Let’s start with statistics. In 2021, 2 million new apps were released. It would be an understatement to suggest that there is an intense rivalry. The latest data shows 3,739 apps are added to the Google Play Store daily. They understand how the market changes were critical for mobile app success in 2022.

The business mobile app market has increased since the beginning of the decade. As more people enter the digital age, they have come to rely on their smartphones to assist them with everything from banking to shopping.

You have many options for researching various industry needs and deciding to build a problematic app. A thorough knowledge of data analytics, market segmentation, advertising, app store optimization, revenue channels, shifting business models, the marketing landscape, and more is essential for nailing trends and rising above the competition. 

Making a name for yourself in the insanely saturated app market is difficult for most people. But it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a shot. It’s also true that there is still a sizable market for mobile apps, and new ones are continually being developed, released, and becoming prosperous. 

It might enhance your online presence, and your platform could become incredibly sticky by including social features and concentrating on various aspects of your business. We need applications to focus on providing users with quality services and making their lives easier.

With a solid understanding of the app development process and a clear marketing plan, you can make your mobile app stand out in a crowded market and establish a sizable user base.

Let’s review what you can do to stand out from the crowd, make your mobile app successful despite the public, and download lethargy. 

Understand How To Target The Needs Of Your Potential Users

Getting inside your users’ heads and comprehending their lived experiences is the first and most crucial step in truly understanding their demands. What kind of persons do they gravitate to en route? What hobbies do they have in their spare time?

What are some of the most pressing issues customers have with your service? What companies do they contact for guidance, and how can you stand out from your rivals? These are a few inquiries that, when properly incorporated into your plan, will significantly improve your possibilities of developing an effective app and a devoted online following.

Place Emphasis On Design

First impressions matter; therefore, carefully considering your app’s visual design should be a key priority during its development and any subsequent upgrades. An attractive and practical design will grab users’ attention and enhance their experience.

Analyze Your Rivals

It would be best to start by compiling a comprehensive list of your competitors and completing a deep competition analysis, whether you are developing a new mobile app or already have one that needs to prevail as you’d like.

Learn what makes their apps unique or why people enjoy them. Use the app to determine which features you want and which user interface elements keep you returning to them. See how well they perform the original function that created these apps. Compare these results to your app now and consider how you may make it as exciting or effective as the rivals. 

Create A Comprehensive Marketing Plan

Every product in the world requires a successful marketing plan. As many people as you can need to see your mobile app, your marketing campaigns must be compelling enough to grab their attention. You must consider how you desire to approach your mobile app marketing, including various forms of advertising, social media campaigns, event promotions, collaborations, and so much more.

• Promote effective adverts: Use the best writing, language, visuals, and video to produce compelling advertising highlighting your app’s best aspects and the benefits your consumers will experience. It is not the purpose of advertisements to solicit boasts about your app. They center on identifying a problem your users are experiencing and demonstrating how your software can address it. Demonstrate to your users how great, simple, or unique their lives will be once they use your program. Show them the time they will save, the comfort they will have, or the fun they will have as a result of using your software.

• Discover various forms of advertising: The most common ad formats are in-app, banner, and video ads. Use well-known ad networks like Adsense to optimize your ad placement and raise awareness of your mobile app.

Content Marketing Strategy 

Good content is not inexpensive. To strengthen your presence on social media and the digital landscape, you may need to hire exceptional content creators, writers, and SEO strategists. Content marketing offers a variety of paths to success, including enticing snippets, emails, long-form blog posts, and compelling stories.

You must hire the ideal content producers to differentiate your app from the competition and outperform your competitors.

Consider Writing Efficiently

Written content on applications is crucial, even though people’s attention spans are getting shorter, and they frequently scan sites. Do directions make sense? If your content is compelling enough, readers with limited time or reading skills will only scroll past if it speaks directly to them.

If you’re having trouble writing yourself, work with professionals who can ensure that each phrase clearly outlines what to do next to move things along fast and ensure that we meet all deadlines.

App Store Optimization

People use keywords and information on the app page, including descriptions, screenshots, and—most crucially—user ratings and reviews when conducting searches in app stores. Utilize each of them to the fullest extent possible to ensure that your app appears in search results and appears appealing enough to draw in your target audience.

The app store is optimized in this process. Begin with your app’s name and logo. Use an eye-catching and straightforward logo. In the app description, include a keyword. Use the best screenshots that logically depict what your app’s users can expect.

Spend time creating a detailed video demonstrating everything your app can do for your users. Use this video to highlight the best features of your app. Make it so appealing that your users are compelled to download it.

Customer Feedback: Pay attention to customer reviews. Engage users, expressing gratitude for favorable feedback and assisting those who have had a bad experience. You can transform a bad review into a good one by apologizing for the inconvenience and rectifying issues. This will encourage additional users to download and try out your software.

Create A Wonderful Experience First

The one thing we are here for in the first place — a fantastic app — comes before all the methods we will soon explore. It can heavily promote a defective product, but it will never be able to compete with high-quality alternatives.

Therefore, start laying a solid basis for your mobile app development approach. Pay attention to adding value for the users. Find and address a real issue. Perform it better than anyone else is currently doing. Have a UVP, or unique selling proposition, that distinguishes your goods from your rivals.

To accomplish that, you return to the first topic we covered, competitor research. Do it well and use your technical and creative skills to develop something beneficial.

Marketing For Differentiation

• Website: For your app, you must undoubtedly create an internet presence. Why? People will want to know that your app is authentic and that you have a strong business plan.

• Social Media: Social networking is necessary to market your app successfully. Utilize these accounts and begin following users who share your ideals and work in your sector if you want to interact meaningfully with your target audience. Remember to refrain from spamming and offering content that interests readers so they can participate in the discussion. Spending some money on your advertising will draw more users to your app. Since Facebook owns Instagram, they make it very simple to run an app install advertising on both platforms, making Facebook and Instagram very effective at this.

• Press Release: Your brand can gain from increased involvement and public awareness through press releases. Having a place to post your updates helps develop a brand and an app that sticks in people’s minds and is admired by experts and employees. This is true whether you’re letting people know about your newest product or offering a special promotion.
• Blogging: Regular blogging can improve your company’s web presence. It enables your audience to recognize you as the authority in your industry, raising brand awareness and credibility. It will eventually assist you in growing your customer base.

Secure Mobile App

Most apps ask users to submit sensitive information to function more effectively, making app security a touchy subject. Since the data they collect directly impacts their customers’ lives and well-being, reading the regulation guidelines can ensure that users are being taken care of in the most effective way possible.

Introduce Fresh Elements

Adding additional social features to your mobile app allows you to differentiate your app from the competition. This would be advantageous if you want to enhance in-app engagement and retention and maximize your platform’s revenue. You start with the initial set of features that please most users.

Size Of The Application

Any mobile application’s size is significant. As a result, developers constantly consider the app’s size to avoid the conflict above. Some applications are large or bulky and have a length of 20 MB or more, but they should be justified in their size.

Modification

Some applications acquire more downloads after a strong start, but the consistency needs to be kept up. Of course, every smartphone application has a few flaws and omissions. Top Developers should update it frequently to eliminate the previous outcasts. Below the Review area, you can see the “Last Updated” date, which should be as close to the present moment as feasible to indicate that just updated application.

Logo And App Description In App Stores

The aesthetic quality of the logo is crucial. It grabs our interest. The most challenging aspect of creating a logo is ensuring it is as distinctive as possible while remaining elegant, magnificent, and straightforward.

The app description will entice users who have never heard of your program before to click the “Download” button when visiting the “Play Store.” They’re true when they claim that “Content is King.” It doesn’t matter what you write; how you write counts. You should write it correctly.

