Challenges with HTML5 for Mobile Applications

I’ve been highlighting features and advantages of HTML5 in previous posts, however, HTML5 has its limitations and challenges as well. Let's take a look at some of the noted concerns and disadvantages of HTML5 web-based apps in this article.
  • Well made Native apps run faster than HTML5 based web apps
  • Web applications can only communicate to the operating system through the browser engine, limiting usage of API’s to only those that are made available by the browser.
  • There are limitations with local data storage
We discussed in a previous post how with HTML5, it’s possible to store data locally on the device. Interruptions in connectivity no longer need adversely affect the field workers ability to remain productive since one can cache the logic and store the data locally on the device. While the web browser’s local databases make it easier for web apps to cache data, they won’t provide the same data power found with desktop apps. Data storage with HTML5 is buried deep in the browser, and stored data can’t be moved to another machine, copied, or backed up. The files can be moved but only if one knows where to look.

Security - The security of the local database is also a concern. If a user is able to manipulate the JavaScript code, the gap in security also leaves the databases open and vulnerable for the data to be changed. We need to be very cautious of data collection with HTML5 client-based apps.

Syncing Disconnected Apps - Data can be continually saved when a web app is connected to the Internet. However, when offline, changes aren’t always stored and copies start appearing, making synchronization a problem. Developers can provide solutions by using version control and user interfaces to manage synchronization but somebody must code this.

Previously published articles on HTML5

What Can HTML5 Offer Mobile Developers?
HTML5 - What I am Learning
Projections for and Demonstrations of HTML5
HTML5, Enterprise Mobility and Visual Effects





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Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict
Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility analyst, consultant and blogger. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.
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Mobility News Weekly - Week of August 22, 2011

The Mobility News Weekly is an online newsletter made up of the most interesting news and articles related to enterprise mobility that I run across each week.  I am specifically targeting information that reflects market data and trends.

Also read Field Mobility News Weekly
Also read Mobile Commerce News Weekly
Also read Mobile Marketing News Weekly
Also read M2M News Weekly
Also read Mobility Charts Weekly

After just around eight months, there are now 30,000 apps in the Windows Phone marketplace, according to a post on the Windows Phone Developer Blog.  Read Original Content

The increased risk to personal and corporate data is an opportunity for the mobile-security industry.  The global market for mobile security is expected to reach $14.4 billion by 2017, according to market research firm Global Industry Analysts.  Read Original Content

Fifty-two percent of all smartphones sold to U.S. consumers during the second quarter of 2011 run Google's Android mobile operating system, up 19 percent year-over-year.  Apple's iOS grew 7 percent over the past year and follows in second at 29 percent market share, according to new data published by market research firm NPD Group.  Read Original Content

ClickSoftware is an SAP mobility partner and the leading provider of automated workforce management and optimization solutions for every size of service business.  This newsletter is sponsored in part by ClickSoftware - http://www.clicksoftware.com/.

Local Florida grocery chains are rolling out store-specific smartphone applications to connect shoppers with the products they want at a price that’s right.  Several chains — including Publix, Winn-Dixie and Aldi — deliver weekly specials via free smartphone apps.  Read Original Content

More bad news for Android smartphone owners — a new variant of a scary data-harvesting Trojan has been found in Google's official Android app market.  "App Installer" is marketed as an app designed to help users manage their .APK files, but in reality it harbors a variant of DroidDreamLight, a Trojan that steals victims' sensitive phone data and downloads malicious code to infected smartphones from remote servers, the security firm Trend Micro reported.  Read Original Content
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Mobility Charts Weekly - Week of August 22, 2011

The Mobility Charts Weekly is a weekly publication of charts depicting the current and future status of the enterprise mobility market.  I am specifically targeting information that reflects market data and trends.


