Building the Right Mobile App Development Strategy: The rate at which the mobile app market is growing reflects the important role it plays in the communication space. Statistics show that mobility is the primary way people are interacting and getting things done. Mobile phones prices and browsing rates get cheaper every day, and number of mobile internet users have multiplied manifold in the past few years. This has also led increase in the download numbers of mobile applications.

1. White Paper
HTML For Mobile
App Development
Building the Right Mobile App
Development Strategy
idexcel

2. Introduction
The rate at which the mobile app market is growing reflects the important role it plays in the communication space. Statis-
tics show that mobility is the primary way people are interacting and getting things done. Mobile phones prices and
browsing rates get cheaper every day, and number of mobile internet users have multiplied manifold in the past few years.
This has also led increase in the download numbers of mobile applications. Uber, Facebook, SnapChat and many more
apps are few examples where users login only with their mobile devices. Hence, gradually, the user interactions are
moving from desktop to mobile. As per prediction by Gartner, mobile app development projects that target tablets and
smartphones will outnumber desktop by 4:1 by the end of 2015. As per GIA report, by 2017, the market for enterprise
mobility will reach a global value of approximately $174 billion.
As far as mobile internet connectivity is concerned, the anticipations are high and online marketers are watching the expo-
nential growth of mobile adoption. The trends have been encouraging, and the mobile app development segment has taken
off, focussing on usability, utility and functionality. Most CIOs expect mobiles to bring drastic changes in their businesses
such as reduced costs, improved employee productivity, generate more revenue, and create more opportunities.
Creating a great user experience on a small screen requires different thinking, however, by using the right framework,
developers can easily create compelling apps for several platforms in one go that work offline and have access to all the
advanced features of modern smart mobile devices. HTML5 allows developers to write code once and create cross-plat-
form mobile application that are designed to work on a tiny screen, as well as on a wide range of operating systems and
devices, and this has led to increased numbers of app development for mobile devices. This exponential growth in the
enterprise mobility space and ease of development has enticed several companies into mobile application development
without much planning for strategy formulation. Although businesses see the inherit possibilities of mobility, but the
teams have not been able to prepare a well-defined formal strategy on how to attain these goals. The challenge is not the
ideas regarding great mobile apps, it is how to prioritize and align all these ideas into a roadmap with a formal mobile
strategy. This includes taking measures to simplify the core processes, build informative, intuitive and elegant apps.
Despite being equipped with tools, processes and resources to create such apps, the application developers often face a
plethora of challenges.
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HTML for mobile
idexcel
What are your business goals when it comes to mobile?
Business Goals from Mobile
Reduce operating costs
Increase employee productivity
Engage customers whereever they are
Create new revenue paths
Disrupt the market
76%
76%
72%
64%
12%

3. Mobile App development-
Challenges and Common Mistakes
Mobile ecosystem can be very complex, and there are
additional complexities involved in creating well
designed apps that provides a good user experience
while maintaining the experience during the involve-
ment of this ecosystem. Mobile apps are important,
however, the way they are built, maintained and
deployed, remains a source of great debate. Once
downloaded, one out of four mobile apps is never used
again. This is an indication that a large percentage of
apps are falling short of the end users and customers’
Source -
http://asmarterplanet.com/mobile-enterprise/blog/2014/08/departments-take-back-control-mobile-channel.html
3 Page
expectations. People demand and expect immediate
benefit from their mobile experience. These apps not
only have to look and feel good, but at the same time
must be available, should be intuitive and provide
appropriate content connecting with the back-end
systems, secured with the single sign-on and must be
role-based. Integration of the app with the back-end
system is a necessity so that the users can access the
information whenever they want and anywhere they
want.
Mobile apps go deeper
then front-end UI
Short time to market
Web? Hybrid? Native ?
Teamwork
Industrialize dev
Integrate with SDLC
30%of the value and
effort is visible
70%of the value and
effort lies under
the surface
Front-end
Back-end
Operations
Security
User engagement
Connect to back-end
Efficient and flexible push notifications
Track and leverage location
Offline availability
B2E app distribution Push
upgrades
User
Authentication
Malware
Detection
Data
Protection
Manage and
enforce app verions
Track problems
that affect UX
Ensuring continued
support in a quick
changing landscape
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4. 4 Page
Also, delivering a good contextual experience requires
aggregating information from several different sources.