Trendy App Name 

The application’s name ought to be hip, clever, and tenacious. Second, it should be succinct and to the point. Thirdly, it should strongly connect to the mobile app’s genre. Consider this as an example: Messenger is short, relevant, and unique, and it sounds fantastic when it is uttered. Modern methods of naming mobile applications include adding a “Z” at the end of the app or sandwiching it between the name and another letter, word juggling, adding a prefix or suffix to the vocabulary, etc.

Monitoring Post-Download Activity

Is the user’s downloaded application idle on the homepage or utilized once a week? That is indeed depressing. Of course, this plan allows for analysis and enhanced engagement while addressing weak points. 

Closing Remarks 

One of the most competitive businesses in the world is undoubtedly one that involves mobile apps. With about 2.8 million apps available in the Google Play store and 2.2 million in the Apple App Store, it can be challenging to get your app noticed, let alone downloaded.

Given the intense competition, creating your software’s most excellent possible version is critical. Conducting a competitive analysis to determine where your competitors are at, what is working for them, what isn’t, and what you can do better is one of the most effective approaches to achieving this. Why should clients pick you?

Mobile apps are a fantastic method to stay in touch with your customers and meet their needs. You must ensure your app is updated with technology to meet their needs. By doing this, you’ll be able to customize your software for each user individually and guarantee that they enjoy using it. Hire a mobile app development company that provides quality mobile app solutions with exquisite features based on your business requirements to stay competitive.

The post How To Ensure Your Mobile Application Stands Out In Highly Competitive App Stores? appeared first on [x]cube LABS.

The era of technology and smartphones is currently upon us. Our real lives now include mobile phones, and in addition to communication, many apps available can dramatically ease our daily lives. The mobile app is the most reliable and accessible medium for value exchange between brands and clients. In light of this, users may legitimately expect a secure app environment for their interactions, and developers must provide applications with the most modern built-in in-app security. Consequently, it is now more important to consider mobile application security and protect users’ critical information.

Mobile app security entails protecting iOS and Android applications from intrusions by malicious attackers and identifying any system risks while the app is still being designed and in real time after it has been launched. To harden the application against actual threats and stop new potential vulnerabilities, comprehensive mobile app security integrates security technology with standard practices from the application security field. Many businesses increasingly use mobile applications for teamwork and customer and employee communication. Now more than ever, mobile apps have access to a lot of sensitive data that needs to be secured by employing all-encompassing mobile application security.

Common Threats 

Safeguarding Data Storage

In plain text, insecure data storage vulnerabilities occur when applications store highly confidential information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card numbers. We require a robust security system to hold this sort of data. At most, one individual could suffer data loss due to insecure data storage.

Scalability Of The Server And Attacks 

Whenever the quantity of simultaneous web traffic, or load, strikes the web server, a web server’s capacity to sustain a site’s availability, durability, and performance is termed scalability. Client-side cyberattacks target desktop software in particular. An attacker’s top priorities are programs like web browsers, media players, email clients, office suites, and other similar programs.

Exposed Sensitive Data

Any information intended to be shielded from illegal access is termed sensitive data. Anything from personally identifying information, such as Social Security numbers, account records, and login credentials, might be classified as sensitive data. Users risk having their sensitive data compromised when a hacker gets access to this data due to a data breach. The targets of sensitive data exposure are genetic data, biometric data processed only to identify a human being, health-related data, and facts about a person’s sexual life or orientation.

Incompetent Surveillance And Logging

Log monitoring is vital for a variety of reasons. One of the reasons seems to be that it can protect your servers and websites from going offline. Organizations need help figuring out what happens when a hostile insider with legitimate motives for accessing databases, using apps, changing system configurations, and obscuring information enters the system. Therefore, information about logging user access is essential for safeguarding data and averting data breaches.

Phishing

Phishing is a fraud in which a perpetrator uses the internet or other contact forms to pose as a reliable organization or individual. Attackers typically employ phishing emails to propagate malicious URLs or attachments that can perform several tasks. Some will use their victims to obtain login details or account information. Phishing is using email, text messages, or even phone calls to trick a target into divulging a password, clicking a link to download malware, or confirming a transaction.

Here, we explore some frequently used tactics to encrypt user data in apps.

Do Not Rely On Outside Sources

Documentation, websites, books, blogs, movies, photos, podcasts, and other media from other sources are included in this list. You don’t replicate from Wikipedia, dictionaries, or journals. It is worth looking for a team of developers with a track record of producing top-notch apps by employing a secure code source to avoid putting your app at risk and ensure high security.

Be Wary When Integrating APIs

API integration should be approached with prudence. If not implemented correctly, it could lead to a poor user experience and application performance. The following suggestions can assist you in integrating APIs productively. Ensure your APIs are robust against common security risks and data theft. By integrating tried-and-true APIs from credible vendors, you can manage your important apps while providing a strong user experience.

Secure The App’s Backend.

To thwart automated assaults, use multi-factor authentication.

Encourage the user to adopt a strong password policy. Limit the number of failed login attempts. Use the hashing algorithm.

Vast Amounts Of Sensitive Information Are Stored On An App

Compared to storage media in a cloud environment, storage media in a data center is considerably easier to monitor for security and illegal access. Developers prefer to put sensitive data in the device’s local memory to keep it hidden from consumers. While it’s best to avoid keeping your private information on your app and mobile device, you should employ encrypted data containers or key chains if there is no other choice. Add the auto-deleting feature, which defaults to delete data after a set amount of time, to limit the log further.

Safeguard App-to-App Communication

Use implicit intents with an app chooser, permissions based on identities, and non-exported content owners to communicate across apps more seamlessly. Use signature-based permissions to share data between two apps that you own or are in control of. These permissions ensure that the data-accessed apps are signed with the same signing key rather than requiring user confirmation. As a result, these permissions provide a more straightforward, safer user experience.

Know The Platform’s Drawbacks

Employ an SDK to handle the management components to manage enterprise requirements such as social media integration and support, mobile app use cases, mobile app management, app development approaches, and more. The first step is understanding the client’s needs for administering the specific mobile app while considering mobile OS and platform-specific obstacles.

Conclusion

Now, think smarter: Is your smartphone only a caller ID or text messaging device? In actuality, no; since the demanding expansion of your company and the abundance of sensitive data you store there, it has become a prime target for theft via hackers. It would help if you acted appropriately to shield your smartphone and mobile app to prevent a mishap from striking. Take advantage of these tips on mobile app security, whether you have an existing mobile app or intend to develop one. Work with a mobile application development company that gives your business a competitive edge. It is the only way to deter hackers and improve customer experience.

The post Best Practices to Build a Secure and Private Mobile App Experience appeared first on [x]cube LABS.

Table of contents

• Introduction
• Using updated technology
• Simplicity
• Tutorials
• Leveraging device capabilities
• Personalization
• Conclusion

Introduction

In this ever-evolving world, businesses are growing at an overwhelming rate. Bringing in more customers is one thing, but keeping the existing customers in the loop has also become challenging. Enterprises have now entered the digital space to increase the quality of customer experience (CX) and improve customer satisfaction. One such profound digital space is a mobile application.

Almost every individual now owns a smartphone. It contains many mobile applications; these applications serve as an excellent opportunity for any business to connect with customers and make your firm well renowned. But the user prefers some applications over others, and statistics show that 25% of mobile applications ultimately fail as they are used only once.

While it is true that an excellent mobile application can boost your business, if a mobile application is not designed carefully, it can affect customers. This blog will help you pick up some of the best practices that will help create an efficient mobile application.

Using updated technology

Nobody likes to use an old application if a new and better application is available in the market. Make sure to embed your application with the latest features to have a faster response time, and it takes less time to load new pages. In the digital era, technology changes rapidly, and thus to make the application relevant, it becomes imperative to update the application timely.