According to a Lighspeed Research study, 47 percent of total mobile phone owners in the United States have made a mobile purchase at one time or another.  Those most likely to purchase using a mobile device are males between 18-24 years.  Read Original Article



An article by GoToTags looks at the forecasted growth of NFC enabled phones in the upcoming years.  Currently there are less than 100 million devices enabled with NFC technology.  By 2015 there is expected to be nearly 550 million devices able to purchase good using near field communications.  Read Original Article



According to an article by Financial Spread Betting on mobile stock trading, the practice of trading stocks through mobile devices is on the rise largely due to the number of people switching to Internet access by mobile device rather than using traditional desktop computers.  Read Original Article



An ATG survey taken in 2010 indicates that mobile shopping is still an emerging habit by mobile phones users.  The poll results show that 5 percent of people browse and research products on a daily basis using their mobile device and only 1 percent of owners end up purchasing a product through their phone.  Read Original Article


*************************************************************
Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict

Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility analyst, consultant and blogger. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.

Click Here!

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Enterprise Mobility, Netcentric Operations and Military Mobility

Network Based Operations
I read an article today summarizing a speech by Vice Adm. William McRaven, commander of the Navy’s Joint Special Operations Command where he was detailing the special forces needs for mobile solutions, networks and communications.  In his speech, McRaven detailed areas where he would like to see improvements.
  1. Easy access to networks that include newer technologies like tablets and smartphones.
  2. A universal domain.  "So I can pick up my iPhone or Android phone and communicate with all the folks I need to communicate with and not have to worry about security protocols." 
  3. Improved reception would help forces receive and better understand information.
  4. Improved cloud computing. “We need a soft enterprise cloud that allows me in a platform-independent way to access any data located anywhere within our enterprise,” McRaven said.
  5. He would like a full spectrum search engine that lets warfighters and commanders find all relevant data that’s available in top secret, secret and unclassified domains.
  6. Real time video language translation.
  7. Ironclad mobile security
  8. Improved communications for squads that are traveling to operations. He said teams can’t be out of communication during the critical time when they are headed toward the theater of operations.
I subscribe to a number of military newsletters such as, http://www.defensesystems.com/ that focus on the network centric approach to warfare, because I believe these extreme operational environments can teach the field services industry a great deal.  Mobile Technology and mobile workforce strategies being tested in the battlefield environment today, may offer valuable insights and lessons to the service industry of tomorrow.

Upcoming Events

Field Mobility 2011 - October 25 - 27, 2011
Enterprise Mobility Exchange - November 2 - 3, 2011

Whitepapers of Note

The Business Benefits of Mobile Adoption with SAP Systems
ClickSoftware Mobility Suite and Sybase Mobility Solution
Mobile Adoption Among Gas and Electric Utilities
Mobile Adoption in Life Sciences
Mobile Adoption in Oil and Gas
Networked Field Services

Recorded Webinars of Note

3 Critical Considerations for Embracing Mobile CRM
Healthrageous Mobility Case Study
The Latest m-Business Trends and How the Onslaught of Mobile Devices Affects Development Strategies
The Real-Time Mobile Enterprise:  The Benefits of Rapid, Easy Access
Syclo and SAP Deliver Mobile Apps on Sybase Unwired Platform 

Ruggedized and Industrial Mobile Device Articles

Consumer Smartphones or Industrial Smartphones?

*************************************************************
Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict
Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility analyst, consultant and blogger. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.
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Mobile Marketing News Weekly - Week of August 22, 2011


The Mobile Marketing News Weekly is an online newsletter that is made up of the most interesting news, articles and links related to mobile marketing that I run across each week.  I am specifically targeting market size and market trend information.

Also read Field Mobility News Weekly
Also read Mobile Commerce News Weekly
Also read Mobility News Weekly
Also read M2M News Weekly

Android is expected to be the top global mobile ad platform by the end of the year, according to the latest quarterly analysis from independent mobile advertising network InMobi.  Read Original Content

Google this week released a new tablet based online catalogue that promotes mobile shopping through devices.  Google Catalogs includes content from Anthropologie, Bare Escentuals, Bergdorf Goodman, Crate and Barrel, L.L. Bean, Lands' End, Macy's, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Pottery Barn, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sephora, Sundance, Tea Collection, Urban Outfitters and Williams-Sonoma.  Read Original Content

A Georgia hospital is using Quick Response codes in its advertising to make it easier for women to schedule mammograms.  Read Original Content

Pyxis Mobile provides an agile, powerful, and secure mobile enterprise application platform.  It enables rapid cross-platform application development, unlimited data integration, enterprise-grade security, and the unique ability to change and update applications in real time.  This newsletter is sponsored in part by Pyxis Mobile, http://pyxismobile.com.

