accessibility, super search engine optimization from the day of launch, easily deployed servers and superior user experience among others.

In the following sections, we will first try and understand what it takes to become a progressive web app, the difference between a PWA and a native mobile app and finally a look at certain common examples of Progressive web applications.

What does it take to be a Progressive Web Application

For a mobile app to be considered a PWA, it should have the following set of Progress Web Application benefits.

User and Platform Agnostic

The most primary of the progressive web application benefits, a PWA allows a user to access the app from any platform or browser without any hassle. Thus, whether it is iOS or Android, Safari, Chrome or Firefox or Opera, a progressive web application will open seamlessly across.

Super Responsive

Another progressive web application benefit lies in the fact that it is compatible with all screens and systems. Thus, unlike usual web applications, there are no different versions for different devices. A PWA adjusts quite effectively.

Independent of the Network

Whether you are online on an active fast speed internet, getting barely any signals, one major progressive web application benefit lies in the fact that it will still work! Of course, loading new pages will be a slight concern but what had been opened or got loaded during the time of an active internet connection will well be there.

Like an App

Just like any good app, a progressive web application will also provide an app-shell model to provide the user with effective navigation and social interactions

Fast in Updation

Another major progressive web application benefit is that if there is a new technology or upgrade in the market, the PWA will have it! So much for fast updates.

Secure to use

Powered with HTTPS, and end to end encryption as required, a PWA offers complete privacy and security to the user.

Easily Discover-able

Thanks to the W3C manifests, and highly optimized backend SEO, a PWA is easily discover-able across all the search engines.

High on Engagement

With all the push notifications, in-app notifications, SMS and email streams and a lot more, a progressive web application offers a super engaging platform to the users.

Be a Keep App

The biggest progressive web application benefit, which one can say is more like a prerequisite for the developing firm is that a PWA sticks to the user’s phone. It is the kind of app which will, in many cases, come auto-installed on the user’s phone or laptop.

Shareable and Linkable

A progressive web application needs to be enabled for URL sharing and should not have any complex installation.

A Progressive Web App vs a Native Mobile App

The biggest difference lies in the hardware platform being used and the compatibility of the PWA or the Native mobile app with that. When we have a native app, for instance, there are a lot of hassles surrounding which platform to choose and how the application would thus end up missing out on a certain part of its customer base. In addition to this, there are multiple other challenges about how to best monetize the application, whether to go for just a website or an app would make more sense, then comes the entire size consideration, the search engine optimization bit and a lot more. In this section, we will draw a comparison between a progressive web app and a native app to understand the typical progressive web application benefits at the offer.

The Code and Hardware Differences

A native mobile app by its very definition means that it has the limitations of the platform for which it has been developed in specific. So, an iOS app will work for the Apple- operating system while the android app will work on the respective OS. The major progressive web application benefit lies in its being platform or operating system agnostic. A typical progressive web application is built just like any web application or website. These apps have HTML, CSS, Javascript at their base and hence can integrate several features on the same platform. The most recent advancement in the domain has been the use of HTML5 for web application development. This has resulted in enabling a progressive web application to even have low-level hardware features such as pressure-sensitive touch, graphic rendering, audio and video enablement etc. 

The App Store Web Browser Conundrum

It is a really tough job to ensure that your app gets installed. Yes, we understand that the memories of phones have been increasing and hence there is more storage space than ever and people keep installing new apps every month. But, are you okay with taking all those risks. Not all of us come with deep pockets after all! Also, in addition to just the development cost, the cost for the marketing of the app is overwhelmingly high too. However, another major progressive web app benefit comes into play here.

A PWA has the potential to be modified and converted to suit any native app experience. Plus, they offer a full range of functionality in browsers too, totally agnostic to which divide they are being accessed upon. Also, a PWA comes with the option of “adding to the home screen” which creates a direct shortcut to the application without having to download the app. This means, the extra storage space which an app install would have resulted in, gets negated too! While you will always have the option to decide between a Progressive Web Application and a Native app, if you are someone with a bit of cash crunch and looking at something amazing in that, a PWA seems the more logical option to go by.

Development

Putting things simply, native app development is an old concept. Progressive web application development is pretty new. Hence, if we are talking about the tools that are required to make a native app, they are plenty! For instance, there are Apple’s foundation frameworks or Google’s UI framework. In addition to this, there are several hacks and quick fixes which have been developed for easier development. The same isn’t as true for progressive web app development though. 

Monetization

When it is about the monetization options that an average Progressive web app has at the offer, they are plenty. For instance, one can go for push-notifications, ad integrations, google ad sense, or even let out a part of their property for sale. These options are a lot compared to a native app. However, given the time since their inception, native apps have been better enabled for third party payment integrations. For a progressive web app, on the other hand, a dedicated payment system needs to be created.

Lighter Application Size

Speed of loading and lighter application size are among the other major progressive web application benefits. This has a lot to do with the fact that PWA’s are made on markup languages such as JavaScript. This feature comes in especially handy when the target audience does not belong to a good network region. In such situations, having a progressive web application can really help. Progressive Web Applications offer the ability to use cached data to the users. Thus ensuring a faster loading speed. This works by storing the application’s data on the device. And just in case this had you worried about privacy concerns, the data storage is completely safe. This is done through what we usually call cookies.

Search Engine Optimization

We have discussed the search engine optimization bit of the apps in our previous blogs. We had, in those blogs enumerated all the possible steps to ensure that the app stays in trends. However, search engine optimization takes time and so, having a website to boost SEO always helps.

This is another major one of the progressive web application benefits. A progressive web application can be accessed and sued from anywhere. It is pretty much everywhere on the search engines too. Thus, the additional SEO steps for a native app were to be done by default for a PWA. Also, since writing content for a website is easier the results and optimization are faster too!

A Few Example of Progressive Web Applications

BookMyShow

BookMyShow is another web application which has dwelled in progressive web application benefits. The firm, first incorporated the concept in 2017 when it replaced its usual website with it. The result was that not only did the PWA improve upon the bounce rates but increased the overall conversions too. The ticket booking experience improved while one did not have to necessarily download the app onto the phone. All that needed to be done was to log in to the website on any device and voila!

Forbes

Forbes turned to a progressive web application to get the benefit of improved engagement rates and push notifications. The logic being, not everyone wanted to download the paid Forbes mobile app. Thus, through a progressive web application, Forbessaw a 43% increase in the number of sessions. In addition to this, there was a 20% increase in the impressions. Oh yes, the app did not have any engagement prior but push-notifications enabled that!

OLX

OLX, an online classified platform focuses on the progressive web application benefits surrounding its mobile app. The firm mainly worked on improving the bounce rates on its app. In addition to this, OLX also worked upon using push-notifications to drive engagements. The result was that within a year of using a progressive web app, OLX saw a 250% increase in re-engagement with an 80% decrease in bounce rates. The CTR of its app ads also saw an increase of roughly 146%.

Pinterest

Pinterest, an application which has been used commonly by creative people all around the globe invested in a PWA too. The Marketing team at Pinterest fell that the website experience was slow and barely 1% of the visitors were converting into sign-ups and app installs. The Progressive Web Application benefits that they experienced post their investment were, however, really significant. For instance, there was a 40% increase in the overall session duration per user with a 44% increase in the revenue generated through ads. The CTRs showed an increase of 50% and the overall engagement increased by roughly 60%

Lancôme

A French luxury cosmetic brand, Lancome had been facing issues of fewer conversions from its mobile site despite the heavy traffic being generated. This seemed like a huge downside since the app was sticking on the phone but it was likely not being used as much. The firm then invested in trying out the progressive web application benefits and made the necessary investments. This helped them to not just increase the engagement rate but also the conversions. 