There are roughly 15 apps per person on this entire planet; this means the competition in the mobile application industry is also growing. Using cloud services will save the user from internally storing the application content on their mobile phones, providing the option of advanced protection like face ID or fingerprint scanner instead of using the general password settings. These minor upgrades go a long way in engaging customers and keeping you ahead of the competition.

Simplicity

Some applications are complex in their design; users might find it challenging to search for what they are looking for, and thus navigation becomes a hurdle. The thumb rule for the application design is to keep it simple. Organizations should first define their primary goal of creating the app and then focus on achieving it by making the app user-friendly.

Many applications also use the chatbot feature to ease the customer journey. Chatbot serves as an online customer service executive and thus helps the customer if they experience any difficulty while using the application.

Tutorials

The customer is the ultimate user of an application, and not all users know everything about your application. There might come instances where various app features remain unused; the designer should make easy tutorials that will guide the users to operate the app efficiently.

Animations are a great way to make your application interactive; therefore, incorporating animated tutorials will boost user engagement.

Leveraging device capabilities

There are a variety of mobile phones available in the market; some people use android while others prefer the i-phone or tablets. The screen size of smartphones also differs; the designer should consider all these factors before designing the mobile application. The app should be available on the play store and app store; it must work on all screen sizes without distortion.

Take advantage of push notifications to remind the customer about the app’s features and offers. Push notifications are a great way to engage with the customer, but overdoing it may annoy the user, so using it in moderation, i.e., 2-3 push notifications per week, is reasonable.

Applications like Google Maps, Swiggy, and Uber use the location feature of the smartphone to serve the customer better. Maps also use the accelerometer feature to show the speed of your vehicle, and it communicates via voice assistance. The payment application uses the device’s camera to scan QR codes. These features are not app build, but the applications are designed so that it takes advantage of them.

An ideal application should leverage existing smartphone features to stand out from the competition. Customer security should be the top priority for any organization, so asking permission before using an internal mobile feature is the right way.

Personalization

An application is most likely to succeed if it creates a personalized experience for the customer. Some apps use the user name to make that personal connection; some track the user activity on the app to provide individualized offers and predictions. Youtube music and Spotify analyze the listening pattern of the user and suggest the next song accordingly.

Providing customer rewards and asking for feedback is also an integral part of application design.

Conclusion

Keeping the user in the loop is the key for an application to triumph. If the application successfully provides that human touch, it will quickly grow. Another integral aspect of application design is advanced technologies, as mobile apps and specifications change frequently, so keeping up to date with technology is crucial.

To design a high-demand product in these ever-changing circumstances, you must first comprehend the customer wants that your app addresses and the core functionality that it should offer. A business may take help from app designing service providers to save valuable time and cost.

The post Best Practices to Follow While Designing your Mobile Application appeared first on [x]cube LABS.

Table of contents

• What is Mobile Banking?
• Using Biometrics in Mobile Banking
• Chatbots
• Adoption of Big Data to Prevent Frauds
• Blockchain
• Legacy Banks and the Digitization Surge
• Conclusion

Innovation is the law of tomorrow. Disruption has occurred in all industries and is also transforming the financial sector. Banks, which maintained their predominant position due to highly regulated environments, are witnessing the emergence of new competitors that jeopardize stealing a substantial market share.

Perhaps the most astonishing and worrying phenomenon for traditional banking is that these new financial competitors are innovating and expanding.

Transferring Cash from one account to another with a tap of a button and depositing a cheque by clicking just a picture of it are two of the standard mobile banking features banks provide customers. Before we dive further in, let us understand,

What is Mobile Banking?

Financial organizations are taking cues to adopt more sophisticated technologies like big data, blockchain, and machine learning end-products to retain customers. Most competitive banks offer mobile banking to complete financial transactions via smartphone or tablet. To meet the growing market needs of digitally-savvy millennials and Gen Zers, digital and legacy banks will continue to adapt to mobile banking market trends to stay relevant. According to a study, The global mobile banking industry will reach $1,824.7 million by 2026.

Alt Tag for Image 1- Digital Banking Solutions

Let us understand the Trends of Mobile Banking in 2022

Using Biometrics in Mobile Banking

A robust mobile banking infrastructure rides on the wave of the highest forms of digital security, and using biometric technology has only quickened the pace of this. Embracing critical points of biometric identification systems like facial recognition, voice recognition, fingerprint scans, and iris scans are becoming the go-to security standards globally.

Biometrics will replace PINs completely and render them obsolete shortly. Research states that 56% of consumers trust biometric techniques to authenticate transactions, and the expected market size will reach $24.59 billion by 2023. It would be fair to say that biometric technology will be the next significant thing to be embraced across all verticals of the financial landscape.

Chatbots

Chatbots are conversational AI-powered methods that have become a benchmark model in the banking sector. Three significant requirements are needed for adopting chatbots –

• the need for speed.
• The need for data.
• The need for personalization.

By delving into personalized consumer data and conversations that help solve their pain points, the financial industry uses chatbots to boost operational efficiencies and deliver a holistic customer experience.

• Chatbots will reduce business costs by $8 billion by 2022.
• 75-chatbots will handle 90% of healthcare and banking queries.

Sectors that manage vast volumes of human interaction, like banking, are deploying chatbots into their products. This is greatly decreasing dependency on physical customer service teams and forwarding queries to chat agents.

Adoption of Big Data to Prevent Frauds

Big Data has contributed tremendously towards allowing banks and other financial institutions to collate customer-centric data from traditional and digital sources and provide a personalized banking experience.

Other than this, another critical use case of big data is stopping fraudulent activities using AI-based algorithms. Furthermore, by identifying their customers’ transaction patterns and banking history, important information assists banks in pointing out deviations and detecting suspicious activities.

For example, we can immediately freeze a customer’s credit card if transactions occur simultaneously in separate parts of one country.

A card provider can predict general trends with big data by analyzing customers’ information and identifying fraudulent behavior before the card or account is compromised.

Blockchain

Mobile banking can succeed on the idea of the absence of physical branches altogether and adopting a cloud-based system of banking experience that will do all the work. 

Blockchain has been around for a while now, and the financial sector is keen on adopting it to improve its speed, efficiency, accuracy, and security. The adoption of blockchain has helped this by diverting the focus from digital-only banking. The Financial Industry is trying to experiment with blockchain by replicating existing asset transactions on the blockchain. While this allows for the efficiency of a blockchain solution, what gets missed out is the ecosystem implications of a blockchain solution.

In infrastructure terms, a blockchain is open-source software built to support the real-time transfer of digital assets amongst market participants. Using any selected blockchain’s APIs, we can see a surprising reduction in asset transfer costs and timelines. Most bank implementations today are focused on the same aspect. However, while scaling proof of this concept into a real-world scenario, financial institutions implement the same application layer with all the current checks and balances.

The pandemic hit the reset button for the industry. Swathes of statistics emphasize the success gained and the ground covered by industry entrants during the last decade. Before 2020, incumbent banks were somewhat away from new, more agile competitors.

• According to PWC, The global challenger bank market was worth 18.6 billion dollars and will grow to 394.6 billion by 2026.

Legacy Banks and the Digitization Surge

Legacy banks and their ilk have taken a massive hit since the pandemic’s beginning. Reports suggest that customers are more risk-averse during difficult times. Even though traditional banks are not skyrocketing in terms of gaining trust from end consumers, they are preferred and stable choices for more than a few.

It is a given that the legacy banks should have been on the frontline of a digital revolution. Still, the impact of COVID-19 demanded more digital banking services and bandwidth than ever before. However, customers stuck with the traditional industry players rather than flocking to new digital-only banks during the pandemic.

Despite this sudden surge, traditional banks may not have progressed in market demand. A deeper look at some figures around the current state of legacy banks’ digital transformations makes for a somewhat grim reading.

