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The why and how of developing web and mobile apps — first, the why (and just a teeny bit of how)

Need for Developing Mobile and Web Based Apps

The numbers are more than impressive: 4.8 billion mobile handsets currently in use — and 19% of those are smartphones, up 2% from just last year.

Then there’s the Internet, which now claims some 2.2 billion users , 1.3 billion of whom access it via some sort of personal computer (desktop, laptop, ultrabook, netbook, tablet).

All this means that if you’re in business, you’re on the web — and if you haven’t begun to incorporate mobile devices into your business strategy, especially smartphones and tablets, odds are pretty high that you will soon.

Which brings us to the matter of developing applications for the web and for mobile environments.
Unless you can afford a good-sized stable of web and mobile app developers, your best bet to keep a 21st-century pace is to find yourself a services provider with expertise in these realms — expertise that runs both broad and deep. And affordable.

So, once again, I’m going to lay out what you’ll need to look for in a mobile and web app development services provider:

  • Extensive hands-on experience developing for the leading mobile technologies, including iPhone, iPad, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile (and, soon, Windows 8)
  • Mobile software development outsourcing expertise not only in the US, but also offshore (e.g., India, China, Costa Rica) that comprehensively covers mobile devices, mobile operating systems, and mobile platforms
  • Experience with mobile devices from such vendors as Apple, LG, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia, RIM, Samsung and a variety of mobile operating systems and platforms, including Android, BlackBerry, BREW, iOS, J2ME, and Windows Mobile.

There’s more. Next time I’ll delve into some detail concerning service provider capabilities around Microsoft .NET product development, Java Enterprise Edition product development, web application development, and, last but never least, application security.

Meet the Author
Tim Burke is the President and CEO of Quest. He has been at the helm for over 30 years.
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