MobiCASE: Effective Informational Smartphone Apps

1. Adam Blum, [email protected] Informational Smartphone Apps

2. Background

iPhone and Android have changed the game

All users nowwantto run apps on their smartphones

But

writing native apps that run at the edge is quite different than web apps

Tools for mobility are mostly the same as 20 years ago

Approaches to mobile development dont incorporate modern software engineering

3. Whats Different v. Web Apps

focus on single tasks

less data types

leverage the device

4. Context Sensitivity

take users right to the data

common metaphor: list of records at top level

or a map with objects

using location, time, user info to select

but no top level lists to select the right object type/function

settingsas an option on the tab bar

5. iPivotal 6. TrackR (Koombea) 7. Local Data

make it possible to use the app without connectivity

insure that users work on transactions (Create/Update/Delete) is never lost

automatically cache (through database or otherwise) frequently used data

8. Handle Changed/ Dynamic Schemas

Enterprise apps (especially CRM and ERP) NEVER use the default schema

But apps on the App Store are all written to use the default schema

How do you handle this if you want to ship enterprise apps on the App Store?

9. What Not To Do: KinitoProall of this just to get to your accounts?why not just use reasonable defaults? 10. What To Do:RhoLogic for SugarCRM (written with Rhodes) take people to their objects right away. summarize data on the device with dashboards 11. Limit Objects/Functions

ideally one main object types

no more than two or three dependent objects

limit features/functions/actions on objects

12. IFusion no local data (sync so you can access contacts when offline)? no save to local PIM contacts? 13. InfusionSoft written with Rhodes.data is synced and available offline.robust set of capabilities on each contact (tags, followup sequence, history, action set).save to PIM (address book) 14. Device Capabilities

smartphones have senses: sight, hearing, touch

dont do myopic web ports

you can probably use:

GPS

mapping

PIM contacts

camera

15. What To Do: Nationwide Claims App great use of device capabilities (GPS, camera) to record accident info. free on App Store 16. Rapid Iterations

deliver small identifiable features frequently

use a toolset that enables rapid iteration

Objective C might not be the best one for that

17. Rhodes Architecture RhoSync Server your app code RhoSyncclient ORM (Rhom) Rhodes components Ruby executor HTMLtemplates model controller model HTMLtemplates controller Backend app mobile device source adapter Backend app model model We provide: Rhodes app generator Backend app Device capabilities smartphone device source adapter You write: 18. Address Your Full Userbase

Enterprises are ALWAYS heterogeneous

And becoming moreso every day (Android, Meego, Windows Phone 7)

Your app will never be an enterprise standard unless you reach all those devices