Connecting to mobile workforces through apps has become extremely popular in recent years. There are numerous benefits to having an app developed for a company; however, there are just as many important considerations that business owners should take into account when they are having an app developed for them.

The chief technology officer at 5app, Dr. Tim King, offered advice for businesses in a recent statement. The most important thing, he says, is to think about which devices will need to be supported from the start, warning, “If you are going to need cross-platform, think about it early — don’t start with one device type and then consider moving to other platforms if the first is a success, as this doubles, triples, or even quadruples your costs.”

What else does he advise? King says it is important to choose a framework that “supports reliable communication as standard,” to make sure that the selected framework provides all the necessary features (such as push data), and to “mirror the quality of corporate solutions” through performance, reliability, and availability. Find King’s full checklist here.

These considerations are especially important as BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) becomes a popular model in the workforce. Workers may show up armed with an Apple (News - Alert) device, an Android device, a Blackberry device, or a Windows device. 5app has made it easy for business owners and CTOs to address this through their ability to deploy a single version of an app across all types of mobile devises using HTML5, CSS (News - Alert), and Javascript.

For businesses that are thinking about having an app developed for their mobile workforce, King’s advice is invaluable. By understanding the limitations and potential failures of having an app developed, businesses will be more prepared for their meetings with potential app developers, providing them with the right questions to ask.

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