For instance, the firm saw a 17% increase in conversions, a 15% decrease in the bounce rates and about 51% increase in mobile sessions.

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Identify the goals of the app

One of the initial priorities that most developers should look into is the need and preferences of the customers. Not doing market analysis before starting, like serving meat to vegan-he/she is not gonna eat it. Application development requires huge investment, and without research and demand analysis, the endeavor can end in smoke. A prior analysis of the target customer is necessary to validate whether the idea is to be pursued or not. This also provides for a road-map to channelize the application idea and provide a better avenue of customer acquisition & retention.

Simple interface

The first thing a person sees while opening an app is its interface. The pre-requisite for app development is the notion that not everyone is tech-savvy, and the customer base has a vague understanding of technology. It should take into account a more simplistic approach while designing the same so that it is user friendly. Outlined augmented interface that challenges the users to navigate from one screen to another, usually discourages them from using the app. The user experience should be served as the top priority.  A proper app flowchart with necessary options should be created to improve customer experience. It is also advisable to avoid low resolution.

Minimum features

As the saying goes, ” Too much of anything is bad”, holds in case of application development. Some developers include everything, from their cutlery set to the living room sofas, into their application unfathomable. An essential characteristic of an app has to be to cater to the needs of the customer in an uncomplicated manner, in the shortest period possible. People forget the niche of the app and try to mitigate every problem with it, which must be avoided. At the end of the day, it is just an app, not your mother!

Analyze platform strength

Applications have two platforms at their disposal, to be launched, namely, Android Play Store and IOS Apple Store. So it is a pertinent decision as to which platform to choose for the same. Android has a wider user base across the world while iOS has supremacy and a premium feel to it. So depending on the niche and selling proposition of the app, the platform needs to be selected. Otherwise, it can pose great stress in the future.

Consider MVP

After the creation of the mobile app, it is advisable to pace oneself and avoid hasting into launching the same, as it can turn disastrous. The solution to enter with a Market Value Proposition (MVP). It will essentially pertain to limited core features of the app and in a short span, will be able to reap the benefits of the same. But if the app is developed with lots of bugs & errors unchecked, you can surely go the devil’s lane after its launch. So the developers should be perspicacious in this regard.

Ensure Value Proposition

With the influx of innumerable apps in the app stores, leaving a mark of this own has become a real tough job for the newly launched apps. It is important to possess some competitive advantage as the market is saturated anyway. The value proposition should be unique to attract customers. Otherwise, the app will go unnoticed and gain zero returns.

Planned market launch

As mentioned earlier, the present age of digitization has brought in a lot of changes, especially with growing competition and market saturation. Entering the market without a planned launch leads to the doom of most products. Applications also stand no exception here. Apps will go unnoticed if they are not backed by intricate marketing strategies. Choosing a market target segment and thereby positioning the product should be the basic step before putting the app on various platforms. Requisite steps are required to be observed, and a robust pre-launch marketing campaign needs to be devised to create buzz around your app and engage leads.

Patience with ROI

It is noteworthy here that only 1% of the apps on the app stores, make money. This calls for a re-evaluation of the ultimate objective of the endeavor of application development.  Patience is the key here. One cannot expect immediate returns to their investment in this type of venture. Again if it is an enterprise app, link the same with the official website so as to increase traffic and enhance profitability.

Ensuring the “3 Click rule”

Most apps tend to defy the thumb rule functionality to limit the clicks to not more than three clicks. Research has proved that it discourages users if the ultimate interfaced isn’t opened with the third click. So it is important to maintain the same.

Compatibility of Content

Consistency and coherence in the content designed, under the digital interface, is very important for the success of the app. Content designed for large web platforms will not be compatible with mob apps, and this is where developers tend to miss the mark. Content needs to be edited or reduced to properly work on the mobile interface, thereby marginalizing the amount of glitch.

Considering  app an extension of the website

Last but not least, considering app extension into the website should also be a priority while developing apps. With in-device features, apps do things that the website hardly does. So weighing both the interface on different scales is important to create a consistent revenue-earning application.

Assess potential ROI

The ultimate aim of the creation and launching of applications is to garner money and enjoy returns on investments. Hence, it becomes essential to curate a  proper revenue collecting framework for the apps, at the time of its launch. A systematic procedure is required to be initiated from the inception to suffice the punitive gains. Apps can require a fee to use, or they can use an in-app-purchase interface. Appropriate monetization should be of utmost concern for the developers, and this is where they falter.

Building Brand Loyalty through mobile applications

Creation of brand name and goodwill, in turn, helps to have a stronger customer base. In addition to that, brand loyalty is one of the driving factors for increasing sales of a product. The loyalty of customers tends to be directly proportional to sales, which means an increase in loyal customers translates directly to an increase in revenue. In fact, research states that repeat customers spend on average 67% more than new customers.

An average brand’s loyal customers shoot the profits to 80% od the total revenue. Hence it becomes pertinent for a brand to set utmost precedence on developing the brand name in a way to increase customer retention and indulge new customers in purchasing their products. Hence, the most important feature that mobile apps offer is the ability to facilitate engagement, which is essential for captivating customers and encouraging loyalty. The level of app engagement becomes a lucrative source to harness customer loyalty.

Using a mobile app as a tool to encourage customers and build brand loyalty is the need of the hour. Here are a few ways that can be followed in order to achieve the desired results.

Offer Personalized Content

Consumers turn to apps to satisfy specific needs and receive dedicated and personalized services. Consumers find it very discouraging to shop from the website or other web browsers. They want something truly engaging. Apps come in handy. By offering and delivering content that is personalized to the user, one can build a deeper relationship with their customers. Mobile apps help build a strong relationship with the customers, but they also offer insights into customer preferences.

Reward Loyalty and Offer Incentives

Rewards and loyalty incentives programs have been attracting customers & making them stay for a while now. It becomes an easy access to persuade the clients to associate with the brand and thereby increase profitability.  There are many strategies involved in this regard. From incentives and special deals and offers to discount coupons, complimentary products or services. Every little thing that we do for our customers, makes them loyal to the brand. Mobile apps in this regard, prove to be very handy.  They give brands the leverage to create and customize timely offers.

User Retention

The elevated app user experience over a website interface brings customers back with an average 4x higher return than mobile and desktop. This results in the more and more users, who have abandoned their shopping cart, adding more items to the cart and /or complete purchase.

Improves Customer Lifetime Value

App users become super users-purchasing more regularly, more often, and oven longer periods of time. This creates a pathway for customers to stay loyal by means of attractive offers and experiences. This can be done for immediate goals as well as for long term benefits.

Increased Revenue

Valuable data from the application allows retailers to cater to content and to message to the customer. As a result, users are provided with relevant recommendations, messaging, and discounts. It also helps with decreased cart abandonment and increased traffic for purchase completion.

Top Mobile Loyalty Features that keep the customer engaged

Loyalty Account

This is an excellent way of cultivating the loyalty of the customer by bridging the gap between online and store. As with the user account, all the necessary information pertaining to loyalty information synced with the e-commerce website.

Experimental Perks

Retailers can drive strong emotions; loyalty by providing programs characterized by experiential perks. Loyalty can be used as a competitive advantage to generate revenues for the business. Personalized experiences such as birthday gifts, exclusive access to pre-launched products etc. contribute to creating loyalty among the customers. This, in turn, helps in expanding the customer based.

Push Notifications

Using the power SMS, retailers can send their customers relevant and instantly accessible content. Email-marketing is hugely dependent on a person opening the email. Push notifications serve as a major solution here. Plus, push notifications can be hyper-personalised to the user’s requirement which further improves the experience.

