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Read MoreIt has only been a few years since cross-platform mobile app development came into existence and it has taken off in a big way since then. It has become so popular that 1/3rd of the developers are using cross-platform application development tools for their work.
For sure there are several benefits of using this development technology as not only it is cost-effective, but also saves time, resources, and requires fewer members in a team to complete the work.
These are the most visible and well-known benefits. In this article, we will be discussing some other lesser-known but equally important advantages of cross platform mobile app development.
But first, let’s know a little about cross-platform app development itself.
It all started with Sun Microsystem’s WORA (Write Once, Run Anywhere), which came into the market in 1995. WORA failed to realize its true potential Before cross-platform development, we can say that there was a lack of unity among the large variety of SDKs and application development frameworks.
Cross-platform app development, with its ability to help build applications for different operating systems (iOS, Windows, and Android) with a single framework has brought a much-needed smoothness to the entire system of application development.
In other words, cross-platform app development is the exercise whereby the application is built only once and can be used on different operating systems. Before this amazing technology came into existence, Android users were not able to use the high-end applications built for the iOS phones and the iPhone users were neglected while developing fun and interactive Android-only applications.
Cross-platform mobile app development has bridged this gap. In the early days, WORA was taken as a joke with some developers stating it as “Write Once, Debug Everywhere.”
But that was in the past. We have come a long way from 1995 and with the application development frameworks that are available today, things have become much more exciting, learning, and highly productive.
The internal systems of every cross-platform app development framework is built so beautifully that you need not write a different type of code for every platform. Be it Android, iOS, or Windows, you can use the same code for building an application for all of these platforms.
Not only does this reduce the amount of work that is required to be done but it also diminishes the number of repetitive tasks. Developers can also save the major part of the reusable code on GitHub and use it for developing other applications that have the same function as the original one.
For instance, the login and logout feature is mandatory for every application that requires maintenance of the customer data and profile creation. The backend part of this feature will be similar and the changes will only be required to the frontend elements.
So the developer can use the same backend development for every application and make changes or write the frontend code from scratch.
We cannot say that cross-platform app development cuts the cost to a substantial amount, but yes it does gives us more leeway to control the cost of app development.
What used to happen before the developers started using cross-platform tools was that for every application required for different devices, a separate team was required.
So, if the company wanted an application for their users who are using both Android and iOS devices, they had to spend money hiring different people to build the applications.
With cross-platform application development, they need not hire different teams, but yes, one strong and knowledgeable team is required to build a common application code.
So, what you will save on not hiring two teams can be replaced with hiring one strong cross-platform development team.
Read More: The 2021 Oriented Guide to Mobile Application Development Costs
It is said that cross-platform app development saves time and requires less resources. It is true. Because you will only write and deploy a single script instead of writing two different sets of codes and deploying them with their exclusive elements.
Because there is a single code that is written and deployed, it increases the speed of development. Not only this, but cross-platform development also increases the time to market, which helps in steaming ahead from the competition and reaching the end-user earlier.
Another aspect of quick and easy development is that the developers can utilize the extra time to further improve the application. Not only the developers, but the design team, analysts, and DevOps team can also take more time to enhance the scope of work required to build the application.
With every part of the application development team left with more time in their hands, you can only expect to build a better application. Ergo, the forward and backward linkages of application development stand to gain due to quick development.
Imagine using an application across multiple devices and every time you open the app, the interface is different. Not only will it reduce the levels of interaction but it also increases the chances of losing a potential user because they are not getting a similar experience.
But, when you go for cross-platform mobile app development, you can build the same interface across all the applications and end up giving a similar UX every time.
Your users expect to engage with a similar interface while using the application across different devices. Cross platform app development gives you that ability.
This part of the benefits of using any of the best cross platform app development tools is self-explanatory. Over the globe;
The total comes out to be 99.39%. Leaving out any one of these platforms means that you won’t be able to deliver your product to almost the entire smartphone users.
In another instance, we want you to pay attention to another statistic. According to the State of In-App Spending report, 71% of iOS users make at least one payment for an application in a month, whereas the same thing for android users is only 4.6%.
So, it is important to develop applications for both platforms if you want to cover more ground and also earn revenue. Moreover, cross-platform is the future of application development and it needs to be implemented with utmost credibility.
Cross-platform application development is executed in a unique manner to express similar nativity with the underlying platform. That is the real beauty of this technology.
Like if you are creating the application for both iOS and Android users, the final application will get a native look and feel of the platform on which the app will run. The application will be similar to the applications that are built on exclusive iOS frameworks.
The same goes for Android. Not only will it look similar, but also work similarly. Cross platform applications have the ability to match the performance shown by native applications.
As the technology of cross platform gains prominence several services that are made to support the technology also gain importance. One such service is Cloud. Due to several enhancements in the technology, cross-platforms applications are easily integrated with cloud and hosting services.
This gives the developers another faster and quicker way to combine the development services with the cloud. Not only will it help with better development but also save money as you need not integrate your application separately for iOS and Android.
There is a common myth in the development world that cross-platform applications are less secure. It is only partially true. Yes, by working with technologies like HTML, you may need to be somewhat secure.
Working with such technologies, the code can be easily lifted off by anyone without authorization. But all these vulnerabilities can easily be nipped with some preventive measures.
Start by choosing the right tech stack for development along with regularly updating the frameworks to ensure tighter security. Moreover, a lot depends on the type of development team you choose to work with and how they are able to handle the work.
The majority of the companies go with cross platform mobile app development due to lower costs and faster development time. But as you have seen above, there are many other aspects that are equally essential in cross platform development.
In a competitive world, creating an efficient product and making sure that it reaches the audience quickly is one way to progress and move ahead. The synergistic impact of cross platform application development is a recipe for success provided you are able to execute it with the right mindset and follow an effective strategy.
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