Gathering the contextual data is one big challenge as it
is stored on multiple systems of record and the app will
need to connect to them. Device proliferation is another
challenge. There are 7 inch tablet, 5 inch tablet and 20
inches and more Windows 8 devices, and this requires
app flexibility, especially on the client end.
Mobile screen sizes are different with different resolu-
tions. They have lower processing powers, and smaller
storage capacities. Mobile app development is slow,
expensive and frustrating. It takes anywhere from seven
months to over a year to build one app, and cost per app
can range from $500,000 to $1,000,000. Most CEOs
think that the process takes too long.
Additional challenges involve identifying the innovative
mobile use cases that can significantly impact defined
business metrics, dealing with vastly different user
The rich and diverse universe of mobile technologies
Amsartplanet.com
interactions and behaviours, security around appli-
cations and devices with so many different operat-
ing systems and devices, fragmentation of operat-
ing systems and devices, leading to multiple
versions of same app, testing so many operating
system and devices variants, choosing the best
development technology, and changing processes
from traditional waterfall to agile to keep pace with
evolving mobile landscape.
Many companies fail to act swiftly, and gradually
lose momentum when the final product is rolled
out. With dismal initial feedback, companies lose
interest, and stop investing more money into the
product. Another mistake companies often make is
to try to replicate the desktop application function-
ality exactly to the mobile application. Additionally,
there is the issue of mobile content management,
where there is a continuous battle of delivering rich
content to mobile devices over spotty networks and
dropped connections.
Overcoming these challenges requires setting
standards and formulate strategies to ensure that
right approach is followed and future nightmares
are avoided.
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5. 5 Page
Need for Mobile App
Development Strategy
Building a mobile program or app without a strategy is like
going on a vacation without knowing the destination. You
will reach somewhere, but you may not like it. Hence, it is
essential to develop a roadmap for the business model to
create mobile solutions that are fully integrated into all
different aspects of the business including sales, service,
product, operations and marketing. Successful mobile
apps are a comprehensive integration of business,
technology and compelling user experience. Businesses
cannot afford to make the mistake of starting with the
mobile app development and then determine the goals,
strategy, markets, metrics, etc. First step must be quick
and efficient development of the mobile strategy which
can lead to huge savings in money and time, and at the
same time will increase the likelihood of success.
There is no one-size-fits all mobile app development strat-
egy, hence it is critical to learn and understand how to
choose the most appropriate technology for the right
app. Clear market knowledge and effective develop-
ment strategy are required to develop mobile apps that
can withstand the desired objectives. Adoption of
mobile apps without the clear vision can lead to disas-
trous results. If the companies do not follow a well-de-
fined mobile application development strategy and at
the same time innovate and deploy quickly, the users
either uninstall the apps or just stop using them. There
must be a strategy in place for regular updates providing
new features and improvements. This requires data
collection, analysis and release of updates. Constant
development across several target channels and devices
should also be a part of strategic planning. Mobile apps
can be too varied, and to match the quickly changing
user expectations, there cannot be a single develop-
ment method or tool that works best in all cases.
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6. 6 Page
The mobile application development strategy planning
starts by meeting with the mobile app development team,
and form a group that has a balanced combination of
technical expertise and business acumen. An expert strat-
egist with deep understanding of the business can help
Once the design aspect is finalized, planning and develop-
ment of application architecture begin, and coding gives
life to the mobile app. Social media, database compo-
nents, GPS and several other features integrate with the
application. Developed app and merged UI is tested on the
device by running several programs, and checks are done
at different conditions to ensure that the app is robust and
flawless. Thoroughly checked and tested mobile app is
made available to the end users. Mobile app developers
may also deploy app to the enterprise environment.
Deployment minimizes installation time, and ensures
critical data transfer in a safe environment. Some of the
key points for this app development strategy are
provide the tactical and strategic perspective, and then
propose the best solution. The strategy should address
the changing industry environment, competition profile,
business problems to be solved, and what should the
final solution look like.
Define Application Objectives and Metrics, and ensure
that the metrics are meaningful
Due diligence must be done to identify the best devices
for the intended apps.
Reinvention of the wheel needs to be minimized by
tapping every existing organisations asset. Each skill
and talent must be leveraged to minimize time and
resource consumption.
Choose one platform for the prototype, and then
choose between native, Web or hybrid apps.