Collaborative Shopping

For some retailers, what makes them successful is the ability to offer unique value proposition such as a wedding registry, baby shower registry, social polling and more. 

Customers look for niche solutions as they don’t have time to browse a drop-down list of irrelevant items. Apps help is providing a personalized experience in a combo manner. This proves to be cost-efficient for the customers and thereby become coveted among them. When brand resonates to emotions and personal experiences of the customers, powerful brand loyalty is created.

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History of Augmented Reality 

Advanced computer processors have made it possible to combine such digital data displays with real-time video. One of the early examples of Augmented Reality was first shown by the famous Fox Broadcasting company’s network in the mid-1990s. 

It may appear as a surprise, but Augmented Reality has been around for numerous decades. However, only with the recent development in Augmented Reality and the increased investments in this field have put AR apps on the map of the next big commercial commodity.

In the year 1968, Ivan Sutherland, a computer scientist and Harvard professor, invented the first sort of Augmented Reality device with his student, Bob Sproull. He named it “The Sword of Damocles”. The Sword of Damocles had a head-mounted display, hung from the ceiling superimposing computer graphics, which made the user feel as though they were in the middle of an alternate reality. However, the most significant development in Augmented Reality happened in the year 1947, by Myron Krueger. This project was known as Video placeVideoplace, which combined video cameras along with a projection system that produced shadows on the screen. This setup took the process a notch further making the user feel as though they were in an interactive environment. However, the term Augmented Reality came into existence after Boeing researcher; Tom Caudell coined it in the year 1990.

In 1992, Louis Rosenburg from USAF Armstrong’s Research Lab was the first to develop the first-ever real operational Augmented Reality system. This came to be known as Virtual Fixtures. 

The Timeline for AR Commercialisation

The advent of Augmented Reality mobile apps into the space of theatre and performing arts happened in 1994 through the show “Dancing in Cyberspace”. This show, in a way, marked the entry of AR into commercial domains.

In 1998, Sportsvision showed the original virtual yellow first-down marker during a live NFL match. A similar variation of this simulation is now a norm in all televised football matches today. This development has a significant role to play in the history of Augmented Reality.

In the year 1999, NASA integrated Augmented Reality in its X-38 spacecraft by using a hybrid synthetic vision structure. Augmented Reality helped to improve navigation during flights. 

Hirokazu Kato from the Nara Institute of Science and Technology in Japan, made a pivotal development in the field of Augmented Reality when he created the software called ARToolKit. This software could record real-world videos and superimpose them with virtual graphics.  In today’s time with the use of the internet and cameras, users can experience Augmented Reality. All these inventions from history have immensely influenced the experiences in flash-based Augmented Reality mobile apps.

The National Football League (NFL) used Skycam, for aerial views of the field. This included the insertion of the virtual first-down marker in 2003.

Esquire magazine collaborated with Robert Downey Jr. in 2009, to create Augmented Reality content for the readers. The same year, ARToolKit made Augmented Reality available to Internet browsers.

AR v/s VR

Augmented Reality’s distant cousin is Virtual Reality. VR is complimentary but distinct in technology. While AR apps superimpose digital information directly on the physical world, VR swaps physical reality with a computer-generated environment. Virtual Reality is most commonly used for entertainment applications, but it can also replicate physical settings for various training purposes. However, AR apps will be far more applicable in businesses than VR. Augmented Reality mobile apps augment the world scene, whereas Virtual Reality creates a distinct immersive world. In Augmented Reality mobile apps, users get a sense of being in the real world. However, in Virtual Reality users are under the control of the graphical environment which stimulates the aural and proprioceptive senses. Augmented Reality mobile apps also need a mechanism to combine elements of the real and virtual world. Contrary to this, Virtual Reality is created out of computer-generated visuals. 

Virtual Reality can be helpful, especially in machinery or combat training as often the tools involved are hazardous. VR can create an environment of using holograms of those tools/equipment. The core functionality of Augmented Reality mobile apps it to instruct, visualize and interact, whereas VR can stimulate a response.  In the case of Augmented Reality mobile apps, the user is in the real world. In Virtual Reality, however, the user is in an artificial world cut-off from the real environment.

Why Augmented Reality?

The reality that we live in is a three-dimensional world. In contrast, the information accumulated over the years remains limited to a two-dimensional structure like pages and electronic screens. This creates a long bridge between the digital data and the physical surrounding. Essentially, it is this gap which limits our capacity to process the rich insights in a more meaningful way. The human mind has unique imaginary capabilities. If these imaginations can be integrated with structured information, it will boost the production of billions of smart ideas and products. Augmented Reality mobile apps can affect companies, industries, and many other types of organisations, from educational institutions to social enterprises. 

AR apps are evolving technology, and its significance will only grow exponentially in the coming years. AR apps will take centre stage of being the new interface between machines and humans, bridging the long gap between the digital and physical worlds. Big industry giants like Amazon, Facebook, General Electric, Mayo Clinic, and even the U.S. Naval force, are implementing AR apps, witnessing a substantial impact on quality and productivity. 

Exclusive operations of Augmented Reality mobile apps have been around for a long time, but only recently have the technologies had the opportunity to unleash its potential. Primarily, AR apps convert vast volumes of data and analytics into images/animations that are overlaid in the real world. This makes the interpretation of information interactive and practical. Most AR applications today are distributed through mobile devices. Hoever, but the future will have exclusive hands-free wearables like smart glasses and head-mounted displays. 

What are AR apps

Broadly, AR apps create a new information-delivery paradigm. Experts suggest that it will have a profound impact on how data is structured, managed, and distributed on the internet. Although it was the internet which revolutionized information handling, it led storage and processing systems to be limited to the two-dimensional world of screens and pages. What this means is it urges people to process 2D data mentally and apply it to a 3D world.

Now, this isn’t always a cakewalk; as specific information and jobs require a deeper understanding of subjects. For example, anyone who uses a user’s manual to fix a machine knows that it always does not work out in favour. Pictorial representations are not still helpful and do not solve the asked question. Augmented Reality mobile apps give us the freedom to superimpose digital information directly on real-world objects. This allows people to absorb accurate information swiftly and perform the task at hand in an efficient manner.

AR apps magnify the potential of visualisation in information processing; therefore, generate value from these capabilities. AR apps add to business value in two ways mainly. First, by becoming part of products, and secondly, by refining performance across the value chain. The effects of Augmented Reality are spread across the value chain, but they are more effective in some aspects than in others. The power of visuals on instructional/guide applications have a massive impact on companies’ operations. 

Popular Augmented Reality Games or Applications

Professionals in the Augmented Reality industry believe that the jackpot is lying just around the corner in this field. The Augmented Reality industry is said to be the next success story like that of Apple. Investments in the Augmented Reality industry have been on the rise, and the curve seems only to move upwards. In 2018 alone, the investment in Augmented and Virtual Reality industry was a total of $1.1billion. Most people today are familiar with AR apps like Snapchat filters, Pokémon Go, etc. Pokémon Go became a sensation amongst gamers when it was released. It had an estimated 100 million users at its peak.

Another popular AR app is the Star Walk app by Vito Technology. This AR app is designed for sky gazers & enables them to point the camera oat the sky to get relevant information.  The AR app Layer uses GPS and the camera of mobile phones to gather information about the operator’s surroundings. It helps the operator to find popular places nearby, restaurants, stores, etc. In 2018, the AR app “Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery” became incredibly popular amongst gamers.