• Approximately 40 percent of banks who state they’re more than halfway through their digital transformation strategies haven’t deployed cloud computing or APIs
• Only a quarter of these banks have implemented chatbot technology.
• Just 14 percent have deployed machine learning tools.

It may seem that legacy banks have not made as many inroads into the digital future as they need to compare to progressive digital players. Legacy banks will have to change this because customer expectations are becoming increasingly digital-focused, reflected in their banking attitude.

A report by EY states that many customers say that their banking practices varied over the long term because of COVID-19.

Lack of progress is an evident lack of awareness from some banks where they must be on the digital roadmap. According to the Cornerstone Advisors study that cites the developments above, over a third of banks believe they’re more than halfway through their digital transformation.

Conclusion

Legacy banks have made many digital strides during the pandemic, edging closer towards digitization. Suddenly, they no longer play catchup and face imminent disintermediation. However, the job is not done here; one could even argue that the job will not be done because of the ever-evolving digital technology; instead, digital transformation is constantly changing and adapting. For now, traditional banks can reflect on how far they’ve come since the pandemic’s beginning and pause on what could be regarded as a sector reset.

But it’s an action that should be taken quickly. Any complacency will quickly see legacy banks lose ground to a new wave of resurgent digital players.

Technologies will continue to evolve, existing challenger banks will regroup, and new ones to challenge the current status quo.

The post Mobile Banking- How Legacy Banks are Transforming for the New Era appeared first on [x]cube LABS.

Table of contents

• The Mobile App Development Scenario So Far
• Top Technology Trends Defining Mobile App Development in 2022
  • 5G
  • Apps for foldable devices
  • AI and ML
  • Mobile app security
  • Blockchain
  • Predictive analytics
  • IoT
• Extensive Technology Expertise Needs a Robust Strategy to Succeed

The Mobile App Development Scenario So Far

Did you know? Publishers released 2 million new apps and games in 2021, bringing the total number of apps and games ever released to over 21 million. Not just that, over 4,35,000 apps were downloaded every minute in 2021! With more smartphone adoption and deeper internet penetration, a significant rise in the publishing and downloading new apps and games went as expected. However, the still prevalent pandemic further added to this rise as more people stayed home and switched to remote working systems and applications that kept them engaged. Over the last year or two, we also observed how the adoption of mobile apps has cut across the barriers of skeptical use cases and penetrated the industries where it initially seemed less promising.

As the wide-scale adoption of mobile applications continues, it is needless to say that every business, regardless of size and industry, must switch to mobile apps for internal or external stakeholders’ engagement and operations. We have already seen how the digital transformation wave disrupted businesses that failed to identify opportunities in time. As a subset of digital transformation, mobile app development for enterprises is another opportunity that enterprises are already making the best of. Those who haven’t leveraged mobile apps yet also consider it, which applies to every industry. But there’s one important thing enterprises using mobile apps for business or thinking of adopting must know. Mobile app adoption isn’t a one-time thing. Like a business initiative, a mobile app must be gradually scaled, upgraded, and kept up-to-date with the latest trends that define how end consumers use apps. This includes not just the technical side but also the strategic side.

Top Technology Trends Defining Mobile App Development in 2022

Mobile apps for businesses initially intend to connect better with consumers, engage them, or serve as a point of contact that is preferable to customers. Internally, it helps to streamline operations and improve efficiency. But even then, there’s always scope for improvement and enhancement. And with advancing technology, the chances of a mobile app becoming less efficient, losing to competitor apps, and becoming obsolete are quite high. At [x]cube LABS, we work with multiple technologies, and here are the top technologies we identified that will complement the power of mobile apps.

1. 5G

   5G has been a buzzword for quite some time now. A report by Trendforce states that in 2022, 47.5% of devices will have 5G. As 5G connections globally continue to grow, it’ll impact how and what mobile apps can offer to end-users. For instance, the improved speed, expected to be around a hundred times faster than 4G, would reduce the latency significantly. This means that video streaming apps will get smoother, the integration and performance of integrated AR/VR will be faster, and developers can explore more features to add without worrying about the negative impact of slower networks.

2. Apps for foldable devices

   According to Statista, foldable phones shipments globally are forecast to grow to 50.1 million units by 2022, from the projected 3.2 million units in 2019. As an app developer, one must remember that they can provide a better immersive experience with a larger screen size if they plan to implement AR/VR, a video streaming feature, or games that can provide a better experience when provided with larger screen space. Not just that, a larger screen size in foldable phones also means the scope for multitasking parallelly. This opens up many opportunities for engineers to make their apps stand out innovatively.

3. AI and ML 

   AI and ML have been noteworthy trends in mobile app development, and there’s a lot more happening in the space. Just last year, many AI-based fun apps that gave moving effects to photos and face morphing on movie clips witnessed a lot of engagement. Besides new innovative ways of engaging users, existing apps can enhance user experience using AI and ML capabilities. Google Maps, for instance, introduced a live indoor navigation feature last year. Apple took ML applications to an all-new level by allowing developers to load pre-existing features and create new ones using deep learning. This year, using AI and ML to improve existing apps and the overall user experience would play a major role and, hence, should be the top priority of developers who are ready to scale their apps.

4. Mobile app security 

   With the hype around mobile app security and data, even users who didn’t bother about their data have become more conscious about sharing it and how it will be used. Data, privacy, and security are now becoming selling propositions for many companies. Take Apple’s advertisement, for example, where they tell users they can now choose who tracks their information.

   With growing awareness of data and security, consumers want to have the assurance that their data is protected. This doesn’t mean that the phone or app will not share its data with unwanted parties; it also means that the data is secure and protected by the parties with whom they have shared it. Therefore, Privacy and security measures are becoming more crucial from an enterprise security point of view and a consumer’s perspective. Some businesses are taking security to the next level by exploring and implementing artificial intelligence in cybersecurity in addition to best practices for enterprise security in general.

5. Blockchain

   Blockchain, a hot topic in technology for another year now, is not slowing down any time soon either. The security that comes with blockchain is well-known. Mobile app development companies plan to create mobiles and apps supporting blockchain use cases and applications. HTC and Samsung already released devices that support blockchain technology- the HTC exodus 1 and Galaxy S10, respectively. It is only a matter of time before cryptocurrency-enabled payments catch up, and hence, developers must anticipate this as a thing of the very near future, if not today, when considering new technologies and trends in mobile app development.

6. Predictive analytics

   By leveraging the power of predictive analytics, developers can create apps that are futuristic, high-performing, and exceed customer expectations. We’ve seen customer-centricity as a key factor that decides the success or failures of an app. As the ways of achieving customer-centricity continue to evolve, an essential tool that comes into play is predictive analytics. Developers can use historic data on customer behavior and analytics to not just provide them what they like but to reduce pain points as well, as early as in the UX wireframing stage, if not later. This can significantly reduce cost in the development cycle as well as the one arising from user attrition.

7. IoT

   The Internet of Things is definitely not a new concept but its seamless integration with mobile devices is an obvious expectation from mobile app users worldwide. Given the penetration of both IoT devices and mobile internet worldwide, the scope for apps and devices that support IoT integration is large.  According to a report, the Internet of Things market is expected to reachGalaxy S10, out of which,  $190 billion is expected to come from mobile apps. At [x]cube LABS we have already worked on solutions that integrate IoT and mobile apps- from wearable devices and IoT-enabled wallets to connect lighting systems, and more.

