In the mobile app development industry, there continues to be a lot of debate about whether to use HTML5, adopt a hybrid standard, or go native. With the support of heavyweights like Amazon and Facebook, it seems that HTML5 is due for mass adoption. However, there are still some issues that need to be resolved.
The concept behind HTML5 offers a strong selling point: “write once, run anywhere.” This idea has been the goal of many developers since the launch of Java. There have been many standards introduced since then, but none has fit the “write once, run anywhere” ideal. As an open standard that offers numerous benefits, HTML5 seems to best fit industry requirements.
Why HTML5 Works
In any organization as well as in the general marketplace, there are various mobile devices that have to be supported. Apple runs its own unique operating system — iOS, and even the Android, which is already an open standard, suffers from fragmentation. The hardware and software for each device also have unique configurations—which means that dedicated native applications must be created from scratch to work seamlessly on devices. All these customized versions of a single mobile app involve time, money, and inconvenience. HTML5 offers a viable alternative.
HTML5 can run on iPhone, Android, or BlackBerry devices. It also has CSS3 features that allow automatic page layout adjustments across a vast number of form factors. Because it is delivered as a mobile web app, an HTML5 app can bypass the application approval process to be put in various application stores. It can provide functionality to the application server immediately with increased efficiencies, especially in an enterprise setting. Existing code can be leveraged to develop additional features, and the acceptance barrier is lowered when it comes to adoption at every level in the organization.
Side Effects of HTML5
It is important to remember that enterprise users are also mainstream consumers. Thus, they have high expectations of how mobile apps should look and perform. HTML5, while providing significant enterprise benefits, cannot compete with native applications. Native apps are tailor-made solutions for specific devices, so they offer a better user experience. Another possible downside to using HTML5 is its poor functionality when it comes to letting users access and store data on their mobile devices. However, some developers are opting for a hybrid approach, using HTML5 to build the application within a native shell. This eliminates some of the downsides of a pure HTML5 alternative (app-store, storage, etc.). The Facebook application, for example, is built almost entirely in HTML5, but runs natively on the device.
There are pros and cons to using HTML5 in your organization. It doesn’t offer a one-size-fits-all solution. Its availability alone, though, offers glimpses of what developers can do in the future as they leverage HTML5 to varying degrees and create pure, native, and hybrid mobile apps.
Good and interesting post.
ReplyDeleteAlso with HTML5 mobile driven applications you don't have access to the device such as; camera, limited storage, tiles (WP), controlling radio (GSM).
But the most important thing is - there's no support for intermittent connectivity and mobile devices are occasionally connected which is a massive downside especially when your target customers are enterprises.
So there are a small number of use cases for HTML5 on mobile devices geared toward enterprises.
Regards,
Simon
HTML5 Webdesign has gotten a modern change in the whole world of web style. It provides a great foundation to make modern web styles without based on third-party plug-ins and other web technological innovation
ReplyDelete