The Scope of Augmented Reality

Experts calculate that the Augmented Reality industry will be a $60 billion industry by the end of 2020. It will drastically transform industries, operations, learning, and our interactions with the physical world. AR will change how markets operate and compete. In the past few years, Augmented Reality has attracted eyeballs across industries; big market players like HTC, Sony, Google have made huge investments. Mark Zuckerberg has even bought the AR platform Oculus for $2billion. 

A Few Specific Examples

AR can be a game-changer in GPS navigation as well. AR display installation can vividly illustrate navigation to drivers. This ensures that they don’t have to convert instructions from a 2D flat-screen into the real-world. This feature could especially be beneficial to on-demand mobile app businesses like car rentals, Uber, etc. Also, such a feature will ensure that the driver does not have to do a lot of back and forth. AR can also help save the mental effort to interpret a 2D schematic and provides real-time visual guidance. This feature helps to enhance workers’ performance and reduce costs significantly.  

The food and beverages industry is an example of where these emerging new technologies can be embedded very well. Augmented Reality can also help to train Chefs, bartenders, and workers. Developed well, AR also holds the potential to initiate interactions with the customers. This can provide the diners with a smooth, delightful experience.

Augmented Reality in education is becoming prevalent too as it helps learners to process information without much mental effort. EduTech industry is taking one more step towards technological advancement. The computer-generated perceptual information gives a real-time sneak peek into the topics. With AR apps, students can also build their 3D objects and animate them. The possibilities are endless in short.

Conclusion

Just like any good technology, augmented reality holds a lot of promise too. Considering that augmented reality borders on the cusp of science and art, it will have a lot more value to add. All of us know how visual content sells today. While most technologies haven’t touched that aspect and are focusing on the operational bits more, we feel that AR will change that. For instance, imagine chatting with a bot face instead of typing out on a chat window. Wouldn’t that be a welcome change?

Or say edu-tech mobile apps have the modality of explaining 3D-modelling or even a subject as complex as vectors using real-life 3d programming. It isn’t something hard to imagine. It can easily be visualised and a primal level of technologies exist which can help in such implementations. Once the implementations have been achieved, integrations will come too. The most important thing here is that all of it sounds doable. All we need is a little effort

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With the world being ‘webbed’, mobile applications have been a critical part of a business’s online presence. With the advent of the internet and its pervasive reach, most people have exposed themselves to a privacy breach too. Various mobile applications have access to a large amount of user information and must be protected from unauthorized access. So, mobile app security is the need of the hour. We will now delve into mobile app security best practices.

A mobile device has a plethora of components and parts that are vulnerable to security fragility. They are made, by multiple players, each of whom plays a crucial role in the security of a device. Common glitches of mobile devices include

• Architectural flaws,
• Device, loss or theft,
• Platform weakness,
• Isolation and permission problems, and
• Application weakness.

This, in turn, motivates the potential hackers to muddle with valuable information and data.

How does Mobile App Security work?

Luckily, there are a lot of opportunities and avenues to secure the mobile systems, those help in protecting the precious information and data and thus avoid various online fraudulent activities and mobile app security threats. The gamut of mobile app security is extensive and comprehensive, which helps to protect systems across various web portals and servers. The idea behind mobile app security works around raising red flags whenever there is any threat to the data. This helps in notifying the user of the probable intrusion or any fraudulent activity which might happen. To specify, when we say fraudulent activity, we mean financial or accounting frauds, and identity theft 

Understanding the Importance of Mobile App Security

All popular platforms provide security control designed to help software developers build secure applications. However, more often than not, it is usually considered the responsibility of the developer to select the best amongst the myriad of mobile app security options available. Hence, it is important that the developer should be prudent whilst selecting the best mobile app security which suffices to protect the respective software from unwanted hacker or intruder and manhandle important information or personal identifications.

Mobile app security focuses on the software security postures of mobile apps which help them to refrain from storing or unintentionally leaking sensitive content or data, in ways, that can have irrecoverable consequences. Thus effective security management is an important part of app development and cannot be ignored in any given context. Technologies such as reverse engineering, static analysis, dynamic analysis and other test procedures should be extensively implemented so as to ensure optimum protection and safety of application data and configuration. Mobile app security is a holistic approach to avoid malicious users, who can potentially attack your system and muddle with the data. So it is important to understand the vulnerabilities and loopholes of the mobile app, to curate a pragmatic solution for the same.

What are the various security threats to the mobile app security ecosystem?

Malware

Malicious Software (Malware) is, in its simplest expression, aimed at gathering and exploiting private information that disturbs users, may cause the breakdown of their device or lead to consequences such as the data becoming unusable. A recent attack on Cognizant in 2020 rendered the firm helpless and employees locked out of the system. Whether the demand was met or not is not sure but it did result in significant losses to the firm. At such a large scale, the malware is usually known as ransomware because the hackers demand something in return or sharing the credentials or data back. For an average user, not so much is at stake usually and hence the malware accesses the data and sells it online to any of the takers. 

Data Leakage

In the new decade, data is considered as the new ‘oil’. It is the most powerful tool at our disposal, which if not diligently used, can have many detrimental consequences. Zoom and TikTok were recently in the news for this very reason. That they were stealing the data of the Indian consumers and selling it to Chinese. While we may feel that such a thing will not have much significance for us, yet at a larger scale, this is literally an act of e-warfare. The fraudulent practitioners use distribution code native to popular mobile operating systems like IOS and Android, to access valuable data across the corporate network, without any trace or intimation.

Network Spoofing

It is practice when hackers set up fake access points- connections that look like WiFi networks but are nothing but traps in high–traffic public locations such as coffee shops, libraries, airports, etc. It is a scam of alluring the general public to sign into “free Connections” or “Unlimited Internet”, and thus screen out all the sensitive content and personal information by hacking their networks. In some cases, attackers require users to create an “account” to access these free services and complete them with a password, so that no red flags can be raised in the minds of the users. Also, because most people use the same email and password across various services and platforms, hackers can compromise users’ email, e-commerce, and other secured information.

Phishing Attacks

In layman terms, Phishing is a fraudulent attempt which is aimed at retrieving sensitive information about the user which can then be used for n-number of purposes. The most common forms of phishing attacks revolve around accessing username, passwords, credit card information or even the Aadhar number in India these days.

Since mobile users often monitor their email in real-time by accessing their accounts, opening, and reading emails when they are received, they (mobile users) are more vulnerable to a security breach. Mobile users are also very susceptible because email apps display less information to accommodate smaller screen sizes. Thus they are the front lines of most phishing attacks. Thus, it is important that while devising the overall mobile app security checklist, these are included too.

Broken Cryptography

Broken cryptography is a form of mobile app security threat that leverages what most mobile apps say is a security firewall; the end-to-end encryption. A hacker using this exploits the systemic vulnerabilities to crack the passwords. Alternatively, they can simply gain access through a third party link sent to the user. Thus, it is important to ensure that the developers employ high-level app functions like two-factor authentication to ensure superior mobile app security.

Improper Session Handling

Usage of token to complete the online transactions is a common practice given how much it eases the overall process. However, this does not provide for effective identity authentication. Tokens are generated by apps to identify and validate the device. This is much like a password for the account.

Like passwords are for users, tokens are generated by apps to identify and validate devices. So, improper session handling happens when apps unintentionally share session tokens to malicious intruders. This allows hackers to impersonate legitimate users, often interrupting lessons and leaking confidential information. Corporate intranet sites are the most prone to such threats.

Impacts of Mobile App Security threats

There is a pervasive mobile app vulnerability epidemic and it has been impacting organizations across the globe with devastating consequences. We mentioned Cognizant earlier but it isn’t the only one. Even the biggest of tech-giants like Facebook have been under threat. Let us look at some of the impacts of mobile app security threats that a brand can face.