Extensive Technology Expertise Needs a Robust Strategy to Succeed

We’re at a point in the technology ecosystem where acquiring expertise over new technologies might appear easier, but the success would depend on how effectively and strategically it fits where it is being implemented. We mentioned in our e-book titled Creating a Mobile App Development Strategy: A Comprehensive Guide for Enterprises how we have seen many enterprises fail because they simply decide to go after loaded features or copy what the competitors are doing when, in reality, the success boils down to how effectively and conveniently can your solution solve a real problem and ease customer pain points. This requires a 360-degree approach to mobile app development where the latest technologies complement your mobile app strategy. You must examine market research, customer-centricity, analytics objectively, and much more before you zero down on your choice of technologies and start its implementation. And that’s where an enterprise like [x]cube can help.

We have listed seven critical parameters that strengthen your mobile app strategy.

• Product-market fit: Identify the product-market fit by defining your target audience, doing industry and competitor analysis, identifying the market size, and more
• Customer centricity: Accentuate your value offering and ensure that the end product provides value to your customers by solving critical pain points
• U/UX: Develop seamless customer journeys, eliminate points of friction, and take your UI/UX to the next level

• Performance: Keep a tab on the technical issues that hinder the performance of your app or are likely to create problems when the load increases
• Strategy analysis: Something that goes without saying, you need to assess the operational and financial viability of your app and include it as a part of your overall plan
• Value proposition: Position your app effectively among your customers and pitch it effectively against competitors; refer to Apple’s ad on privacy example above!
• Outreach: Reach your target audience to gain initial traction, but also monitor reviews and ratings to improve your app further.

As a reader looking to start this year with mobile app development, you can contact us for a free consultation on your existing or new mobile app development initiatives.

The post Mobile App Development 2022: Technology and Strategic Aspects to Look At appeared first on [x]cube LABS.

51% of the people living in the US haven’t downloaded an app in a month. With more apps crowding the app space, customers have reached a state where they don’t want to download new apps. We recently conducted a survey to understand what, according to mobile app users, defines a user-centric and successful app. We hope that the results help our readers understand mobile experience from a user’s perspective and enable them to improve their mobile app strategy.

Check out our detailed infographic for all the answers and understand how you can fortify the very crux of your mobile app strategy.

The post Survey Results: Top Things Users Want to See in Mobile Apps appeared first on [x]cube LABS.

Table of contents

• Epic Games vs Apple Lawsuit
• What happened between Apple and Epic Games?
• Why Is Epic Games Fighting with Apple and Google?
• Who will win? Apple or Epic Games? Will Apple Have to Unlock Fortnite?
• How Epic Games’ battle with Apple could reshape the antitrust fight?
• Latest Developments
• The Verdict
• Conclusion

Epic Games vs Apple Lawsuit

Over almost a month now, Apple and Epic Games, the developer of the wildly popular battle royale game Fortnite, have been locked in a bitter feud regarding Epic’s issue with Apple’s App Store policies which it deems monopolistic. A dispute that has led to Fortnite being removed from the App Store. The game developer, which has earned over $600 million from the app store through in-app purchases, has termed Apple’s 30% share of every purchase amount exorbitant, and has launched an active campaign across their digital channels to sensitise their followers.

What happened between Apple and Epic Games?

So why was Fortnite removed from the App Store? Well, the ongoing Apple Epic news reports that on August 13, Epic Games introduced a direct payment system in Fortnite which enabled players to bypass Apple’s IAP mechanism. Once updated, the developers enticed more players to opt for this mechanism by offering a 20% discount on purchase of V-bucks (Fortnite’s in-game currency). As this was in direct violation of Apple’s terms of service, the Cupertino giant quickly pulled Fortnite from the App Store while putting out the following statement: “Epic Games took the unfortunate step of violating the App Store guidelines that are applied equally to every developer and designed to keep the store safe for our users.”

Why Is Epic Games Fighting with Apple and Google?

Not backing down, Epic Games launched a counterattack, describing Apple’s policies as draconian and accusing them of taking advantage of developers who are contributing to Apple’s humongous revenues from the App Store. They were quick to launch a lawsuit, describing Apple as unfair and anti-competitive.They also went on to say that over the years, Apple has transformed into just the autocrat that it sought to fight against in its formative years.

Across their digital channels, Epic, the creator of the immensely popular Unreal engine, continued their fight. In a blog post published on August 27, Epic urged its readers to take up the rallying cry against Apple’s stifling policies and introduced the tag #FREEFORTNITE. Also, in a remarkable move, Epic released a video called “Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite,” parodying Apple’s iconic “1984” ad. Whereas Apple’s ad portrayed IBM as the evil “Big Brother,” Epic Games aims to show that Apple is now the dominant power.

On their part, responding to the Fortnite dispute, Apple said in a court filing that Epic Games was seeking special status that would enable them to snatch a larger share of profits compared to other developers on the App Store. Likening Epic’s behavior to shoplifting, Apple went on to say that it’s akin to customers picking products off the shelf and walking out the store without going through the billing process. Additionally, Apple had provided Epic Games a period of 14 days to remove their payment mechanism and comply with Apple’s terms. When that did not happen, Apple went ahead and terminated the developer account of Epic Games. Though, by dint of a restraining order, Apple can’t remove Epic’s access to iOS and Mac development tools.

What it means is that in addition to Fortnite, Epic’s other titles such as Battle Breakers or Infinity Blade Stickers are also gone from the store and existing players will no longer be supported with updates. In recent developments, Apple has filed a lawsuit of their own, alleging that Epic Games has been deriving tremendous value from the App Store for years and though it’s trying to position itself as a corporate Robin Hood, it’s all part of a strategy to get away without paying the platform owners their fair share. In their lawsuit, Apple has demanded an unspecified amount from Epic Games to compensate for damages and unfounded claims.

Who will win? Apple or Epic Games? Will Apple Have to Unlock Fortnite?

While Epic keeps putting up a brave front, it’s evident that they have little chance of winning and in light of recent happenings, Apple is not only going to come out on top, but richer at the end of it too. It’s not the first time that developers have cried foul at policies formulated by platform creators that they see as overbearing, but the fact remains that if you are selling your services by leveraging an ecosystem created by others, there’s no getting away with bypassing terms and conditions that you yourself had accepted.

How Epic Games’ battle with Apple could reshape the antitrust fight?

This brings us to the question of what can you, as a developer, do if you find yourself balking at regulations imposed by giant corporations such as Apple and Google. For small businesses and individuals, the choice to start an independent content distribution platform is tough. Multinational organizations such as Microsoft and Samsung have tried their hands at it and failed. In addition to significant expenses, the onus of marketing it and incentivizing other developers to host their content on it can be a daunting task. Unless you are a prolific developer creating a whole bunch of new content, having a platform to just host what you create can make little sense as well.

However, for a company such as Epic Games, with several hits under their belt and a phenomenon such as Fortnite, the idea of developing their own distribution platform similar to companies such as EA and Ubisoft wouldn’t be too outlandish. Epic is a company that has garnered millions of loyal players worldwide who engage with their titles and the prospect of getting access to them at a lower starting price and cheaper in-app purchases has a great potential to succeed. What’s more, if they really want to take the fight to Apple, they can even try to lure other game developers to publish on their platform, promising them a more rewarding experience.

At [x]cube LABS, we were recently strategizing with a global gaming giant on just such a project. The company, a well-recognized and highly respected name which has produced many titles we grew up playing, was mulling the idea of starting their own store for distributing games. With our in-depth research on consumer demands and elaborate projections comparing ROIs that can be achieved by releasing games on their own store vs third party platforms, the verdict was in favor of going with a platform of their own. In addition to being in charge of strategizing their own policies, the organization will also be able to provide fans of their games a far superior experience with innovative features that we are in the process of detailing.

Latest Developments

Things didn’t turn out so great for Epic in the long run, but looks like the movement they started has led to Apple making some considerations under pressure. The Cupertino giant has announced that it will slash the fees it charges to app developers by half (from 30% to 15%) in case the developers failed to gross $1 Million and above in App store revenues. This change will come into effect from January 1, 2021 and will surely be a major relief for smaller developers who were rallying behind Epic to keep up the antitrust pressure.