Capture the essence of the app by generating
wireframes and all possible use cases and interactive
scenarios.
Establish different technical and programming phases
and clearly define the objective of each phase.
Planning Mobile
Application Development Strategy
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7. 7 Page
Once the strategic goals have been clearly defined and
brought into focus, it is time to think about the role and
function of the app. The way his app will fit into the world
of end users, management and other stakeholders.
The sales force should be able to quickly and easily access
the app. If it takes more than a few seconds to access and
share information or multimedia with the clients, the
benefit of using the mobile app gets quickly dissolved.
Research shows that more than 25% of the business apps
get deleted after their first or second use, and after 90
days, the drop-off is dramatic. On an average, only about
355 of the users remain active, and the main contributing
factor is the poor user interface experience.
Strategy Design Develop Deploy
Mobile App Development Strategy
Define Application Objectives & Metrics
Identify the target mobile device (s)
Leverage Assets
Choose your App type
Concept TO Ideation
Establish the technical / programming
phases and the objectives of each phase
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8. From the technical perspective, there are many different
ways to build the mobile applications, and these
techniques have gradually evolved over time. Initially, only
the native development tools provided by the smart-
phones vendors could be used to build apps, however,
with the added-value frameworks, the applications could
be built quickly, and single app could run on the multiple
types of devices. Some of these approaches are:
Native- Uses the native tools for developing application on
each platform and has full access to all the native features.
However, each platform needs to be developed complete-
ly separately.
Cross-Platform framework tools- Many vendors give the
tools and framework that can work across multiple
platforms, and give the access to most of the native
features that eliminates the need to rewrite the app for
multiple platforms. However, this requires developers to
learn and commit to a framework. Instead of using the
best features available on each platform, usually, the
approach is to work to a least common denominator
approach.
Different strategies
for mobile application development
Hybrid/HTML5- Hybrid applications are built using
HTML5, JavaScript and CSS, and some extensions of
accessing device features such as GPS and camera.
These hybrid or HTML5 apps are packaged in the native
app wrapper, making them indistinguishable from the
native apps. This way, apps need to be built once and
they can run on multiple devices. Code and skills can be
shared across the web and mobile apps. However, there
is a limitation in accessing the native features.
Composite- mobile app is used for commonly used
functions, and mobile website is used for additional
capabilities that provide less commonly used functions.
This offers a good balance of mobile Web and mobile
app capabilities. However, due to switching from app to
browser, this may not offer the most optimal user expe-
rience.
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9. 9 Page
Most users extensively use their mobile browsers to
browse websites and online Web applications. Applica-
tions can be built for mobile apps and/or mobile Web.
Web applications are optimized for mobile device access
and Web applications can be hosted online. There are
certain advantages of mobile Web over mobile apps:
Businesses can use the combination of mobile Web and
apps, after weighing the pros and cons of each.
The bottom line is that there are multiple factors
comprising the mobile app development strategy. The
debate about whether to use HTML5, or go native, or
apply a hybrid approach continues, the issue needs to be
resolved before setting policies and deciding strategies.
It is however, quite clear that a good strategy is to begin
with what is available rather than waiting too long, and
then lag behind to a stage where it becomes difficult to
catch-up. The success of any mobile app depends on
reaching the target users, irrespective of the device and
platform, and developers use cross-platform mobile
application tools to achieve that. Instead of using iOS
APIs, Objective-C and Xcode for Mac, iPad and iPhone,
Java, Android APIs and Eclipse for Android smartphones,
Visual Studio, Windows API and C# for Windows PC, it is
much more effective and simpler to use HTML5
cross-platform mobile application development tool.
On the other hand, apps have several advantages as well.
The app doesn’t need to be published through the
App-store, which can be a lengthy and difficult process
at times.
The Mobile Web is easier to deploy, add products/fea-
tures, upgrade and fix bugs.
For one-time or occasional uses, such as applying for a
new service or enrolling, lodging a complaint, or
customer on boarding, the mobile Web is most
suitable.
Developers need to develop only on one platform, and
need not worry if the people are using an older version
of the app.
Mobile Apps Vs Mobile Web
They are well-suited for doing repetitive tasks.
Once installed, the apps have a presence on the device.
Users can work with the apps offline.
It is easier to load app rather than the website, and
hence apps are more convenient.
Apps can be deeply integrated with the in-built device
capabilities such as GPS, camera etc.