• Most mobile apps are susceptible to lack of binary protection and this gives a passage for hackers to inject malware into the code. This can repackage the app as a rogue/ pirated app hosted in a third-party app market. Thus, when an app is compromised, intellectual property stored within the same is left exposed.
• With insecure data storage, malicious intruders can breach sensitive content and information which may even lead to revenue loss.
• Sometimes, mobile apps are guilty of inadvertently leaking data due to sharing services with other apps on a device. This type of vulnerability can result in a breach of user privacy. It can also ead to the unauthorized use of sensitive data. The recent 2019 Facebook scandal could be that but we cannot be sure! None of us can be.
• Research has shown that around 80% of apps are implemented with weak encryption, algorithms, or incorrect implementation of a strong cypher. Weak encryption encourages attackers to decrypt sensitive data back to its original form and then manipulate or steal it. 
• Insecure random number generation can also be a factor that makes sensitive information easy to guess or mimick. In the pretext of a given state of computational capabilities, attackers have the ability to expose insecure keys in seconds. This can help them execute server-side attacks to gain access to back-office systems and thereby purloin information and data.

Best Practices for your mobile app security

Mobile app security is no longer a feature or benefit- it’s a bare necessity. Security breaches and leakage of data can shake the entire pedestal of the cyber world and bring everything to dust. Best practices to ensure mobile app security are as following

Write a Secure Code

It is essential to keep the security of the mobile app and harden the code to make it bug-free. To begin with, make sure that you have checked out all the possible vulnerabilities that your code could have. So, make it strong because it is the foundation over which the entire mobile app security will be built.

A little bit of obscurity in the code prevents it from being reverse-engineered.

Be extra cautious with libraries

Third-party libraries can be extremely insecure and vulnerable to online hacking or other attacks. So while using the third party libraries it is pertinent to test the code thoroughly before using it. Engineers and developers should use controlled internal repositories. They should also exercise policy controls during acquisition, in order to protect their apps from vulnerabilities in libraries.

Use high-level authentication

In the context of increased cybercrimes, some of the biggest security breaches happen due to weak authentication. This leads to loss of data and compromise of mobile app securities. Authentication refers to passwords or other personal identifiers that act as a barrier of entry of online imposters or hackers. It is pertinent to design the mobile app security in such a way that it only accepts strong alphanumeric passwords. Multi-Factor authentication has also gained substantial prominence lately, which involves a combination of static passwords and dynamic OTP. Biometric authentication like retina scans or fingerprints can also also used to protect mobile app security.

Encrypt all data

Encryption is the way of scrambling vanilla text into a vague and obscure soup of alphabets with no meaning. Every single data unit must be encrypted to ensure no breach of security or information by malicious online users. Thus even if data is stolen there is nothing criminals can read and misuse from the obfuscated muddle of alphanumeric.

Deploy proper session handling

Due to its mobility and compact size, “Sessions” on mobile last longer than desktops. This makes session handling difficult for the online miscreants looking for intruding into sensitive information and data. It is advisable to use tokens instead of device identifiers to identify a session. Tokens can be revoked at any time making them more secure in case of lost and stolen devices. This practice can surely ensure the protection of mobile app security.

Test repeatedly

Securing your app is a perpetual process. New threats emerge and new solutions are constantly needed. So invest in penetration testing, threat modelling, and emulators. It is important to constantly test your mobile security app for vulnerabilities and fix issues and patches.

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However, that does not stop the mobile app from being installed by more and more people. Multiple installations of the real estate mobile apps happen every day, however, every few days, the uninstalls happen too. The mobile apps were launched with the thought that they will replace brokers. However, the brokers still remain and have been flourishing well too. Rather, they are putting the real estate mobile apps to good use.

Not really and this holds true for almost all the developing and developed economies. One can say that this is because one still needs detailed information and human of trust before deal finalisation. Agreed, but then at least the real estate websites should have seen any less traffic. Has that been the case?

Not really!

The Conundrum

There are multiple reasons one can attribute to such events. One can say that the real estate websites are mostly from the builders and so one gets more detailed information. We give you that. However, why do then real estate websites of aggregators like 99-acres or Magicbricks show an increase in web traffic despite having their own real estate mobile apps?

Secondly, the number of registered brokers in the European and American markets has gone up by 12%.

Again, a counter logic is that a lot of people engage in brokerage as a side income. Valid point! How does one explain the 3% increase in the number of full-time real estate agents even in economies with high mobile and technology penetration? 

And having said all this, why are there so many real estate mobile apps being launched still? The aggregator apps have been increasing because of the utility that they have at the offer. In addition, the individual builder firms are also looking at having their individual real estate mobile apps.

Is this just a fascination with the idea or does this phenomenon actually hold some merit? Let us discuss this in the sections below.

The Problems with a typical Real Estate Mobile App

There has to be a reason for real estate websites continuing to do well in the time of mobile apps. What is the problem with a real estate mobile app that it is not able to replace a website?

Let us have a look:

The Unreal Postings!

There are two aspects to this problem. The first is the human side and the second is the property side. Let us explain both of them for a better understanding.

When it comes to real estate mobile apps, esp. the aggregator ones- there is no verification required for one to post the listing. Almost anyone can post anything. We are sure that a lot of our readers would agree with the fact. You must be reminded of the beautiful houses which turned out to be pretty shabby in person.

Plus, so many people do not give adequate information about the listing. Some will mention the floor size to be 2100 sq-metre when it will turn out to be a little over 1500 in reality.

These are just some of the minor hiccups which become a huge problem and a major trust issue later. Consider it from the point of the person who lives in one part of the city and has to come to another part to verify the property. Would that person then take a chance with the mobile app or directly contact a broker instead?

Secondly, a lot of the time, the people posting the listings are brokers themselves. Many mobile apps provide the option to identify oneself as a broker or owner but it is easy to miss. If one gets on an app and then realizes they had been talking to a broker, why would they get on a real estate mobile app at all?

When it comes to real estate websites owned by builders or agents, there are usually only a few people, a single person or a team which is responsible for handling such postings. The availability of a single point of modification and up-gradation ensures that no wrong listing goes on the website. However, if one considers an aggregator real estate website then we feel that the problems would be the same as the app because they are essentially two versions sharing the same piece of information

The No-Nearly NO updates

Another major issue comes in the form of people not updating the listings. Many times it happens that one finds something on the real estate mobile app calls the owner and finds out that the property has been sold already. Now, this can be a major killjoy if one has their heart set on the property.

The entire factor behind seeing the property before finalising, which most real estate mobile apps offer goes for a toss because of this.

This option may not sound so true for an aggregator website. However, if you go to the real estate websites of brokers, agents or even individual builders, all of the information is updated real-time. Be it the images, the layouts, even the number of apartments or rooms available.

This is because their business runs on this quick update. Hence, a real estate website offers more real-time updates than the real estate mobile app

The Lack of Human Touch

There are just so many things that are involved when one has to buy a house. One has to be extra sure of the locality. One needs to check the amenities around. One also has to see how exactly the building looks like in person or how the nearby locality is.

These are the things which an app cannot offer.

Plus, most real estate mobile apps do not have the option to personalise the offerings. One can just apply the basic filters and then touch. A lot of time, what you see isn’t what you want.

For instance, you cannot put a filter in the app whereby you can select houses with marble floorings or wooden floorings or say blue coloured walls. These are the things which need an advanced level of personalisation which for now, only a human brain can provide.

Fast forward your typical broker and he understands you as a person. A few conversations and he knows exactly that kind of place you would like to see. Needless to say that most brokers can tell you right there in the first meeting if they have a relevant property or not.

This not just saves time but also provides you with the confidence that you want.