Per the latest data from Sensor Tower, a vast majority of developers (97%) they track on the App store generate less than $1 Million in annual revenue. When asked if this development was a result of mounting pressure from such developers emboldened by the Epic lawsuit, Apple refused to divulge any detail.

The Verdict

It’s been over a year, and we have a verdict. While the ruling favors Apple on most of the motions, Epic’s relentless pursuits bore some fruit as well.

In an 185-page ruling, the court dismissed Epic’s appeal to declare Apple an illegal monopolist. While it acknowledged that Apple owns a significant market share, it observed that the Cupertino giant did not get there by any disputed means, and that success cannot be termed illegal.

Epic will also have to pay Apple 30% of the in-app revenue they have collected through the direct payment system they had introduced to bypass Apple’s cut. Between August and October 2020, Epic made $12,167,719 through this method before Apple removed Fortnite from the App store. Epic will also have to pay Apple 30% of all revenue that they collected from November 2020 to the date of the verdict. Additionally, the judge ruled that Apple’s removal of Fortnite was valid per the rules, and it’s up to Apple whether they want to reinstate the game at a future date.

However, to Apple, the court did direct some reprimands as it concluded that “Apple’s anti-steering provisions hide critical information from consumers and illegally stifle consumer choice. When coupled with Apple’s incipient antitrust violations, these anti-steering provisions are anticompetitive and a nationwide remedy to eliminate those provisions is warranted.”

The court also declared that Apple’s “anti-steering restrictions artificially increase Apple’s market power by preventing developers from communicating about lower prices on other platforms.”

The judge passed a permanent injunction to forbid Apple from restricting developers in their efforts to add direct payment methods, external links and other calls to action within apps.

Now it remains to be seen whether Apple complies with these rulings or we will see this saga continue.

Today’s ruling isn’t a win for developers or for consumers. Epic is fighting for fair competition among in-app payment methods and app stores for a billion consumers. https://t.co/cGTBxThnsP

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) September 10, 2021

Conclusion

The ongoing battle between Apple and Epic may have fired shots that are reverberating around the worldwide developer community, but the fact is, being who they are, Epic will be in far better shape even if they lose. For others, however, the prospect of reaching global audiences through the App and Play Stores is far too lucrative to risk raising voices against the behemoths that control them. However, if you’re like Epic and are feeling increasingly boxed in by stricter rules by the day, give starting your own distribution platform a thought.

The post The Apple vs Epic Games Verdict: Apple Wins Antitrust, Epic’s Motion for Alternative in-app Payments Succeeds appeared first on [x]cube LABS.

Table of contents

• Mobility- a top priority for CIOs and CTOs across all industries.
• What is an enterprise mobile strategy?
• Levels of enterprise mobile maturity
• Why is it needed?
• Key areas to focus on
  1. Changing consumer preferences
  2. Channels under threat
  3. Current inefficiencies
  4. Opportunity areas
  5. Security & Compliance
  6. Identifying functional priorities
  7. Measurement
• What are the business benefits?
• Conclusion

Mobility- a top priority for CIOs and CTOs across all industries.

The enterprise mobility market has witnessed a year over year growth of 9% over the last three years and is expected to grow to $2.2 billion by 2022! As mobility continues to be an essential element of personal and corporate lives, enterprises worldwide are brainstorming to identify and implement strategies that enable them to mobilize their operations. Over the last decade, we observed an increase in demand from both customers and employees to modernize back-end operations so that they can access data and perform functions on their mobile devices and eliminate their dependency on desktops. As a result, companies are accepting mobility as an integral aspect of their enterprise infrastructure and implementing an enterprise mobility strategy has become a top priority for CIOs and CTOs across all industries.

What is an enterprise mobile strategy?

An enterprise mobile strategy is a framework that encompasses business, technology, projects, people and processes into one unified sphere. It integrates mobility as a technology with the rest of the ecosystem to allow organizations to define and practice their mobile engagement. A mobile strategy aligns mobility efforts with business goals, lays out a roadmap for its successful implementation, enables achieving near and long-term goals, provides policies and best practices for governance and helps in accurately measuring its success. Moreover, it also gives you the flexibility to tap future technological advancements and adjust your strategy in accordance with the shifts in the business environment.

Levels of enterprise mobile maturity

The evolution of enterprise mobility over time has been noteworthy. Initially, as smartphones became mainstream, enterprises started to upgrade their websites for optimal performance on mobile screens. With the launch of the app store, enterprises got an opportunity to further enhance their customer experience by building their own applications. These applications, however, were static in nature and just another replica of their website, with no added value. This led to the evolution of dynamic apps which enabled customers to exercise more control over what they could do and thereby simplified customer engagement. For instance, medical insurance companies allowed customers to file claims through apps, avoiding queues.

The next stage of evolution is powered by emerging technologies of artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things-giving rise to “intelligent apps” that are not only faster but more context-driven. Companies now see value in AI-driven apps and offer them to their employees and customers.

Why is it needed?

Restricting employee functioning to a desktop unit limits their efficiency. Further, lack of a robust mobility strategy can lead to poor adoption rates, lower engagement, higher hidden costs and failure to achieve the desired ROI. Mobilizing the operations not only increases their productivity but also gives employees and customers faster and efficient access to backend systems. A study by VMWare reported that overall IT operational costs reduced by as much as 29 percent, and total management costs dropped by 20 percent after the implementation of a mobile strategy. Adopting an enterprise-wide mobile strategy enables you to achieve:

• Smarter and faster decision making: Mobile adoption enables you to collect data at every touchpoint in your operations chain- internal as well as external. With an inflow of data stream, you can derive valuable insights that make informed decisions
• Improved business value: With streamlined operations, you can save on operational costs and increase profit margins. Additionally, improved productivity means greater RoI, resulting in an overall improvement in business value.
• New revenue streams: Unlock new revenue streams by leveraging innovation as a service and discover new ways to retain existing customers and acquire new ones through unique value propositions.
• Improved customer experience: Enterprise mobility empowers you to respond to complaints and inquiries of customers at any point of time from anywhere, which ultimately increases customer loyalty
• Brand awareness: Mobility tools can present your company to millions of potential customers, leading to improved brand awareness and conversions. Having a mobile responsive site, around-the-clock customer support, and optimized app, are all ways to further your brand reputation and get an edge over competitors.

Key areas to focus on

Despite its advantages, creating mobile systems that are deeply integrated into existing enterprise infrastructure can get challenging if you overlook some of the basics. Creating an effective mobile strategy involves a through coverage of certain critical aspects to ensure that post-implementation of your strategy, there is consistency throughout your enterprise, the integration is seamless and data sync happens in real-time.

We have listed seven such aspects and listed questions linked with them, each following the other, that will help you assess your current blueprint and give insights that will help you in formulating an effective enterprise mobility strategy.

1. Changing consumer preferences

   Consumer preferences change with time and to stay abreast of the changing preferences, you need to have a mobile strategy that can evolve with it. Here are some questions you can ask:

   • Who are my consumers?
   • What are their pain points?
   • How have their preferences changed over time?
   • Which channel do they prefer for communication?

2. Channels under threat

   Once you define your customer segment and their pain points, you need to decide on the right channel to reach out to them. With new tech innovations and alternatives available, your current channel can become obsolete, it is essential that you assess your current channels and keep yourself updated about the new ones.

   • Which are the channels that are under threat?
   • Which channels are fast catching up among my target audience?
   • Can I upgrade my channel to meet customer expectations?
   • Can I integrate my existing channel with the new ones?

3. Current inefficiencies

   One of the primary reasons why enterprises adopt a mobile strategy is to streamline processes and eliminate inefficiencies. Identify which processes you want to mobilize, what are the possible challenges and pick the right tools to resolve them.

