WebRatio Platform now in Gartner's radar. We need new strategies for Mobile App development: the"bimodal" approach

What is the "bimodal" approach?

Gartner analyst Richard Marshall, in the technical document published July 2, 2014 "Adopt a Bimodal Approach to Mobile App Development Strategy", defines the bimodal approach as the best strategy to deal with the ever-increasing demand for smartphone and tablet applications (Mobile).

The author outlines the future of the mobile applications market, explaining that by 2018 more than half of the mobile apps will be created by business analysts using platforms that automate the production of code (codeless platform).

Companies that want to respond to the increasing demand for Mobile applications must find a compromise between the stability of their consolidated development strategy and the agility needed to create Mobile tactical solutions.

The "bimodal" approach is the identification and application of two development strategies:

• Structured and integrated application development for long-term solutions that are part of the corporate strategy.
• An agile and quick development process for short-term tactical solutions to compete in competitive and dynamic markets. 

An example? 

A retailer sells its products through a mobile eCommerce application, one that has been used for years and is an integral part of the marketing strategy of the company. In a particular period, such as for sales or promotions, the retailer may decide to create an application that has very short development time and costs and is used, in tactical mode, only for that particular occasion.

How can you apply the bimodal approach?

For the back end

The application of a long-term strategy suggests creating a stable infrastructure and APIs that retrieve and deliver data to back-end systems without creating any impact on core business applications. 

For the front end

To implement a short-term tactic, codeless development platforms, such as WebRatio, respond to developers’ needs allowing them to enter the market with Mobile solutions extremely quickly and efficiently. This helps companies compete in their markets.

Quick time-to-market often leads to a trade-off between user experience and functionality, but a traditional approach does not allow developers to have an application running in such a short time. The Gartner analyst’s article concludes by proposing WebRatio Platform as a high productivity tool for rapid Mobile app development.

WebRatio, a Gartner Cool Vendor in 2013, is confirmed as a strategic solution for companies that want to respond to the competitive dynamics of markets where digital innovation is vital.