74% of Organizations Have Or Will Build Custom Mobile Apps According To New InformationWeek Reports Research

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- InformationWeek Reports (http://reports.informationweek.com), a service provider for peer-based IT research and analysis, announced the release of its latest research report. App Dev in the Age of Mobility encompasses analysis of results from InformationWeek's recent Mobile Application Development Survey and guides readers in setting a strategy for empowering employees and customers with custom applications for smartphones and tablets. Of the 350 business technology professionals responding to this poll, 25% are from organizations with 10,000 or more employees.

Research Summary:

IT teams that want to develop mobile apps are torn between methodologies. They worry that employees and customers accustomed to slick native apps will spurn browser-based versions, but native development complicates cross-platform code reuse—a factor cited as critical or important by 64%. Meanwhile, 52% of those building native applications say they can't get the functionality needed in a browser app, a legitimate concern until HTML5 matures.

Findings: 

• 71% of our survey respondents identify the Apple iPhone as the top target for both native and browser-optimized custom apps, compared with 64% for Android phones and just 22% for BlackBerry.
• 55% cite coding for differences in Internet Explorer, Safari, Android, Opera and Chrome as a top challenge when developing browser-based applications.
• 50% say cross-platform support is a critical feature in IDEs used for mobile apps.
• 20% of those with no plans to develop native custom or browser-based mobile applications cite security as a reason.

The report author, Kurt Marko, is editor at large for InformationWeek Reports and an IT industry veteran.

For full access to the research data, members can download now: http://reports.informationweek.com/abstract/18/8995/Mobility-Wireless/research-app-dev-in-the-age-of-mobility.html?cid=rpt_press_rls

"It's unfortunate that HTML5 isn't more mature," says Lorna Garey, content director of InformationWeek Reports. "But most companies can't afford to sit on the sidelines. There are ways to get code reuse without sacrificing functionality, as we discuss in our report, by using hybrid methods with native UIs that link to browser-based back ends for data access."

For more information:
Art Wittmann    
VP & Managing Director, InformationWeek Reports
415-947-6361
awittmann@techweb.com

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