   • Are the inefficiencies people-oriented or process-oriented?
   • Which are the areas that have maximum blindspots?
   • Can I eliminate bottlenecks or middlemen?
   • Is the information accessibility difficult?
   • Is there consistency across the enterprise?
   • Does everyone have access to real-time information?

4. Opportunity areas

   Having identified your audience and improvement areas, you can leverage mobile to convert challenges into opportunities.

   • What are the market segments I can effectively capture?
   • Where are my new customers coming from?
   • How can I innovate out of problems?
   • Which areas can provide maximum RoI?
   • How can I provide more value than my competitors?

5. Security & Compliance

   Mobile security shouldn’t be limited to the app or device alone but rather, you should take a more holistic approach.

   • How will the backend integration be secured?
   • How will the transactions happening between client and back-end servers be monitored?
   • Does the development process follow any review standards?
   • Are you trading security for a better user experience?

6. Identifying functional priorities

   While there’ll be plenty of functions across the organization that you can mobilize, it is important to prioritize just a few, considering the cost of development and ease of implementation.

   • Does it help the entire organization immediately?
   • Does it improve services only for a particular department?
   • What are the quick-wins?
   • Which initiatives can show signs of early success?

7. Measurement

   Identify the right set of tools and metrics that will help you to evaluate or assess your deliverable.

   • How much cost savings were you able to achieve after your mobile initiative?
   • Which channels are adding to profits?
   • Did the customer satisfaction level improve?
   • How much man-efforts did your initiative save?

What are the business benefits?

Creating an enterprise mobile strategy can help you to solve complex challenges with scalable solutions and acquire new user base. It also streamlines business operations and empowers you to enhance user experience. With an effective mobile strategy, you can achieve:

• More efficient and effective workforce
• Better and faster customer service
• Increased revenue and profitability
• Improved communication across all stakeholders in the organization
• Enhanced data security across all devices
• Real-time analytics that allow data-driven decision making
• Reduced operational costs with streamlined processes
• A competitive edge within the industry

Conclusion

Mobile is no longer an option for your company; it has become a business imperative. It provides you with a long-term strategic vision and empowers you with flexibility to adapt to changes that come with shifts in the business environment. It’s not just about having an app but about driving value within your company. A robust enterprise mobile strategy can help you optimize results and maximize ROI by simply integrating processes, functions and people. Further, you can utilize data infrastructure to attract new customers and offer more value to existing ones. The gains of implementing a mobile enterprise strategy are enormous to stay afloat in a competitive environment you need to get started right now.

The post Formulating an Enterprise Mobile Strategy Part 1: Key areas to focus on appeared first on [x]cube LABS.

Table of contents

• The growth in app development trends: Unprecedented and ongoing
• 10 Mobile application trends to watch out for in 2020
  1. IoT
  2. Instant Apps
  3. AR/VR
  4. Chatbots
  5. BYOD
  6. Apps for foldable devices
  7. Beacons technology
  8. 5G
  9. Blockchain
  10. Low code/no-code development
• Conclusion

The growth in app development trends: unprecedented and ongoing

According to Statista, the number of smartphone users worldwide today surpasses three billion and is forecasted to grow further by several hundred million in the next few years. China, India, and the United States are the countries with the highest number of smartphone users, with each country surpassing the 100 million user mark. With the increasing usage of smartphones, mobile app development trends are also growing and have made it essential for developers to stay updated and relevant.Businesses globally are keeping an eye on the latest trends to reap the maximum advantage and create a stronger, more engaged user-base. While we saw unprecedented growth in app development trends till 2019, this year is set to witness a similar trajectory of growth, with more promising trends. We have listed the top ten among them that businesses and developers must watch out for in 2020.

10 Mobile application trends to watch out for in 2020

1. IoT

   2019 witnessed brands like Amazon and Google leveraging IoT and strengthening the competition by introducing the “Echo” range of devices and “Home voice controller” respectively. The investment of hardware companies like Cisco and Dell in IoT and Google’s move to acquire wearable company Fitbit and its collaboration with Nest, a home security camera manufacturer, further hints at the fast movement of these companies towards IoT technology.

   So far we have seen various use cases of IoT in real-life such as continuous supply chain management in retail, connected homes and savvy healthcare monitoring. We are yet to see more and with the increase in demand for IoT solutions, the demand for IoT-enabled apps will grow simultaneously. Forbes magazine predicts that the IoT market would double by 2021. App developers, therefore, will be looking to develop apps for connected products.

2. Instant Apps

   Unlike native apps, you don’t need to download and install instant apps to run them, they can be accessed via a shared link. Instant apps give you access to limited features or a fundamental features-only version of the app. One of the prime reasons they are gaining traction is app demos. These apps provide a look into an app’s complete version and make it easier for you to decide if it’s useful for you before choosing to download. It has become a better way of reaching out to target audiences and convince them for installation. Another advantage of instant apps is that they are smaller in size when compared to regular apps which reduce the page loading time and bounce rate. Vimeo reported an increased session rate by 130% with instant apps.

   With users continuously demanding a better experience and shorter load times, instant apps are something to look forward to in 2020.

3. AR/VR

   Many eCommerce stores, realtors and apparel brands have integrated AR/VR technologies in their applications- Sephora and IKEA, for instance. This not only enabled them to boost and enhance user experience but also increased conversion rates. New use cases are underway as technological giants like Apple and Google are investing heavily in innovation using AR. This year, Google plans to introduce a new AR feature for Google Maps, which would provide people with directions from their camera phones in real time.

   According to Statista, the augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) market is forecasted to reach 18.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2020. Looking at the growth drivers and potential use cases, we can confirm that this year, AR integration will be one of the significant mobile app development trends that would shape the mobile industry.

4. Chatbots

   Initially, only apps like Facebook, Skype, and Slack used chatbots at large but now we see most of the businesses leveraging chatbots for customer interactions. With nearly 50% of customers preferring self-service chatbots over human representatives, it has become imperative for every major product and service sector business to deploy a chatbot. Till date, there are approximately 2.5 million apps in the Google Play Store and nearly 1.8 million in the Apple App Store. However, there are very few apps that have deployed chatbots to enhance customer experience.

   As per Gartner, chatbot interaction is set to increase from just 20% in 2017 to 93% in 2022. With 80% of enterprises expected to use chatbots by 2020, the integration of chatbots to mobile apps will escalate quickly.

5. BYOD

   Bring Your Own Device is a trend under which companies allow their employees to use their personal smartphones and tablet devices for work. This way, enterprises save the cost of device purchase. This comes with security challenges such as employee frauds and industrial spying but they can be averted by deploying a BYOD app. They can install the app on their personal devices which can have different features and rights.

   According to Insights, BYOD market will reach $367 billion by 2022. Many companies are expected to follow the trend set by large enterprises and build company app for their employees.

6. Apps for foldable devices

   With Samsung coming up with its foldable phones, the operating systems are getting ready to make use of this technology to improve smartphone experiences. Google, in 2018, officially announced the foldable support on Android phones by using its ‘screen continuity’ API. According to Samsung, many android apps such as Amazon prime video, Twitter and Facebook have already been optimized for their Galaxy fold. Video streaming and gaming apps can also reap more benefits from foldable technology by simply increasing their screen size or using the extra space for additional information and controls.

   Since foldable phones are the next big thing of 2020, developers must plan their strategy in a way that their applications are poised to run seamlessly on foldable devices.

7. Beacon technology

   A beacon technology-enabled app on your device shows you where you can have your preferred products, their costs, and other specifications. Beacons utilize BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) signals. When your device enters a beacon’s zone, the particular app instantly gets this signal and offers appropriate notifications and instructions for the users. Industries like healthcare, museums, and hotels have already included beacons in their services. After Apple’s iBeacon and Google’s Eddystone, now beacon is a part of both iOS and Android app development.

