iOS, Android or Windows? The many choices facing enterprise app developers

Is it better to support all major platforms or specialise in one or two?

During Computing's recent research into enterprise mobility we asked a lot of questions about apps - who is developing them, whether they are using enterprise app stores, and differences in approach when it comes to customer-facing apps versus those designed for internal use. We'll be covering these aspects over the next couple of weeks. The full report can also be downloaded here.

For those companies developing or deploying enterprise apps and putting in place some sort of BYOD policy, an important decision is how far to cater for the wide range of devices on the market. Is it best to restrict support to one or two platforms only, or should you build in enough flexibility to cater for most common devices and form factors, even though the landscape is changing rapidly?

Among those developing their own apps (roughly half of those responding to our online survey) 44 per cent had chosen to develop native apps whereas 40 per cent had opted for a web/cross platform approach; 16 per cent had opted for hybrid apps. Each option has its advantages. Because native apps are designed specifically for the device they are running on they are often faster and often more intuitive. However, they are inherently inflexible in our multiple device and multiple platform world and, as one of our panelists pointed out, cut against the grain of the whole concept of BYOD.

"Native and BYOD are almost polar opposites in terms of approach, because if you want to be bring your own device, you can't start building native apps otherwise you're going to have to build a native app for every Tom, Dick and Harry," said an IT director in the manufacturing sector.

Web apps, being accessed via browsers, should be much easier to maintain but they are unable to access features specific to users' devices and there is no on-screen shortcut. This might impact usability, which was one of the key ingredients of a successful mobile strategy uncovered by our research. A dropped web connection can also be mighty frustrating.

Cross-platform apps could be deemed a "best of both worlds" solution but in the real world, a one-size-fits-all deployment is not quite as straightforward an exercise as it may sound.

"Out of choice, everybody would have cross platform, but there are a number of downsides. Whatever cross-platform approach you take, unless your app is very simple, you're still going to come up with glitches with some of the devices: LG have just brought out a 1572F and oh hold on that doesn't size quite right on the screens," explained the same IT director.

Computing also asked "For which platforms will you be / are you developing apps?" The answers to this question are illustrated below.

Interestingly Android was cited by fewer people this year than last (40 per cent vs 44 per cent) and Apple iOS and Windows 8 (including, presumably, Windows Mobile) by slightly more. The differences are too small to imply any real movement, but the results show that there are now three main ecosystems to be considered by anyone developing apps for the enterprise. A third of the respondents declared themselves undecided, further underlining that there is all to play for in this space.

The choice of ecosystems supported will also depend heavily on the type of app being developed. The prevalence and productivity of various versions of Windows make it a popular platform for corporate apps as it can almost be viewed an extension of desktop computing. Windows 10 seems set to build on this advantage. However, the popularity of iOS and Android from a consumer perspective make them an obvious choice for a customer app platform.

This article is an edited extract from the Computing Enterprise Mobility Review 2015.