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10. 10 Page
HTML5 is a markup language with features that allow it to
run on devices to consume less power. HTML5 is a
preferred language today to structure and present the
content, and develop interactive pages that can be
deployed across multiple browsers and operating system
platforms. Hence, HTML5 based cross-platform mobile app
development tools are a preferred choice with the mobile
app developers. As compared to previous versions of
HTML, it is much easier to develop feature-rich applications
using HTML5, and it reduces the functionality gap between
mobile apps and Websites. Native apps need to be devel-
oped platform-by-platform, and hence be significantly
more expensive as compared to HTML5 apps that can be
developed once and can run on several different platforms.
Some of the big companies who have already taken advan-
tage of the HTML5 wave include fashion brand Burberry,
The Guardian and Financial Times newspapers, and Apple
iPad mobile digital device application for LinkedIn.
Other advantages of HTML5 include:
Enables developers leverage the built in advanced capa-
bilities such as cameras, accelerometers and GPS in the
modern devices, and provide rich, contextual user expe-
rience across several mobile devices
Applications can easily adapt to different screen size,
resolutions, orientation and aspect ratio.
Mobile apps can use same distribution and monetiza-
tion channels as native apps
Applications can be viewed in the browser, or can be
deployed as local web applications.
Users can fully control the available display screen real
estate and the device.
The apps can run in full-screen mode rather than being
restricted by browser window frames.
Centralized code can be easily modified so that it can
interface with multiple devices.
Regardless of the device, mobile apps work similarly
on all platforms.
HTML, CSS and JavaScript are the backbone of web
application and hence migration of development
tools to the mobile devices is quite easy.
Businesses can use the combination of mobile Web
and apps, after weighing the pros and cons of each.
HTML5 for Mobile App Dev Strategy
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11. 11 Page
You don’t have to build different apps for different OSs, devices, or
browsers. HTML5 is flexible enough work across every channel,
meeting all of your user’s needs regardless of the technology they use.
according to HTML5Test.com
How browsers score for HTML5 support
Advantages to HTML5
MOBILE
CHROME
OPERA 15
FIREFOX 22
SAFARI 6.0
INTERNET
EXPLORER 10
DESKTOP
417
428
422
386
320
It offers a cost-effetive solution to multi-platform
development. Pages feature a consistent design across
all platforms.
HTML5 is SEO friendly.
463
423
410
378
320
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12. 12 Page
On the other hand, there are some disadvantages associat-
ed with HTML5 when using for the mobile app develop-
ment
Clearly, the pros of HTML5 for mobile application develop-
ment outweigh the cons, and this tool continues to be
favoured by the app development world.
For some added features or change in Android, iOS or
Windows, the tool has to factor in the changes, and
make adjustments to the code, and hence cross-plat-
form app tools lag behind official SDK.
As developers need to write code for each platform,
delivery of the apps may take more time.
The efficacy of the code becomes dependent on the
translation engine as developers work on the languages
that are not native to the platforms. Bloated code and
inefficient coding techniques are common problems.
There are additional complications due to difference in
platform runtimes.
Due to the quick evolution of HTML5 standard, it has
caused several discrepancies in the implementation of
HTML tags, CSS attributes and JavaScript APIs. These
features may work differently on different platforms,
however there are several tools available to handle
these discrepancies.
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13. HTML5 Frameworks
13 Page
To cater to the growing mobile apps market, several HTML5
mobile frameworks have become available that help devel-
opers create responsive and attractive mobile apps. These
frameworks are libraries that enable developers to create
professional -grade UX for the HTML5 apps, and they can
save a lot of effort and time animating and styling the app
experience. These frameworks are designed to work on a
variety of platforms, and make the software more profes-
sional, giving apps a unified look. These libraries contain
one or more CSS and JavaScript files included in a single
HTML file, and help developers build mobile apps without
any native code like Java, .NET etc., making apps easily
portable. Some of the most preferred frameworks include:
PhoneGap (Apache Cordova)- Enables developers to build
apps for mobile devices using HTML5, JavaScript and CSS3,
and wraps up CSS, HTML or JavaScript code based on the
device platform. It is a free and open source, and develop-
ers can use standard web APIs for most mobile operating
systems. Developers do not need expertise in any particu-
lar platform, and are not expected to have in-depth
programming knowledge to code the app from scratch.
