Products Application Types
The critical decision to develop a mobile app using HTML5, native code or a hybrid approach involves many parameters such as project budget and timeframe, target audience and required functionality to name a few. But these parameters can change significantly across organizations or even among different projects within the same company. Choosing the approach that best fits all current and future needs can be a challenging if not an impossible task.
Many organizations are quickly learning is that no single approach is a panacea. The answer lies not in one method but rather one platform that is flexible enough to harness the benefits of all approaches and address the requirements of not only the first mobile pilot but a long-term mobile strategy.
 
Worklight enables the development of mobile apps using any of four different approaches:
 
Mobile Consumer Application Platform (MCAP)
 
  Web Apps - Quick and cheap to develop. Written entirely in HTML5, CSS and JavaScript code. Executed by the mobile
    browser and therefore cross-platform by default, but less powerful than native apps.
  Hybrid Apps (Web) - The app's source code consists of web code executed within a native container that is provided by
    Worklight and consists of native libraries.
  Hybrid Apps (Mix) - The developer augments the web code with native language to create unique features and
    access native APIs that are not yet available via JavaScript, such as AR, NFC and others.
    Learn more about Worklight's Shell approach
  Native Apps - Platform-specific. Requires unique expertise and knowledge. Pricey and time consuming to develop but
    delivers the highest user experience of all approaches.
The ability to implement mobile apps using one or all of these approaches, allows developers to create rich mobile apps designed specifically for the needs of the organization; leverage multiple distribution channels such as public and private enterprise app stores; and manage the growing portfolio of deployed apps and integration adapters in a secure and centralized manner.
  Watch a recorded Worklight webinar to learn more about the benefits and challenges of each approach as well as a
  description of different scenarios that are suitable for one over the other.