Tips for Effective Mobile App Deployment

Since 2007, with the release of the first version of Apple’s iPhone, the necessity of mobile applications for quicker and successful functioning of an enterprise has been felt. While mobile applications were a luxury that only large enterprises could afford just two years back, small organizations also deploy these tools today, irrespective of the services or products they offer. Mobile applications serve several purposes within an enterprise. They are used as methods to engage with the existing and potential customer base, they are used as advertising mediums to promote the enterprise’s products and generate higher revenues, and apps are also used for completing work anytime anywhere.

But merely deploying a popular mobile application does not ensure its effective usage. The mobile apps deployed in an enterprise must be compatible with not only the technological understanding of the workforce, but also the mobile requirements of its services and target audience. Listed below are few simple tips to deploy the best mobile apps for your business:

1. Decide between In House App Development Team and Outsourcing – This is a question that most enterprises are faced with while formulating an app deployment strategy. While enterprises prefer in house development since it reduces overall costs, mobile analysts are of the opinion that application creation and deployment must be outsourced to a team of professional software developers. Not only is the in house IT team of an enterprise less equipped with tools required for building the right mobile application, it is also less experienced on matters of proper deployment issues. For small enterprises that lack the resources needed for improved mobile app deployment, help from freelance developers may be taken.

2. Decide in Advance the Mobile Devices and OS Platforms to Support – According to reports released this year, Android will be the leading operating system through 2016. However, an enterprise must not overlook the importance of platforms like iOS, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone. Analysts say that if enterprises deploy devices only for the enablement of the workforce and to ensure their efficiency at the workplace, Apple mobile devices and iOS must be the chosen platform. On the other hand, if OS platforms are deployed primarily to support enterprise partners, customers, and vendors, Android and Windows is the best platform.

3. Be Sure You Really Need it – An enterprise must first make sure whether it requires a mobile app or a mobile website. Just because deploying apps is the current trend in the mobile market, does not mean that every enterprise needs an app for successful completion of work. Getting a HTML version of the current website is enough for enterprises that do not require control or input on GPS location data, multi touch screen, accelerometer data, working offline, and camera. For instance, if an enterprise just has to push reports to its sales force, a mobile website serves the purpose. However, if maps of the customer accounts need to be showcased, the enterprise needs to deploy mobile apps.

The above three are the most important tips an enterprise has to follow while deploying mobile apps. The success of any application can however not be predicted in advance; like all forms of technology, success of mobile apps too depends on the current market requirements and the tastes and preference of the enterprise’s customers. Follow these three tips to increase the chances of successful mobile app deployment.