Extending softwareintomobile 11 28-2012
- 1. EXTENDING SOFTWARE INTO Eileen Boerger President MOBILE
- 2. WHY MOBILE? There are 5.9 billion mobile subscribers - 87% of the world population (ITU) 600 million new smartphones will be shipped in 2012 (Morgan Stanley) Over 1 billion feature (non- smart) phones will be shipped in 2012 (IDC) In 2012, mobile device usage eclipsed desktop usage
- 3. BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE (BYOD) 95% of organizations permit employee-owned devices in some way, shape or form in the workplace.
- 4. BYOD CONSIDERATIONS Secure access – authentication Data security and integrity - during transfer, on mobile device, in the cloud Client governance policies – variable and inconsistent Design for multiple mobile platforms
- 5. MOBILIZING YOUR SOFTWARE PRODUCT Now is the time to mobilize your software product – before it’s too late! Mobile UI is different, and each type of mobile device has different UI requirements. You don’t have to provide all access from the mobile device, i.e., your mobile apps don’t have to do everything. Don’t underestimate security implications of going mobile. Design data access carefully and securely. An evolutionary approach to delivering mobile access is a good strategy. A web app is a real choice, i.e., you don’t have to build a native app. Good enterprise app software developers do not necessarily make good mobile app developers.
- 6. KEY PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS Planning Area Key Considerations Mobile user and o Who are the targeted users? functional requirements o What functionality do you want to provide? o Need for device-specific features (camera, GPS,…)? o Online, offline access? Application workflow o Which part of the application workflow on mobile? o Custom workflow for mobile device? o Custom workflow depending on task on mobile device? Data access o What are the data requirements of the mobile app? o Data on mobile device, in cloud, hybrid …? Mobile platforms to o Smartphones, Tablets, …? support o iOS, Android, Windows Mobile, …? Security o How will authentication and authorization work? o Single-user devices or multi-user devices? o Data security? Distribution and o App store, internet, …? Monetization o Free, one-time fee, transaction-based fee, …?
- 7. AN EVOLUTIONARY APPROACH Strongly consider an evolutionary approach. Information access only Targeted productivity gains for key roles and tasks
- 8. BE INNOVATIVE! Don’t just miniaturize your current UI Tailor the UI for different devices, different user roles and/or tasks Mobile users conditioned to use social networks Create sense of community of product users Engage community to enhance product
- 9. KEY DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS Design Area Key Considerations Device types o Screen size and resolution (DPI) o CPU performance, memory and storage space o Development tools o Special needs (GPS or camera, for example) Network constraints o Occasional connections and/or low bandwidth o Choose protocols based on speed and power consumption UI design o Delightful user experience o Different screen sizes of devices o Security - access, authentication Architecture o Web app or native app or hybrid o Not data intensive – information on demand o Multi-layered architecture Device constraints o Battery life, memory size, processor speed
- 10. WEB APP VS. NATIVE APP VS. HYBRID Web App Hybrid App Native App Manageable Server and Rich UX Unique Processing Distribution Easy Geo-location No Video Distribution Limited Reach OS Little OS Extensive Integration Browser-Free Integration Reach Zero Camera High Portability No Camera Portability Video Online Mode Online and Offline Mode Offline
- 11. Architectural Choices TIME TO CROSS ALL PLATFORMS Many mobile app vendors build both web and native apps. Gartner, 2012 15 “Beyond the Wireless Tether” - Gartner Catalyst 2012
- 12. CASE STUDIES
- 13. CASE STUDY 1 - HEALTHCARE Limited mobile interface to existing product Need access to laptop to check if approvals needed Need access to laptop to approve charts/orders Patient meds or orders might be delayed
- 14. CASE STUDY 1 – OVERVIEW AND RESULTS Native app: iPhone and Android phones Redesign of UI, including displaying medical charts, patient information in readable form for mobile phone Incorporated use of text messaging to notify doctor of charts needing approval Higher productivity for users Have platform for expanding access to more functionality of software product
- 15. CASE STUDY 2 – RETAIL NATIVE APP Leading provider of fully integrated photo processing solutions and social media services for digital photo labs, commercial printers and fulfillment centers Large European client required solution with an integrated mobile client for photo processing and ordering Did not have resources or expertise to develop mobile app Developed mobile client for iOS and Android platforms Initial product released 9-2011
- 16. CASE STUDY 2 - DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES Challenge Considerations Development Technology o Chose to work with SDKs of native OS Platforms Choice o Multi-threading not available at the time on framework client wanted oFramework vs Native OS to use Device Memory Constraints o Working with several large photos at a time o Required choosing 32 photos at a time (cropping, page placement, Caption, Image, etc.) Multiple Platform Development o iOS 3.x 4.x and now 5 for iphone and ipad oiOS, Android o Android for specific devices (Xoom, Samsung, …etc.) o SmartPhones, Tablets Device-specific Android (2.1, 2.2, 3.0, 3.1) Testing of multiple Android devices Smart Phone vs. Tablet form o Look and feel tailored to each form factor ( what works on tablet may factor not be suitable for SmartPhone) Internationalization / o Looks and feel, language support, forms of addresses, …etc. Localization On-going support of mobile apps o Keeping up with updates to OS versions compatibility testing
- 17. CASE STUDY 2 – MOBILE CLIENT Select Edit images Images Shopping Cart Flow o Order processing and image processing o Select images to process or take a picture from mobile camera o Crop images, rotate images, compose multi images o See image on the 3D object (cup, T-Shirt, mouse pad,…)
- 18. SUMMARY: EXTENDING SOFTWARE INTO MOBILE Start Now! User roles and functionality on mobile app Workflow for the mobile app Data access, security, and integrity Secure access to mobile app Development technologies vs development skills UI design for mobile devices Social networking
- 19. QUESTIONS?
- 20. Presented by: THANK YOU Eileen Boerger eboerger@corsource.com CorSource Technology provides consulting, software www.CorSource.com development services and technical staffing that businesses need to succeed in the fast-moving, highly competitive world of software development and IT. CorSource provides services to SMBs and ISVs nationwide. Learn more at www.corsource.com, and follow us on Twitter: @corsource.