Portio Research reports that the mobile application user base is expected to hit 256 million people by 2015, growing at 37 percent yearly.  Read Original Content

A survey by JiWire reports that 63 percent of UK participants are willing to give up personnel information in order to receive relevant updates on their mobile devices.  In the United States that number is 60 percent.  Read Original Content
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Mobile Expert Podcast Series: Psion's Gregg Anderson, Part 2

This is Part 2 of this audio podcast with Psion's Gregg Anderson (listen to Part 1 here).  Psion is the manufacturer of ruggedized mobile devices.  They support the use of mobile devices in the dirt, water, dust, heat and cold.  They have very interesting stories, experiences and advice to share.





*************************************************************
Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict
Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility analyst, consultant and blogger. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.
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Mobile Expert Podcast Series: Psion's Gregg Anderson, Part 1

Some of the most interesting discussions about real world enterprise mobility are with people involved in the ruggedized handheld industry.  These guys/gals work day in and day out supporting equipment designed for environments covered in dust, water, mud, heat and cold.  Their mobile devices must withstand constant exposure to these environments, drops, scrapes and impacts.  In Part 1 of this audio podcast I am interviewing industry veteran Gregg Anderson with Psion about what makes the industrial grade and ruggedized handheld market different from other mobility markets.

Listen to Part 2 of this audio podcast interview here.





*************************************************************
Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict
Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility analyst, consultant and blogger. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.
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Enterprise Mobility Solutions with Depth and Width

Some enterprise mobility solutions are "containers", "shells", "frameworks", "libraries" or "scripts."  They don't in themselves have a lot of business logic or business process expertise.  These kinds of enterprise mobility solutions often provide interesting low cost efficiency improvements, but the efficiency gains are typically small incremental improvements.  Enterprise mobility vendors, however, that bring to the table depth and width in their business logic and business process expertise can revolutionize the way a company operates and significantly impact the company's bottom line.

Often companies will start with simple low cost mobile solutions to test the waters and to demonstrate some efficiency improvements, but the best in class will move beyond that and research how the new world of mobility can actually revolutionize their business.

Let me provide as an example of depth and width, an excerpt from ClickSoftware's recent software update announcement.

This offering optimizes the deployment of the entire workforce; not just those employees out in the field, but also those who are office/plant based, using the same Workforce Management Platform. This means that employees can be quickly aligned to company objectives across any number of businesses or departments regardless of their role. 

This update reaches beyond just dispatching work orders to mobile service technicians, it now seems to include the ability to optimize the schedule and deployment of all workers in all departments  This requires sophisticated and complex business logic (depth and width).  These new kinds of optimized workforce scheduling solutions also include mobile clients.  Here is more on that:

ClickSoftware’s Mobility Studio now allows enterprises to build and configure mobility applications that utilize the latest HTML5 standards so that they are device agnostic.

It is my opinion that the business logic and business process expertise is where the most value comes from in any mobile solution.  The more you can simplify the enterprise mobility component the better.  Here is more on that topic:

Version 8.1.5 adds to this the Business Views Engine enabling business users with no technical ability to create and configure modular mobile applications with no coding, and using drag and drop wizards to meet role-based requirements.

To truly revolutionize your business, you need depth and width in your mobile applications that provide sophisticated algorithms, in-depth business logic and business process expertise.  Revolutionary mobility is not usually simple mobility.  It takes some thought and execution to be best in class.

