Features from Meantime IT

Appy new year

Back in 2012 we told you about a new mobile management system we created for a local authority. In the months since, we’ve gone all out when it comes to mobile, focussing heavily on responsive design as well as really ramping up our work on mobile apps.

Including apps in our repertoire has been a natural progression for us and we include them in our considerations when new clients come to us with a request for an overhaul of their systems. They’re not always necessary, but in today’s mobile business environment they must be considered as part of an overall proposal and specification, whether they make the final cut or not.

This year saw the biggest drop in PC sales on record , but sales of mobile devices are booming. The way the world works is fluid and we keep up to date with the latest trends in IT so we can be sure your systems remain relevant.

The considered approach

Extending our interfaces onto tablets and phones was in many respects inevitable. We’ve gone from static servers to cloud-based computing, both of which have a very significant place in the IT bundle, but developing apps to complement business systems is an essential part of moving things forward.

We don’t throw mobile apps at a client just because we can. There are many times we’ve been asked to build a detailed program with bells and whistles because the client has seen it somewhere else, but if it doesn’t actually bring any benefit to their business we’ll steer them in a direction that will.

Apple has made it very easy for developers to create mobile apps using its own iOS source code – there are even apps to tell you how to build apps! We prefer to take a more considered approach and, while we do use the Apple system, we prefer a system that will work across all devices. Creating an app in a globally recognised language such as html, javascript or CSS allows us to package up the software in a way that will work on all mobile devices, whether they’re iPhone, Android, Blackberry or any of the smaller platforms.

App or RD?

However, apps aren’t everything. Sometimes they’re just not necessary and can even hinder operations. A system built the more traditional way and displayed using responsive design can be just as, or more, effective.

The starting point when considering whether you need to create an app that will complement your business systems is whether you need to work remotely and if you do, do you have online access? If you need to gather and upload data from various sites and internet access isn’t guaranteed, an app would be preferable to mobile software. It can be built to take into account online status, storing data to be sent when you have a signal. But if your business relies on an internet connection, a beautifully designed system that will function just as well on a smartphone as a wide-screen desktop would be preferable.

Camera access is also a factor. As well as functionality and access to your business system, technical support plays a big part in the decision making process. If your camera figures heavily in your day-to-day business, a much higher level of support is available within the build of an app than it is in a responsively-designed web-based system.

Made to measure

All our systems are built to enhance the operations of our clients. Whether it’s a small standalone business in remotest Cumbria or one of the world’s busiest airports, the key question will always be, “How can we create efficiencies for this organisation?” It’s the foundation of what we do, and the tools with which we do it are subject to change. We’ll build a system that will complement your organisation perfectly, and whether that’s via an app, responsive mobile system or a static server, we’ll always have one eye on the future.

Download this guide as a pdf