Also, a lot of brokers take you around on their own vehicles. So no hassles of google maps or wading through the unknown roads. The broker or your real estate agent will take care of that for you. So you get superior customer service and literally no hassles at all.

The UI/UX design (Look and feel of app vs website)

You must be surprised at seeing this point here but yes, it holds a lot of relevance especially when we compare a real estate mobile app to a real estate website. A typical real estate mobile app or even a website has a lot of information that it needs to put on display. An app isn’t usually equipped for that. One big reason for the same is the size of the screen.

Take this example to understand better. Even if a mobile app can display the information on the world map, the amount of zoom-in and zoom-out involved will kill the experience and not really solve the purpose. The same goes for a real estate mobile app too. There are so many features that you would want to check about the house. Usually, to see all of them, you will have to scroll a lot.

A real estate website, on the other hand, will display all of it pretty easily right above the fold.

One typical problem with most real estate mobile apps is when they have to display the photos. Unlike the real estate websites where you can simply scroll horizontally or the photos open in a different tab, on a mobile app, the same becomes an issue.

We will not say that this is the fault of a real estate mobile app structure but it definitely puts them at an altar lower than that of a website

The Types of Real Estate Mobile Apps

We have, in bits and pieces tried to touch the various real estate mobile apps. Most of the time when we talk about real estate mobile apps, we talk about aggregator apps such as No broker and Housing. However, there are other types too. While we could have skipped this section and just concluded. However, a lot about what we are going to say in our conclusion will derive its merit from this section.

So, without wasting any more time, let us have a look.

Aggregator mobile apps

The typical mobile apps we all have downloaded at least once on our phones either to post or to search. These apps include a number of postings about properties that are available. The real estate mobile app revolution essentially started from these aggregator apps.

The websites were there but the apps quickly caught up on the trend and became the norm. The real estate website saw a huge downfall in their traffic once the apps got launched.

However, that phenomenon was pretty short-lived if we talk about the entirety that this sector has existed. A few years from the day of launch, the mobile apps had a higher uninstallation rate than the installation one.

At most, the aggregator apps became a source of information with little or no action accounted to them.

Inter-society communication Apps

The new stream of apps which got much fanfare starting the year 2018. Real estate mobile apps such as MyGate and others targeted the bigger societies which saw a lot of movement. Such apps store all the relevant information of the occupants in a database. Entry restrictions are imposed only when someone other than them enters. The approval for a new entrant is done through the app as well.

It isn’t uncommon in many good societies now that you can directly go to the host’s place. The host sends a picture of yours to the security guard, and sends you a unique code. At the time of the entry, you have to just share the code with the guard. He enters it, checks your picture and there you go!

This field has been advancing fairly fast and with the advent of Computer Vision, the future looks really promising.

Builder & Developers Apps

The need to constantly interact with your prospects has now become basic hygiene. Even for a high ticket or once in a lifetime purchase like that of a house, such kind of interaction is a must. Needless to say, a lot of developers have been mulling over the concept of having their own app.

It might not make so much sense for people or builders with single properties. However, if there is someone with multiple properties, having a personal app makes sense. Let us take the example of luxury lovers or Ex-pats or even people who believe in investing in real estate. Now, the like Total or Shapoorji who have the former as their prospects would definitely be interested in the app.

We need to understand here that a mobile app is not always for the masses. Sometimes, it is for very specific people too. 

Conclusion

We hope that through this blog piece, we were able to put a lot of questions at rest. We, do no mean to say that these apps are futile. However, we definitely want to throw some light on what can be done better. We are not trying to take any side here. We just want to lay out the points so that when you as a business contemplate over having a real estate website or a real estate app, you know exactly what all to think about.

And, if you wish to have any further discussions- please feel free to get in touch!

The post Why real estate websites are popular than real estate mobile apps? appeared first on Vibeosys Software Pvt. Ltd..

What are EduTech Mobile Apps?

EduTech has been a latent untapped industry, especially in the Indian Context. With resistance towards the use of technology and ardent loyalty towards the traditional system of education, educational technology is yet to receive its due. EduTech may be defined as a practice of any form of teaching or learning which makes use of technology.  In other words, it is a mechanism of imparting education and improving the experience of learning with the use of technological apps, surpassing the constraints of time and space.

EduTech mobile apps have revolutionized the education industry in a short period. The persisting covid-19 pandemic crisis propelled the need to utilize technology and the internet in the best interest of the students, paving the way for an unceasing knowledge experience. The objective of a typical edutech mobile app is to revolutionize the education system and improve the teaching and learning experience for both students and teachers. This, in turn, will lead to better performance and develop the quality of education in the country. Also, the digital skills, which are a necessity for survival in the current times, can be imparted to the children, during their formative years, so that they can adapt to all kinds of jobs per se. Edutech mobile apps provide for the seamless integration of technology with education positively so that a diverse learning environment is created, which can provide not just a knowledge of the necessary but also creates options for an alternative learning. In addition to just that, with the advent of Artificial Intelligence and data analytics in the edutech domain, the edutech apps have seen a significant enhancement in terms of the customised lesson plan preparation and progress monitoring of the kids

Evolution of EduTech Mobile Apps

The education scenario in India is waiting to witness an impending digital revolution. With 500 million new users to be added to the 370 million existing internet users, the reach and penetration of Educational Technology, should the right channel be provided, will be undiscounted. These factors create a huge market for the enlarging sector in India. According to a report authored by KPMG, by 2021, the online education industry in India will grow about six times its current size. The revenue generated from the same may amount somewhere close to $1.96 billion. It has been estimated that the dependability of Indians on the online education system, primarily the education apps, both in the professional and elementary level, will ascend to a remarkable extent. With professionals willing to reskill themselves constantly, online certification stands to be the biggest segment, valuing close to $93 Million in 2016 and is anticipated to reach $463 million by 2021. 

We would like to mention here that the reason we are discussing the Indian market here is that India with its diverse population forms a pilot test base for most of the American and European markets. Also, there is no other country like India with such a huge population which is so passionate about education. Needless to say, if a revolution in the edutech sector or the domain of edutech mobile apps will come, it will be driven with India at its core.

It is undeniable that the concept of e-learning or EduTech has travelled through various stages, with its inception from distance education to the present stage. Distance education is where a teacher and student are separated by time or space and communicate instruction by satellite, television, telephone, or computer. An improved version of the same is correspondence courses. It was a set up for those who intended to study from home, which became widely famous among the young women in the 80s and 90s, who intended education but not at the cost of settling out of the house. Then came Teleconferencing, which enabled people to communicate in a cost-effective method in delivering instructional materials to the students. Even at colleges, teleconference became an efficient method of communication. The video-conference was the next step of this journey of e-learning. With the advent of internet facilities, interactive videoconferencing allowed teachers to teach a class traditionally whilst concurrently instructing a different group of students at a distance via interactive video, which holds a close congruence to traditional university teaching. Web-Based  Instruction was the latest in the lot, which may be defined as the application of the repertoire of cognitive oriented instructional strategies implemented within a constructivist and collaborative learning environment by exploring the attributes of the internet and the world wide web.

Some of the popular EduTech mobile apps

BYJU’S

It is India’s first Edu tech mobile app unicorn and was established in 2015. The Byju’s edutech app has learning programs for students in classes IV-XII along with other competitive exams such as JEE, NEET, CAT, IAS, GRE, and GMAT. The company reported its revenues for the financial year 2017-18 stood at $69.4 Mn (INR490 Cr.). It has created a name for itself in the EduTech business.

