The Real Issues with Outsourcing Mobile App Development

How can mobile development outsourcing fill the gaps that the industry’s talent pool is missing?

If you haven’t looked lately, there are almost 9 million mobile applications, mainly split between Apple’s app store and Google’s play store. Collectively, these apps have been downloaded over 250 million times, which shows how widely used they are in today’s world. Mobile apps are more than just games, retail, and consumer interests: it’s big business. Corporations see it as a lower-cost alternative to traditional development for productivity tools in every industry, from nuclear power plant construction to the guy from the big box store who measures for new flooring. The explosive growth and need for mobile app development have placed real stress on companies in terms of capacity, talent, and innovation. 

Outsourcing mobile application development is one way to alleviate that stress.

We have seen a huge spike in demand for mobile app development as usage rises. It is predicted that the demand for developers will increase from 17% to 24% by 2026. Qualified and available talent is only getting harder to find when it comes to developing an app. That's a big issue, and one reason mobile development outsourcing has become a popular alternative. Companies of every size need mobile development skills and expertise now.

Mobile app development is one of the most frequent requests in software development outsourcing. Offshore and nearshore software outsourcing companies are proving to be a trusted solution to meet the increasing demand for mobile apps.

6 Key Issues Where Mobile App Outsourcing Development Delivers Benefit

We’ve heard all the stories about outsourced software companies: not delivering on time or budget low app adoption rates, or security vulnerabilities that leave your organization open to cyber attacks. But when done right, outsourcing mobile app development has little downside with far more upside, making it a smart investment of time, effort, and resources.

1. UI/UX Design

Mobile app development requires both form and function. Customers and internal users expect mobile apps to deliver value and productivity on a small screen. Your mobile development team must be proficient at prioritizing which elements of your service or product are the most important. Good design is about making a good impression and it is one of the top critics users have when it comes to any interface.

Outsourcing benefit: Tap experienced UI/UX best practices and problem-solving that you may not have on your internal team. Enable simplicity, clarity, and efficiency in user interaction that drives user adoption or enhanced employee productivity.

2. Back-End Integration

The primary gain for investing in a mobile app is the data that can be collected and shared. For instance, enterprise mobile apps that help employees get their work done also deliver systemic workflows and monitor employee performance issues.

Mobile apps are rarely standalone entities. Most apps pull data from backend systems and communicate with other core business functions. That’s the power of back-end integration; the strength of it enables the actions on the front end.

Outsourcing Benefit: Gain expertise in point-to-point, multipoint, and enterprise bus services for mobile app integration. Overcome challenges in legacy integrations, reduce costs, conduct proper testing, and simplify integration complexities.

3. Mobile App Security

Security and privacy are critical components of mobile app development, and you’ll want to take every precaution to avoid corporate data breaches. When choosing an outsourced mobile development partner, be sure to ask about cybersecurity best practices, including data storage and access, server-side mechanisms and controls, and cryptography.

Outsourcing Benefit: Gain professional expertise in all areas of mobile app security that you may not have in-house: corporate authentication, DAR encryption, self-updating apps, run time integrity, app expiration, crash log reporting, data wipe, mobile app VP, and more.

4. Responsive vs. Native vs. Progressive Apps

A conflict that many mobile app developers have is choosing between responsive and native apps. What is the best choice?

Responsive apps are easier to develop, as they closely resemble web design and development. The time and money saved in development come at a cost, though; these apps require network connectivity, and turning your website into a mobile app may be no small feat.

Native apps feature a better and more efficient user experience. They are more tightly integrated with the back end. Native apps are designed specifically for the iOS or Android platform, which makes them more complex. Compatibility issues are a given.

Another option, progressive apps, have picked up popularity since they don’t require the user to install an app off the app store and are built on universal standards like HTML5. They also work well on unstable or poor network connections, but much like responsive apps, require some type of Internet connection at all times.

Outsourcing Benefit: Gain insights from teams that have broad experience and exposure to development in both responsive and. native apps. Your internal team may not have this experience or exposure to multiple solutions.

5. Mobile Platform Compatibility

iOS or Android? Platform compatibility is an important factor to consider in your mobile app development. Thanks to fragmentation and manufacturer optimization, Android can be especially problematic, not to mention potentially more expensive. Yet, iOS suffers from tight controls over how apps may function on the device.

Outsourcing Benefit: Software outsourcing companies are experts in both iOS and Android platforms, work in these technologies across multiple engagements, clients, and industries, and maintain continual training for their employees in the latest trends.

6. Mobile App Methodology

Most mobile app teams approach development with either an agile or waterfall methodology. Agile is a better option when time-to-market is an issue. Waterfall is the better choice for closely managing time and budget.

Outsourcing Benefit: Work with teams who understand the advantages and disadvantages of agile vs. waterfall in mobile application development through the identification of constraints, requirements, resources, and alignment with your in-house culture.

Planning to Outsource Mobile App Development?

Accelerance software outsourcing advisory services ensure that your mobile app can be outsourced successfully with world-class results. Contact us and we can connect you with the right-fit outsourcing partner.