Upcoming Events


Build vs. Buy:  Mobile App Development Webinar - August 24, 2011
Field Mobility 2011, Sydney - October 25 - 27, 2011
Enterprise Mobility Exchange - November 2 - 3, 2011

Whitepapers of Note

The Business Benefits of Mobile Adoption with SAP Systems
ClickSoftware Mobility Suite and Sybase Mobility Solution
Mobile Adoption Among Gas and Electric Utilities
Mobile Adoption in Life Sciences
Mobile Adoption in Oil and Gas
Networked Field Services

Recorded Webinars of Note

3 Critical Considerations for Embracing Mobile CRM
Healthrageous Mobility Case Study
The Latest m-Business Trends and How the Onslaught of Mobile Devices Affects Development Strategies
The Real-Time Mobile Enterprise:  The Benefits of Rapid, Easy Access
Syclo and SAP Deliver Mobile Apps on Sybase Unwired Platform 

Ruggedized and Industrial Mobile Device Articles

Consumer Smartphones or Industrial Smartphones?

*************************************************************
Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict
Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility analyst, consultant and blogger. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.

ClickSoftware field service management software
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Mobile Commerce News Weekly - Week of August 22, 2011


The Mobile Commerce News Weekly is an online newsletter made up of the most interesting news, articles and links related to mobile payments, mobile money, e-wallets, mobile banking and mobile security that I run across each week.  I am specifically targeting market size and market trend information.

Also read Field Mobility News Weekly
Also read Mobile Marketing News Weekly
Also read Mobility News Weekly
Also read M2M News Weekly
Also read Mobility Charts Weekly

According to Visiongain there are currently 150 million mobile payment users and that number will likely grow at 30 percent yearly for the near future.  Read Original Content

The recently released BlackBerry Bold includes an NFC feature allowing owners to pay for goods using the mobile device.  Read Original Content

New York City is testing a mobile payment parking meter program that will allow people to pay for parking spots through their mobile phones.  Read Original Content

Pyxis Mobile provides an agile, powerful, and secure mobile enterprise application platform.  It enables rapid cross-platform application development, unlimited data integration, enterprise-grade security, and the unique ability to change and update applications in real time.  This newsletter is sponsored in part by Pyxis Mobile, http://pyxismobile.com/

Narian, a mobile payment company, has recently produced a new software program designed to allow retail companies to easily create mobile payment apps for use in their stores.  Read Original Content

For the second consecutive year, Wells Fargo & Company has been named "Best Consumer Internet Bank" and "Best Corporate/Institutional Internet Bank" in the United States by Global Finance magazine.  This award includes an analysis of a company’s mobile banking features.  Read Original Content
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Kevin's Random Notes on HTML5 for Enterprise Mobility Solutions

Question: Why would enterprises use HTML5 instead of native mobile applications?

Answer: Simplicity is one reason to use HTML5 web apps, as opposed to native apps built specifically for each mobile device. Apps built for Apple, Android, and BlackBerry are not inter-compatible, so being able to use one single app for all devices is a huge time-saver for developers.

Question:  What mobile devices support HTML5?

Answer: An HTML5 web app only requires a compatible browser, which most current mobile devices have.

Question:  Where can I read more about HTML5's ability to store data offline?

Answer: Mobile Web applications in HTML5 can also store data offline by caching external dependencies for offline Web browsing and locally caching data until connectivity is restored.”  (http://learnthemobileweb.com/2010/06/html5-and-mobile-web/) 

Question: Where can I find best practices for using HTML5?

Answer:  The W3C has developed recommended mobile web application best practices. The most recent version, released December 14, 2010, is available here: http://www.w3.org/TR/mwabp/

Question:  What open source vendors provide HTML5 development frameworks?

Answer:  Just about all mobility vendors of significance, open source or not are supporting HTML5 today.  Here are some vendors I have come across recently -  Sencha Touch is a mobile JavaScript framework that allows development of mobile web apps that “look and feel native on iPhone, Android and Blackberry touch devices.” The company provides a free commercial version, as well as a free version for open-source projects. http://www.sencha.com/products/touch/ 

Another product, DHTMLX Touch, is a free HTML5 JavaScript library for building cross-platform mobile web apps. “It’s not just a set of UI widgets, but a complete framework that allows you to create eye-catching, robust web applications for mobile and touch devices.” http://dhtmlx.com/touch/

Here’s an article about these and other mobile application framework products using HTML5: http://www.web-delicious.com/7-best-mobile-web-html5-framework-for-mobile-app-development/




*************************************************************
Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict
Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility analyst, consultant and blogger. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.
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