They also do not need to learn new languages such as
Objective-C for iPhone. PhoneGap provides JavaScript APIs
with access to mobile device capabilities like GPS, camera,
device information, etc. It offers the advantage of rapid
development and deployment on multiple platforms,
making it a lucrative option for programmers, as well as for
the businesses. It is supported by a huge community that
enables to push the technology forward with tutorials,
examples and enhancements.
App Framework- Responsive and reliable HTML5 UI frame-
work, an excellent tool to create hybrid mobile apps. How-
ever, adaptation to the desktop is lacking to a large extent.
On the other hand, it is a simple tool, which makes it much
easier for new developers to write single codebase and
applications can easily adapt native-style look and feel. The
framework is fast, reliable and lightweight.
Sencha Touch- Comes with great tools, documentation and
support, and requires all UI code to be written in JavaScript,
making more precise experiences. It supports Yahoo Query
language, can create good graphical charts and the includ-
ed themes can support all popular mobile platforms. How-
ever, developers need to have considerable knowledge and
experience in JavaScript.
JQuery Mobile- Although not initially designed for the
mobile space, it has become the most commonly used
HTML5 Mobile UI Frameworks. For the mobile user inter-
face, it provides same usability and aesthetics as the desk-
top product. The framework is programmed using HTML
elements, and is easy to use with good documentation and
a large installed base. It is based on the principle “Write
less, do more”, keeping writers away from writing different
apps for different mobile platforms. It takes advantage of
CSS3 properties to create polished visuals without the
bloats.
Top Coat- A unique framework by Adobe, relies on CSS
libraries, making it easier to build using only HTML5
elements. The look and feel of the framework are different,
with larger touch targets for controls, and the app can be
given a very stylish look. The apps are easy to manage,
lightweight and less contextual.
Kendo UI- Equipped with outstanding tools and documen-
tations. The mobile HTML5 library uses HTML with class
tags to run widgets, providing set block of functionalities.
Kendo UI heavily relies on jQuery, and the widgets are
jQuery based too. UI can be changed to emulate the native
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14. 14 Page
aesthetic of Android, iOS, Windows Phone device or Black-
berry.
Ionic- Open source and well-designed front-end frame-
work, built with Sass, taking ‘develop once, deploy every-
where” approach. It helps developers create highly robust
and interactive apps within minutes by utilizing the power
of AngularJS. The focus is on speed, and with zero jQuery,
accelerated transitions and minimal DOM manipulation,
the apps can run quite fast on all mobile devices.
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15. Conclusion
Companies need to build a mobile application development strategy that brings together cloud, enterprise mobility and
the Internet of Things (IoT). Our smartphones these days are our camera, personal trainers, alarms, maps, entertain-
ment centres, shopping guides, and much more. Having a clear and crisp strategic vision allows companies to under-
stand what fits or doesn’t fit in their app. With the clear vision regarding strategic goals for the app, the development
team can easily turn that vision into reality. A comprehensive mobile app development strategy that incorporates
HTML5 capabilities, while maximizing their reach with the native application strategy is essential for the businesses
hoping to secure brand loyalty. The key is to know ‘Why’ before ‘How’.
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HTML for mobile

16. About the Author
Ponbharathi Bakthaduruvan works as a Technical Lead with Idexcel. He has over eight years’ experience in developing
enterprise and rich internet applications using HTML5, CSS/CSS3, Adobe Flex and Java/J2EE technologies. He has exper-
tise in software design, architecture, development, implementation and maintenance of enterprise applications and
has delivered many successful projects . He has a deep knowledge of UI development using HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript,
jQuery and developing enterprise level applications using Java, J2EE, Hibernate, Spring, JSP, Servlet, Adobe Flex and
ActionScript.
About Idexcel
Idexcel is an innovative provider of IT Products & Services focused on emerging technologies. We help world leading
companies build efficiencies and stronger businesses. With more than 15 years into existence Idexcel’s main focus is
client satisfaction and technology innovation. Our industry expertise and a global, collaborative workforce forms the
backbone of our services. We offer high degree of skills in Enterprise Applications, Cloud Services, Data-warehousing,
Big Data, Analytic, QA & Testing Services, IT consulting and Staffing. Idexcel product line includes: NDS, ERP, and
Cync - A revolutionary credit monitoring application for the manufacturing and financial management.
For more information log on to www.idexcel.com.
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HTML for mobile