HTML5 and web technologies are changing the world of mobile app development

There remains little doubt that as HTML5 continues to mature and gains a larger adoption rate, it and other web programming paradigms will continue to alter the world of mobile app development. Given the “walled-garden” nature of Apple’s iOS platform compared to the relative openness of Android, many mobile development shops are turning toward HTML5 and web-based programming techniques that render HTML into a mobile web browser to achieve a measure of cross-platform functionality. With minimal alterations, the same codebase could then support any browser-based platform, either on a desktop or a mobile device.

The allure of cross-platform software development
Cross-platform software development holds a certain allure for many software development teams, especially in the enterprise, where the BYOD revolution and cloud-based services help to keep employees tethered to their work no matter their device or location. In this environment, optimizing development costs by leveraging a cross-platform model makes sense for the business, and newer technologies like HTML5 help to make “write once, run anywhere” an almost reality that Java could never really quite deliver.
Still, when moving to a web-based browser-delivered programming architecture at the client, it is important that companies invest in the right networking infrastructure to support the required performance. Slow download times and poor latency won’t inspire productivity from the workforce.

Leveraging a CDN to support mobile app delivery
Enterprises already focused on cross-platform programming projects don’t need the extra hassle of improving their network horsepower to support mobile apps. Partnering with a quality content delivery network (CDN) makes sense for those firms that want the fastest download times and best app performance. A good CDN also provides the right security mechanisms to prevent unauthorized downloads, ensuring corporate data remains safe.
So if making the jump to HTML5 for mobile app development to leverage the efficiency of cross-platform programming, the smart organization will also partner with a CDN to make sure those apps perform at their best possible level.