   Beacon technology has been around for some time now, and 2020 will make its presence even stronger. Beacon-based notifications are increasingly helping many businesses and industries to connect with their customers in a highly contextual manner.

   According to GeoMarketing, by 2020, the number of beacon deployments is expected to reach 400 million globally, thereby generating $56,554M by 2026.

8. 5G

   The introduction of 5G networks will not just strengthen network performance but create a data-intensive environment, facilitating new opportunities. By providing lower latency and speeding up data-sharing by upto 10x , you can automate more core processes and deliver improved applications for capturing and sharing data. 5G services offer an extensive range of opportunities, app developers should design the apps that can handle volumes of data being transmitted without compromising with performance.

   It is anticipated that the transition from 4G services to 5G wireless network will be completed by the end of 2020.

9. Blockchain

   Blockchain technology, launched many years back, became a buzzword in 2018, and it was 2019 when we witnessed its many use cases across various industries. With data breaches and security becoming major challenges for business leaders worldwide, blockchain as a trend is growing fast. A large number of fintech companies have already reaped the benefits from blockchain app development.

   According to Transparency Market research, the blockchain market will reach $20 billion by 2024. This clearly indicates that app developers must get ready to capitalize on this technology.

10. Low code/no-code development

    Businesses looking to have an in-house app development team sometimes lack the resources needed to effectively plan and develop a mobile product.  Low-code or no-code development is increasingly becoming popular among such businesses as it eliminates the need for in-house personnel to have a thorough knowledge of coding. In case of no-code development, they can develop the product with no coding knowledge at all.  These platforms are easy to use; where users can simply drag and drop visual components and compile an app.

    While low-code/no-code development platforms are not here to replace traditional coding, this trend will get a boost in 2020, especially among enterprises where budgets are a constraint.

Conclusion

As the trends change and new technologies evolve, it is important for business leaders to stay abreast of the latest trends and technologies and stand out in the highly competitive mobile app development space. The evolving app development trends would drive the need for enterprise mobile app development services. Make sure you keep up with the technologies and trends we mentioned here and try to implement them as much in your mobile app. You can also leverage the expertise of mobile app development companies such as [x]cube LABS to scale your businesses through mobile applications.

The post 10 Mobile application trends to watch out for in 2020 appeared first on [x]cube LABS.

Industry 4.0 is currently generating tremendous noise and drift for data exchange and automation in manufacturing technologies together with IoT, cloud computing, cognitive computing, and cyber-physical systems. Mobile technology is one of the fundamental driving forces behind Industry 4.0, creating “smart factories” and streamlining manufacturing operations with mobility. While most of them have been slow to adopt the benefits of technology, manufacturers aren’t unaware of the substantial tangible improvements other industries are undergoing with the implementation of mobile technology and organizations are noticing improvements in their divisions. Mobility in manufacturing is bringing intensification across all divisions, optimizing from the shop floor to the warehouse to management. Even IT leaders cannot overlook the hazard of production downtime and competitive benefits of improving productivity using mobile devices and solutions.

The Need for Mobility Solutions in Manufacturing Companies

While global expansion strategy forms the core of the emerging need for mobility solutions in most of the manufacturing companies, it is equally important to meet the ever-growing expectations of consumers and stakeholders in the ecosystem. For example, an automobile manufacturer sold auto spare parts to its partners. As the demand for spare parts increased, they felt the need and launched a mobile app to manage the demand-supply gap. Now consumers can place an order for more spare parts online. This helps them reduce cost and improve productivity in the long way. Therefore, to remain competitive, manufacturers must look out for efficiencies in production and the capacity to deliver a broader mix of customized products. This demands operational processes and production lines to be integrated and flexible to allow fast configuration changes and reduced load times, without compromising on quality or safety.

Adoption of mobility solutions by manufacturing enterprises helps to improve their capacities which manifest in the form of improvement in enterprise processes.

Credit: Ericsson Mobility Report June 2018

81% of Industrial Manufacturing CEOs said that they plan to rely on operational efficiencies to bolster growth via enhanced competitiveness.
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Key Advantages of Mobility Solutions

Data and information play a crucial role in implementing business processes right from marketing to manufacturing. Mobility holds the key to the prospect of managing your business from anywhere at any time. Moreover, it shares real-time updates for decision makers. Mobility also provides information during an emergency and therefore manages the uncertain situations well

Portability – Mobile apps are designed for on the go, anytime usage. The right mobile solution can reduce the need to return to a fixed-point to review checklists, receive information or fulfill orders. For example, tablets allow workers to conduct quality checks, send out alerts for any problems and instantly update job status on an order or machines.

Real-Time Problems / Real-Time Solutions – Instead of anticipating problems and outcomes based on earlier performance and trends, it is critical for organizations to have the ability to figure out an issue while there is time to correct it. Learning about errors, malfunctions or other problems after the fact, could delay progress, whereas the management team and staff can be alerted instantly of issues in real-time. Therefore situational awareness can extend the reaction time and lead to positive outcomes and better customer relationships as well.

Accessibility Increases Worker Productivity – Choosing mobile tablets can lead to better productivity of warehouse workers as people respond well to current technology which is easy to understand. Rather than having to visit the fixed workstation repeatedly, workers can perform tasks on the go. Employees are already embracing mobility in their personal life, therefore the traditional learning curve when introducing innovative technology, systems or processes are reduced to a great extent and will arguably, disappear in a few years’ time.

Precision Monitoring –  With GPS locations in vogue, it allows manufacturing organizations to analyze their logistics and figure out where they are being inefficient or losing time in their freight management duties. Instant updates allow team leaders to check the status of any order at any time, or to find raw materials and goods arriving instantly. For businesses with active on field sales staff(s), the ability to both check inventory and input sales on the go increases efficiency tremendously and can boost customer relationships in the process.

Mobility in the manufacturing industry is trending like other industries and is the reason many companies give mobile devices to their staff and discourage BYOD to avoid risk. However, for the company-owned devices as well, organizations should be extra vigilant for the security of the devices as well as business data. Organizations need to address security concerns and place adequate security measures for mobile device management to prevent data theft and misuse of the devices for personal entertainment which eventually leads to wastage of time and productivity decline.

86% of CEO's say a clear vision of how Digital technologies including Mobile can create competitive advantage is key to the success of their investments.
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Some Operational Benefits of Mobility

• Increases overall productivity
• Ensures cost reduction with increased efficiency
• Real-time monitoring and faster access to critical information
• Facilitates collaboration between people at all levels
• Rapid product development
• Improve RoI
• Increase in sales
• Enhance customer satisfaction
• Manage regulatory compliance

Reduce Time to Market and Achieve Optimal Efficiency

In this increasingly connected world, manufacturing intelligence is the new normal. The choice of connectivity determines the planning, materials, build quality and flexibility of a manufacturer’s digital foundation. This adds to the possibilities and ultimately increases the value it brings to their operations, enabling smarter resource management. It affects which equipment and operations can be connected, how many assets and processes can run simultaneously, and how well it scales beyond one geographical site to achieve optimal efficiency. Mobility is helping with data collection, and manufacturers are applying advanced pattern detection and predictive analytics to simplify steps and eliminate delays by pulling the right levers to get ahead of production cost trends and generate good market speed.

Bottom Line

Mobility is making manufacturers compete in their prospects and customers timeframes while delivering higher value in less time than before. Therefore manufacturers and their suppliers must generate and share vast amounts of digital data about the design, dimensions, quality, and location of components. Additionally, tracking their journey through the factory and beyond is imperative. They must manage complex flows of physical materials and become data managers. Yes, we anticipate a growth in the number of data engineers in the flexible plant to almost double between now and 2030.

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