Tech
Apps what can they do for you? BY Joe Diviak
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pps the neV gold rush everyone Vants one. Is it the cool factor or is it something you really should thinJ about It’s interesting when I speak with potential clients that some have a pretty good idea that they want a mobile app but are not sure how or what it really can do for them I always bring up the analogy of the web and over twelve years ago most organizations knew they probably needed a website but really didn’t understand what it could truly do for their business Find me a business today that doesn’t have a presence on the web
It’s interesting when I speak with potential clients that some have a pretty good idea that they want a mobile app but are not sure how or what it really can do for them.
So, why do you need an app and what kind? There are two major types of mobile apps; ones built for an external client and ones built for internal processes Most organizations think that the Lord of The Rings mantra of one app to rule them all is the way to go When in fact, most organizations should look at all facets on how mobile technology can improve their return on investment This
MODERN GOVERNMENT · March - April 2013
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App Development Growth By 2015 mobile app development projects will outnumber native PC projects by a ratio of 4-to-1.
makes it very easy to see why more than one app in both categories makes productivity and data management much easier
Consumer Oriented By far this is the category most people think of when apps are brought up They think of Angry Birds or Spotify These are the ones that make end users outside of your organization able to connect and interact with you They don’t always need to have entertainment Puality associated with them One way to see how your organization interacts with your customers is to look ƥrst at your website What in your site would be of value to those who interact with your organization? Can we take that and make a mobile version of it? Just remember whatever is on your website can always be used on an app but unlike a standalone computer, a mobile phone has more technology built into it such as a camera, GPS, accelerometer, compass, texting and voice capability and of course, a touch screen Examples include a government service that taxpayers can access on the Ʀy to possibly pay their child’s tuition for college or purchase their books right from their tablet Just realize, more families are purchasing tablets and smartphones as their primary connection to the Internet versus desktop and laptop computers
Enterprise The new trend is to replace laptops and computers with tablets and smartphones -ot only are they more cost eƤective, they are much more portable This means having enterprise, internal company programs run on these devices There are many ways to interface with these software systems;
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March - April 2013 · MODERN GOVERNMENT
the main is through what’s called an API or application-programming interface Many software systems have some sort of API that a developer can tap into and build a customized mobile user interface that directly communicates to the organization’s back end database This allows any mobile employee to have direct and instant access to company resources Some examples include an inspector doing a report on their app while simultaneously recording photographs or video to attach to that particular report and everything is updated instantly Or, a case worker in the ƥeld utilizing GPS to get to their next appointment and also utilizing voice to text transcription to help ƥnish and manage their reports In summary, there are two main types of audiences One is for users outside your organization or consumer based apps, the other is for users internal to your organization or enterprise The best approach is to analyze which user group would beneƥt most and start there When working with a professional application development ƥrm, they should be able to help you brainstorm ideas and make your application a world-class solution Good luck with your mobile endeavors ǤǞ
Tech
Many software systems have some sort of API that a developer can tap into and build a customized mobile user interface that directly communicates to the organization’s back end database.