7 mobile applications development trends
IT technologies are developing by leaps and bounds. It’s a center of huge opportunities for both customers and businesses. Our world has already become mobile, but mobile devices increase process hasn’t ended yet. Analysts say by the end of 2016 there will be two billion smartphone users worldwide resulting in the quick development of mobile app market.
And as a consequence mobile applications development necessity. Everyone knows that a mobile app with the right idea and its implementation brings lots of benefits for both companies (f.e. business process optimization and automation) and users (fitness, education, health). So, in our article, we’re going to speak about mobile applications development trends.
1. The mobility in all spheres of activities
Often new technologies implementation process, as well as everything related to any changes, goes slowly. Let’s consider Uber – how many taxi providers lost keeping up old ways and being closed for the new. The introduction of an effective innovation allowed the company to achieve success and become a leader in many countries of the world.
Nevertheless, a rapid development of the mobile industry has a great impact on applications employment in various fields. We wrote about mobile applications development for business in our article “Mobile apps for business: 7 reasons why your business needs a mobile app”, drawing your attention to advantages custom mobile app development can offer the company. However, the sphere of their use is much wider.
Let’s take education. Nowadays universities are implementing in the learning process platforms for interaction and communication between teachers and students, applications to prepare for exams, create and check test etc.
And how many solutions for passing various courses, receiving and carrying out certifications, improving skills, studying foreign languages exist and continue to appear!
Also, we’d like to place emphasis on healthcare domain and mark applications connected with special equipment and showing patient health condition, and also analyzing other data (a blood sugar level, heart rate etc.). At present moment mobile apps implementation in all industries is one of the main trends of mobile applications development.
2. Geolocation
Among all custom mobile app development trends, we’d like to draw your attention to iBeacon technology developed in 2013 and gaining great popularity.
In two words, it’s the placement of small sensors serving as beacons and being used to navigate people, shop visitors and so on. This innovative technology allows tracking location of a person when he comes to a certain zone.
For example, beacons define when he is near the supermarket and sends on his smartphone (on condition that it has a special mobile app installed) a push-notification about shares, discounts, special offers etc.
What’s more, iBeacon technology is used for visitors navigation among the departments and products shelves and also for tracking their behavior.
3. Mobile business world
The business world is becoming more and more mobile. Recent research showed that by 2017 almost every US company will have several mobile applications for business management, while 50% of organisations will have at least 10 apps for a variety of purposes, f.e. the first to control work of employees, the second for mobile reporting, the third to send, edit and sign documents (workflow optimisation), the fourth to get in touch with clients and so on.
According to TechСrunch study, the demand on mobile applications development has significantly increased, and it’s expected that it will continue to grow.
Surely you’ve noticed that in almost all cafes and restaurants waiters have mobile apps for orders registration or providing visitors with discounts and special offers if they choose this place next time. Thus, the integration of applications for business is one of the key trends of custom mobile app development trends.
4. Cross-platform tools
One of the main advantages of cross-platform application development is a shorter creation process due to writing one code for several platforms. Unfortunately, most often you receive not so qualitative final product as choosing native mobile app development.
However, cross-platform application development allows saving time (and frequently client’s money) that’s why technologies for their creation (such as Appcelerator, Xamarin, PhoneGap, Sencha, Unity3D etc.) are constantly developing and upgrading.
Thus, improvement and proliferation of cross-platform tools will allow shortening mobile applications development process. Also, it’s an opportunity for a client to save money reducing quality between cross-platform and native mobile app development.
5. Outsourcing
Outsourcing of mobile applications development has continued to be a trend for several years. The main idea of outsourcing is a transfer of non-core activities to professionals in a certain field. A key advantage of this method is the development cost optimization saving quality of the final product.
IT sphere is developing at a rapid pace covering not only the enhancement of technologies themselves: nowadays the number of developers and IT companies is quickly increasing.
As a result to find specialists offering high-quality custom mobile app development services at a reasonable price has become much easier. It should be noted that Eastern Europe stands out among IT outsourcing due to the principle of “golden mean” (between price and quality).
6. The Internet of things (IoT)
We live in the IoT era. All devices (sensors, smartphones, objects connected with the Internet) are being interconnected creating networks. And they, in turn, are also being connected forming a network of networks.
Leading (and other) companies realized the possible benefits and opportunities of IoT a long time ago, and now are actively working on the implementation of smart homes, things, parking etc. into our world.
A mobile application is a link between users and their devices related to IoT as it allows to manage any smart thing (f.e. home lighting).
Certainly, IoT development and its connection with mobile apps bring lots of benefits and opportunities (we wrote about them earlier), but it also has some challenges.
So we move to the following mobile applications development trend, to data security and protection issue.
7. Data security
Information security and protection continues to be one of the major issues. The fact that most mobile applications don’t pass basic security tests raises concerns.
At present moment practically every mobile app can be hacked meaning access to user personal data, mobile payment systems etc. which causes anxiety and explains the necessity of mobile applications strong protection and high-security level.
As a result, innovative technologies, ways, and data storage systems appear now (the examples are Blockchain, Bitcoin, improved methods of user authentication etc.), and developers are focusing on providing a high data security level.
Having deep expertise in various domains and a team of skilled professionals, we offer mobile applications development services, creating effective and reliable solutions for your business.