Unacademy

This Bengaluru based edutech app Unacademy, startup started its operation with a Youtube channel in 2010 by Gaurav Munjal. It registered itself as an educational technology platform in 2015 when co-founders Roman Saini and Hemesh Singh came on board. It has a paid-up capital of $88.5Million.

Google Classroom

Google Classroom is a web service developed by Google, for the various schools across the globe, which helps in providing quality education overlooking the barriers of time and space constraints by simplifying creating, distributing, and grading assignments and channelizing the process of file sharing between students and teachers. This edutech mobile app was launched on 12th August 2014.

Benefits of EduTech Mobile Apps

The popularity of edutech apps and online classes has immensely increased in the lockdown period. While the outer world is in the slumber of stagnation, with restrictive movement and other activities, they made a mark in the education industry. Some of the benefits of the EduTech Mobile Apps are as follows

Increased student engagement

When students get to use the technology they are automatically more engaged. Sitting long hours in the heat in classrooms and listening to lectures, can turn out to be not so interesting a lot of time. However, with technology, it is an exciting experience. Adding technology to existing lesson plans can boost the engagement level of the students, without having the teachers to do a lot of extra work. An edutech mobile app can be of great assistance in the same.

Improved digital literacy

Digital cognizance is a must-have in today’s world and it is a fundamental skill set for students in the 21^st century. Knowing how to use technology and the internet will be required in every job that students might want to pursue in the future. By incorporating technology in the learning process, teachers can help students to improve their digital literacy. While it would require supervision in the earlier stages so that the students do not get addicted to the same, yet an edutech app can play a significant role in promoting digital literacy.

Stay in touch 24/7

Students and teachers can contact each other 24/7 over the internet. There is an array of edutech apps that allow students to communicate with teachers without any personal face to face interaction. They can get their doubts cleared as and when they want and teachers can send important reminders for assignments and topics, which are required to be prepared beforehand.

Go paperless

Environmental awareness and green practices are of utmost importance in this polluted world. So going paperless is a great step towards environmental restoration and reducing their carbon footprint. By putting more materials online and utilizing technology, teachers can cut back on the number of copies they make and save papers. 

Lower Total costs

Online programs through various edutech apps are a more affordable option than traditional colleges. There will be no commuting costs and also sometimes the required course materials are available online, free of cost. On the other hand, institutions and colleges have a huge reduction in their operational cost such as electricity, rent, etc, and thus it proves to a pocket-friendly set for both the parties involved.

More comfortable learning environment

Commercials that feature online students studying in their pyjamas only skims the surface of one of the positives of online classes. Students can listen to lectures and complete assignments sent to them electronically. There is no need to hassle in traffic or miss important family time. Students can also take up classes according to their working schedule, and thus reap the benefits of online education and classes through various EduTech Apps. This holds all the more importance for working individuals or those who are looking at undergoing a part-time course or training.

A Broader Perspective

Because edutech apps provide the leverage to log in from various corners of the globe, irrespective of space, the discussions in the class feature a broader range of perspectives and ideas, helping the students to broaden their cross-cultural understanding and also facilitate in creating a global network of people around the globe. Corporates these days are looking for employees who can innovate and innovation often comes from outside your close vicinity and thereby inducing creativity of work.  Online classes help in the same. 

Refined Critical Thinking skills

Online learning facilitates the ability to critically think about your everyday chores. The goal in the classroom is to challenge you to think differently, and thus enhance your cognitive ability. This mechanism forces the students to develop critical thinking skills in ways that might not be practised in a person-to-person classroom setting. Also, there is so much scope for learning on your own because unlike a school, you do not have the liberty to reach up to the teacher anytime. While the edutech apps do facilitate the same, yet the constant need of typing a message may motivate the students to go otherwise. This sort of self-placed, self-motivated learning makes the students (part-time professionals cum students included) better analyse the things around and manage their chores accordingly.

Customized Learning Pace

The pressure to keep up with the other students in a face to face environment is removed. The respective students are in total control of their progress through online courses. It also eliminates any sense of insecurity or dilemma as regards to doubt clearance or difficulty in understanding. This makes the learning process more organic and sustainable, without pushing it too hard for the students.

Drawbacks of EduTech Apps

Like all good things, education through technology also has its fair share of loopholes, which cannot be unseen. Given below is a list of the same drawbacks

Disrupts the value of Guru-Shishya culture

The Guru-Shishya tradition or culture of ancient Indian history talks about the spiritual relationship and mentoring of a Guru (teacher) to his Shishya (student/disciple), where teachings are transmitted. The shishya ought to pay utmost respect and reverence to his guru and is the best way for subtle or advanced knowledge to be conveyed. The students are in awe of the abundance of knowledge by their teacher and show their loyalty and respect by touching his feet. Education through EduTech apps pose a disruption to this relationship and modernity again threatens the traditions of Indian Culture. In a world like ours where people are being secluded and ingraining the most basic of the mannerisms is becoming tough, an edutech app-based ecosystem may further aggravate the concerns

Software Issues

Even though it seems like the life of software is smooth, there are a lot of factors that hinder its life span. This, in turn, can jeopardize your entire learning experience through EduTech mobile apps, and thus you may fall short of understanding the lessons being taught in the online sessions.

Lack of internet connection or electricity

This is the most rampant infrastructural loophole of a country like India. Around 28% of the population does not have access to electricity and the internet is a foregone dream for them. So it is not a pragmatic solution to conduct online classes through education apps, as a large section of the society will be left out. The right to education is a fundamental right in this country, thus transforming the entire education system into a digital platform, will pose to be a major social injustice to the down-trodden and the overall development of the nation will be held back. 

Conclusion

Everything has its set of pros and cons and as you must have seen above, an edutech app is no different. We understand that there will be many challenges to face to ensure seamless execution, however, none of those challenges is impossible to solve. To ensure a good and workable digital scenario, all it requires is a good planning and infrastructural support. Crowdfunding or even crowd support can prove to be really beneficial in these terms.

The point is, edutech mobile apps hold a lot of hope. We just need to work hard enough to materialize it.

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An enterprise application is a software solution or mobile app which combines all or most of the relevant business processes at one place. While one may think that enterprise application development will be like just any other software development, it is not so. An enterprise application development involves several critical procedures that need to be deployed onto the cloud computing system and intranet networks while being made accessible to all employees at a different level of access and hierarchy. Creating and developing such enterprise applications means satisfying hundreds or thousands of separate requirements. These applications are installed across multiple platforms and operate simultaneously with many other applications. Enterprise application development also pertains to modifications to encode business policies, procedures, rules, and entities and are developed with a specific business requirement in mind.

Key trends in Enterprise Application Development

An enterprise application has takers across all the conceivable industrial domains. Hence, there is no one way to engage in enterprise application development. The Enterprise Application Development process has witnessed many changes over the years and has paved the way for multiple emerging trends in cloud computing and integration programs. Some of the key trends in the same category are

Usability (User Experience UX)

While UX is something which has to be taken care of in any kind of app development, yet it assumes a different meaning when it comes to enterprise application development. Given the complexity, most enterprise applications were developed to be simple or even as an exact replica of the solution being used on the system. However, things have changed now and a lot of enterprise application development effort goes towards understanding what is important and including only the most important features in the app.

Cloud commodity

Cloud computing is the umbrella that provides a vault for information processing and data mining. The development of enterprise applications requires the hosting and customization of the same, in the cloud computing interface. It is said to have increased accessibility and ease of operations for users of Enterprise Application Development. Hence, what were the servers kept in some remote location in the US or China have now been replaced by cloud-based solutions

Consumerization of IT

Monetization and imperatives of the business process are of utmost importance in today’s world. The customer is the king and services are curated according to the needs and preferences of the masses. Technology is also consumer-oriented. Consumerization of IT  has impacted the Enterprise Application Development landscape to a scalable extent. Hence, the overall mobile app development cost has come down significantly and even small businesses can now afford a lot.

