Development should focus on building mobile apps first and then build out the backend infrastructure for the web and cloud
It wasn’t too long ago (less than five years) when the strategy for application development was entirely focused on the desktop, which could be a combination of web apps and local PC/Mac apps. That made sense because all the users had desktops/laptops with web access. Mobile was an afterthought.
IT would tell business users: “Look, we have to develop for the web and desktops because that’s where most of our users are. We know that smartphones are taking off and that we can build apps to run on iOS and Android, but that’s not something in which we are familiar. We’ll get our folks to develop mobile apps once they finish the higher priority to get the desktop environment working first.”
My how things have changed. Ask an IT executive about how they are going to deploy a new initiative, and they will likely respond more like this: “Well, we typically build our mobile apps first since our users will adapt to them very quickly. We can connect the app’s data to our back end systems. And, once we get our mobile apps built and deployed, we’ll go back and ‘fill out’ the platform to give ‘back up’ support for the desktop which isn’t used as much as mobile.”
Now, to be sure, there are some new apps that can only be built on the web so the mobile may only be a “front end” to a web/cloud environment.
When you look at development today, there are four overriding themes that will drive a lot of the new developments in mobile in 2016: mobile itself, which includes wireless; social; cloud; and the “Internet of Things” with a major emphasis on wearables.
I’m often asked to define the difference between the Internet, the World Wide Web and the cloud. Although there is clearly overlap, I see the Internet as the overall transport system that carries the traffic between people and companies. Part of this is access (getting online) and part is the backhaul that enables anyone to use their computer or mobile device to find any web site or cloud service.
The web is the set of millions of sites that can be visited by anyone with a web browser. And, now with hundreds of millions of websites having been developed, users can find information, things to buy or services such as the weather for just about any topic. Finally, the cloud takes the web one step further: it enables companies to add a layer of service offering and storage so that an entire business service can be maintained.
Mobile has now become the “center of the information universe” because more people are using smartphones (and tablets) for their interaction with the web and utilizing cloud services. Yes, Windows and Mac PCs are also still used, but the number of interactions with web and cloud services is around mobile devices with support from the PC. For example, you might set up an account with a website and then do most of your subsequent interaction with a mobile device. After all, one of your mobile devices is probably in your pocket or purse, which makes it very convenient to do something than waiting until you are in front of your PC.
This has caused companies to use the “mobile first” mantra: they realize mobile interaction is where most of the user experience is happening so they are developing the app first so users get a good experience from the beginning with a website or cloud service rather than only having a mobile-optimized browser, which doesn’t give the user as good an experience.
For example, if you watch people today using Facebook, most of the interaction is done with people using their smartphones to read a post or to comment on someone else’s post. Thus, Facebook has focused a lot of its development effort to make the mobile experience good for its users. This is an example of an enterprise (Facebook) focusing a lot of its resources on mobile – things get done for mobile users first.
This mantra has also led startups to build out their mobile initiative first in order to more quickly get into the market. Thus, a startup for a new product may launch with their mobile app and then build out other services after that. Thus, when you hear that a company is developing services via “mobile first,” you’ll understand why this is happening.
J. Gerry Purdy, Ph.D. is the principal analyst with Mobilocity LLC and a research affiliate with Frost & Sullivan. He is a nationally recognized industry authority who focuses on monitoring and analyzing emerging trends, technologies, and market behavior in mobile computing and wireless data communications devices, software and services. Dr. Purdy is an “edge of network” analyst looking at devices, applications and services as well as wireless connectivity to those devices. Dr. Purdy provides critical insights regarding mobile and wireless devices, wireless data communications, and connection to the infrastructure that powers the data in the wireless handheld. Dr. Purdy continues to be affiliated with the venture capital industry as well. He spent five years as a venture advisor for Diamondhead Ventures in Menlo Park where he identified, attracted and recommended investments in emerging companies in the mobile and wireless industry. He has had a prior affiliation with East Peak Advisors and, subsequently, following their acquisition, with FBR Capital Markets. Dr. Purdy advises young companies who are preparing to raise venture capital. Dr. Purdy has been a member of the Program Advisory Board of the Consumer Electronics Association that produces CES, one of the largest trade shows in the world. He is a frequent moderator at CTIA conferences and GSM Mobile World Congress. Prior to funding Mobilocity, Dr. Purdy was chief mobility analyst with Compass Intelligence. Prior to that, he owned MobileTrax, LLC and enjoyed successful stints at Frost & Sullivan, Dataquest (a division of Gartner) among other companies.
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