Empowering Cross-Platform App Development with Low-Code Solutions

In the race to digital supremacy, it’s not the code, but how you craft it, that defines success. The modern drive for efficiency, scalability, and innovation necessitates an approach to app development that transcends traditional coding paradigms. Cross-platform apps, which are those operable across multiple operating systems and devices, are an increasingly vital component of enterprise IT strategies.

However, the time, resources, and specialized expertise required for their creation pose significant challenges. This is where low-code solutions come to the fore, transforming the landscape of application development by democratizing the creation process, reducing development time, and fostering adaptability. Progressive organizations are turning to low-code development as a catalyst for efficiency since low-code tools will be responsible for over 65% of application development by 2024.

Let’s explore how low-code platforms empower businesses of all sizes to build robust, efficient, and innovative cross-platform applications, bridging the gap between technological advancement and business strategy.

Addressing Business Needs with Cross-Platform Apps

The demand for cross-platform apps continues to rise, driven by the need to expand reach and uniformity across diverse platforms. These applications, designed to run on various operating systems such as Android, iOS, and Windows, optimize code reuse, offering an efficient strategy for businesses to broaden their user base. By negating the need for platform-specific development and maintenance, cross-platform apps ensure streamlined operations and cost efficiencies.

Cross-platform apps also promote a consistent user experience by maintaining identical design and functionality across platforms. This consistency bolsters user satisfaction and engagement, impacting brand perception and fostering customer loyalty. Considering the poly-device behavior of modern users, cross-platform apps further facilitate user interaction via their preferred device, providing crucial flexibility.

See also: Top Ways Organizations Benefit From Low-code Development

The Power of Low-Code in Cross-Platform App Development

Cross-platform application development aims to develop apps operable across numerous platforms like Android, iOS, and Windows while maximizing code reusability. The challenge herein lies in the distinct programming languages and software development kits (SDKs) that these platforms utilize: Java or Kotlin for Android, Swift or Objective-C for iOS, and C# or .NET for Windows. This platform specificity requires a unique development approach for each platform, demanding extensive resources and time.

Low-code platforms serve as an effective solution to this problem by offering abstraction from platform-specific details. Around 70% of new business applications will use low-code/no-code technologies by 2025. These platforms enable developers to concentrate more on the core app logic and functionality rather than on the intricate details of each platform’s implementation. These platforms typically offer a visual development environment, enabling developers to utilize drag-and-drop components to design the app interface, while the app’s logic can be articulated through flowcharts or by establishing connections between components.

The low-code platform subsequently transcribes these visual representations and logic into executable code across different platforms. The conversion process typically involves generating code in a platform-neutral language or framework. For instance, JavaScript in conjunction with React Native or a combination of HTML/CSS/JavaScript for hybrid web apps could be used. The resulting code is then either encapsulated within a platform-specific container or compiled into platform-specific code, priming it for deployment. Thus, low-code platforms encapsulate the complexities of cross-platform app development, offering a streamlined, efficient solution to create versatile, platform-agnostic applications.

Leveraging Low-Code for Efficient Cross-Platform App Development

There is an array of features in low-code platforms, including reusable components and pre-configured templates. They mitigate the necessity for repetitive, manual coding tasks, streamlining development cycles and increasing development speed by 70%. Additionally, their visual modeling tools and drag-and-drop interfaces enable swift design and iteration on application layouts and functionalities, substantially accelerating the time-to-market.

Integration capabilities inherent in low-code platforms facilitate seamless interoperability with existing systems and services, enhancing application functionality and optimizing data flow. This interoperability, coupled with the promotion of code sharing and reuse across different platforms, reduces duplication in development efforts. Consequently, low-code platforms emerge as a vital tool for enhancing productivity and speed in cross-platform application development.

Delivering Business Value with Scalable Low-Code Cross-Platform Apps

With their modular architecture and reusable components, low-code cross-platform apps can seamlessly scale horizontally and vertically, allowing for increased user traffic and data processing capabilities without requiring significant redevelopment efforts. Leveraging cloud infrastructure and auto-scaling capabilities, these apps can dynamically allocate resources to handle peak workloads, ensuring optimal performance and user experience.

The agility provided by low-code cross-platform development empowers businesses to quickly respond to market changes and capitalize on new opportunities as well. The visual development environment, coupled with pre-built integrations and connectors, accelerates the app development process, reducing time-to-market. This agility enables organizations to pivot their strategies, experiment with new features or business models, and iterate on their applications without the traditional constraints of lengthy development cycles.

Case Studies: Realizing Efficiency Gains through Low-Code Cross-Platform Apps

Numerous organizations have achieved efficiency gains by adopting low-code cross-platform app development.

Optum, a provider of information and technology-enabled health services for its parent company, UnitedHealth Group, faced challenges in aligning the business and IT departments. To address this issue, Optum turned to low-code programming, enabling stakeholders and software developers to collaborate effectively in application development. Mark O’Connor, the director of the architecture and business process management center of excellence at UnitedHealth Group, highlights the benefits: “By involving stakeholders early on, developers gain a clear understanding of project requirements, resulting in faster and more precise development. We can tackle complex problems with active business involvement, leading to quick production of solutions.”

The western region of The Salvation Army sought to leverage Office 365 and SharePoint to build workflow-centric applications without incurring additional legacy technology debt. Low-code programming proved to be the game-changer in their application development approach. According to David Brown, the director of applications at The Salvation Army’s western region, the results were remarkable: “For the majority of our applications, we have reduced the application development lifecycle by 70% to 80%. In most cases, a single IT staff member assigned to a project can handle the entire process, from initial discovery to production.”

These success stories demonstrate the transformative impact of low-code solutions in addressing specific challenges and improving overall efficiency. This impact becomes even more pronounced when low-code solutions are employed for cross-platform app development, effectively streamlining resource-intensive tasks and efficiently accomplishing goals.

Conclusion

Low-code development presents an invaluable opportunity to empower cross-platform app development with enhanced efficiency. Utilizing low-code solutions allows organizations to accelerate development speed, improve collaboration, and provide customization capabilities to non-technical stakeholders. Cross-platform apps developed with low code further enable businesses to address their app requirements efficiently and deliver tangible business value through enhanced customer experiences, operational efficiency, and scalability.