Best practice guide for enterprise application development

The most important consideration before the implementation of enterprise software applications is the cost-benefit analysis. Around 66% of enterprise resources planning implemented has experienced a cost overrun of considerable extent and thus drain out the business model. Needless to say that these considerations also trickle down to the enterprise application development process too. Given below are some of the best practices for Enterprise Application development that will facilitate the creation of a really useful and sellable app for the application development businesses.

There are two angles to the best practice guide, one is management angle and another is technology angle. We have divided it to make it more readable.

The management view of approaching EAD

Define your goal

The first pre-conditional for Enterprise Application Development is to have a clear conception of the objective of the object initiated. Clear definition and clarity of the goals of the project is a must before inception Questions like why do you want these enterprise software applications developed? What purpose, business or another objective will it serve? Modifications may be done in the future but the main goal as to why the application needs to be designed should remain unchanged. Also, the goal needs to be kept in sight while the development of the software. One may say that this is a very commonplace suggestion to give but we need to understand that with the kind of complexity that an Enterprise application development will have to handle, it is important that the main goal is set out clearly.

Build a good TEAM

It is a very important consideration for Enterprise application Development given how the process is way more complex than a typical mobile app development. Professionals who have prior experience in designing will be able to cater to the needs by tailoring the software according to your needs. Try to avoid falling into the trap of hiring a developer because he or she comes as an inexpensive resource. Though budget constraint will be there, it is not an excuse to scrape the bottom of the barrel. Hiring a resource just with the cost consideration in mind can result in the organisation bleeding out more money at later stages. Also, take a look at the portfolio of the developers to understand the general level of satisfaction of their clients and whom all have they worked with. 

Efficiency over speed

It is very strictly recommended that for an enterprise application development, priority should be given to the effectiveness of the code rather than speed. Enterprise application development requires the codes to be correct and bug-free because it is literally the entire domain functionality resting on it. Plus, more enterprise mobile apps are linked in the back-end with the ERPs and hence any bug there will impact the ERP’s data too.  

Most enterprises are guided by the principle that a fast code will save them a lot of time and thereby tend to be a better option for smooth functioning. But if the code is inherently wrong, that will not only slow down the software but may even make it unusable. Provide the time it takes, but making the stuff work correctly should be the priority.

Reasonable time of dispatch

Timelines need to be set for enterprise software development projects, which are reasonable and realistic. Of course, some projects take a lot of time and it is a matter of concern, but the longer the project gets stretched, the higher will be the waiting time, and thereby it will consume a higher amount of resources too. That does not necessarily translate to take the down-hill road and rush into the same. Watch out for industry standards and competitors averages and set a realistic timeline for your enterprise application development process.

Clarity of feature requirement

Obscurity and ambiguity regarding the requirements of features and functionalities will lead to inadvertent delays and unnecessary complexity of the software designing process. While it is still okay to keep updating features in a regular app but for an enterprise application development, feature addition will mean a whole lot of complexity and additional costs at a later stage. Hence, it is very important that a  framework is clearly defined at the inception stage of the project, as to what features and software are required in the final mobile app.

The technology view of approaching EAD

Determining the coding language

It is a pertinent decision to make, about the language of designing. Enterprise Application Development is built in specific coding languages like Python, Raspberry PI and JavaScript. An explicit discussion with the software developers regarding the same, having stated the features and ultimate objective of the project, is a must. Also, the platform on which the app will run is an important point of concern. Mostly an enterprise application development will have to be done for both iOS as well as Android as there will be innumerable people using it.

Avoidance of redundant codes

It is a common practice to be ahead of the requirements of the project and write codes, that you will not use or need. The YAGNI principle comes especially handy when it comes to enterprise application development.  YAGNI stands for You Ain’t Gonna Need It. The YAGNI principle closely follows the rule of clearing out an outline of the functionalities and features which are necessary to be incorporated in the software so that anything unnecessary can be avoided. Thus, if you go by this process, that thought of integrating Lotus Mail with your ERP app might sound useless.

Choosing the best development methodology

The ultimate goal of the Enterprise Application Development will be best known to the employees and owners of the organization. With the advent of the project, precedence should be set to the needs and requirements of the same. Hence, it is very important that the enterprise application developer gets in touch with the client and discusses everything in detail. No, a KAM isn’t going to be that important. It has to be a dedicated technical discussion to lay out the requirements and hence the methodology, the process and the costs thereof.

Testing of Software

A crucial step of the Enterprise Application Development just like any mobile app development is testing the app through the Entire Enterprise Software Development Life Cycle. Enterprise Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is simply a specific series of stages through which the software will go through during its development phase. While it is mostly used for ERP development, the same has now been extended to enterprise application development tools for obvious reasons. This process is usually carried out in a minimum of six different phases. 

Efficient Communication

No project can be successful if those who are working on it, are not communicating with each other. Whether it is an in house app or is being outsourced from a developing company, it is very essential to provide necessary information to all the participants of the project to provide a clear idea of the updates of the project. 

Ensuring Security

It should be a priority of the enterprise application development process, to ensure the security of the same. Auditing and Compliance standards should be maintained throughout the process. Integration of tracking issues with performances of other checks, need to be ensured, leaving no room for human error. Software like Build Master offers users approvals to document and notify users on teams when their approval is required to deploy builds into the testing environment. The last thing a company wants is their confidential information and data getting leaked in the wrong hands. So it should be ensured.

Providing for the right team 

The success of an Enterprise application development largely depends on the resources and man-power available at the disposal of the developers. A good project manager will ensure that work is given to the correct people at the correct time and provide effective training for the implementation of the same. Plus, working on an enterprise application development can be really draining for the team. It is thus important that the supervisors remain concerned about not just the work efficiency but the psychological efficiencies of the team too.

Application-level Logging

Application-level logging is a must for any enterprise software product, various frameworks are built upon similar lines, which facilitate ease of tracking errors and debugging issues. These logs are available for monitoring with various tools that can provide various intricate insights to the people or users. A look at the overall journey of how the errors have been handled throughout the process can help with troubleshooting even when the app has been launched. Hence, always make sure that a dedicated log is maintained. 

Organized Versions

Consistency in the development of versions is essential for the development of enterprise applications. It is important to note that unlike any usual app, an enterprise app cannot go for a complete overhaul unless absolutely necessary. Thus it is important that the updates and development are clearly laid out in the initial roadmap itself to avoid any hassles later.

Conclusion

Enterprise Application Development has revolutionized the business landscape across the globe. It provides for an opportunity to achieve scalability and cost-efficiency while keeping in sync with the core values and objectives or the business houses. Enterprise softwares provides for improved management and data integration, to facilitate the flow of activities in the organization, without any breach of security and confidentiality. In today’s scenario, where automation has literally become the key to success, enterprise applications promote a fresh approach to integrate operations of diverse nature, on a single platform. Also, it doesn’t flinch in creating new opportunities and methodologies of work, which in turn ensure efficient productivity and efficiency in the organization. 

Enterprise Application Development also paves the way for reduced operational costs and overheads and thus results in increased profitability. Control and better organisational governance of resources are also the benefits of the same. Customer satisfaction and service experience are also enhanced through the development of such an enterprise application. This consequently helps in image building and goodwill enhancement of the businesses. 

We leave you with one caveat though! The gamut of Enterprise Applications is very diverse, and they serve purposes starting from reducing timelines to addressing modern web application requirements. So, choosing the right platform, which is relevant to the organizational policies and processes, stands imperative and requires thorough attention.

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