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Mobile Applications: Native, Cross-Compiled, Custom Container, Hybrid, or Web
14 December 2011
 
Kirk Knoernschild  

Organizations are struggling to decide which type of mobile application to deliver to their users. The decision often involves a trade-off between delivering a native experience that is rich and interactive or favoring portability that allows them to deliver a more cost-effective solution that targets multiple platforms. But other factors also influence the decision, such as manageability, discoverability, and maintainability. In this Decision Point, Kirk Knoernschild provides a structured decision framework that guides organizations through this decision.





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Table of Contents

Contents
  • Decision Point
  • Evaluation Criteria
    • Requirements and Constraints
      • Native Experience
      • Cost of Development
      • Market Drivers
  • Alternatives
    • Native RMA
      • Summary of Advantages and Disadvantages of Native RMA
      • Support for Evaluation Criteria
    • Cross-Compiled RMA
      • Summary of Advantages and Disadvantages of Cross-Compiled RMA
      • Support for Evaluation Criteria
    • Custom Container RMA
      • Summary of Advantages and Disadvantages of Custom Container RMA
      • Support for Evaluation Criteria
    • Hybrid RMA
      • Summary of Advantages and Disadvantages of Hybrid RMA
      • Support for Evaluation Criteria
    • MWA
      • Summary of Advantages and Disadvantages of MWA
      • Support for Evaluation Criteria
      • Comparing the Alternatives
  • Future Developments
    • Multichannel
    • Evolution of Web Technologies
    • Consolidation
  • Decision Tool
    • Step 1: Prioritize Your Requirements
      • The Portability and NX Trade-Off
      • Additional Requirements
    • Step 2: Compare Prioritized Criteria With the Capabilities of Each Alternative
      • Mobile App Assessment Scores
      • Individual Score Sheet Explanations
      • Alternative Assessment Tool
      • Gap Analysis
      • Kiviat Worksheets
    • Hypothetical Scenarios
      • Scenario 1: Conference Planner Application
      • Scenario 2: Claim Filing Application
      • Scenario 3: Banking Application
  • Decision Justification
    • Develop a Native RMA
    • Develop a Cross-Compiled RMA
    • Develop a Custom Container RMA
    • Develop a Hybrid RMA
    • Develop an MWA
  • Recommended Reading
  • Notes
Tables
Table 1.
Native Capabilities and How You Might Use Them
Table 2.
Native RMA Scores for Evaluation Criteria
Table 3.
Cross-Compiled RMA Scores for Evaluation Criteria
Table 4.
Custom Container RMA Scores for Evaluation Criteria
Table 5.
Hybrid RMA Scores for Evaluation Criteria
Table 6.
MWA Scores for Evaluation Criteria
Table 7.
Comparison of the Alternatives
Table 8.
Alternatives and General Support for Native Capabilities
Table 9.
Prioritized Requirements for Conference Planner Application
Table 10.
Prioritized Requirements for Claim Filing Application
Table 11.
Prioritized Requirements for Banking Application
Figures
Figure 1.
Mobile Application Alternatives
Figure 2.
Strengths and Weaknesses of Native RMA
Figure 3.
Strengths and Weaknesses of Cross-Compiled RMA
Figure 4.
Strengths and Weaknesses of Custom Container RMA
Figure 5.
Strengths and Weaknesses of Hybrid RMA
Figure 6.
Strengths and Weaknesses of MWAs
Figure 7.
Visual Summary of Alternatives
Figure 8.
Portability and Native Experience
Figure 9.
MWA Support for Conference Planner Application Requirements
Figure 10.
Cross-Compiled RMA Support for Claim Filing Application Requirements
Figure 11.
MWA Support for Prioritized Banking Application Requirements
Figure 12.
Hybrid RMA Support for Banking Application Requirements




Document History:
 
Decision Point for Selecting Mobile Application Development Frameworks
3 July 2012
  
Mobile Applications: Native, Cross-Compiled, Custom Container, Hybrid, or Web
14 December 2011
  




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