Xamarin Certified Developers Benefits of Xamarin Development Xamarin cross-platform mobile development quickly became the choice of major developers after its introduction in 2011. Only 4 years later, the platform so impressed Microsoft that it bought the company for $400 million. Forward-looking developers, like Clarity, had already become Xamarin-Certified and were developing Xamarin eCommerce Apps long before the Microsoft buyout. Mobile B2B sales have now surpassed B2C sales, so shrewd companies are developing high-quality user apps that can be used across platforms and browsers, but that require coding for multiple systems. Xamarin speeds app development by allowing coders to use large parts of the same code for iOS, Android, Windows, and other operating systems, generating powerful native mobile applications. Mobile eCommerce Reigns Supreme Statistics about Mobile eCommerce The cross-platform market for proprietary apps will reach $7.5 billion by the end of 2018. Native applications are ideal, but the cost and lead time for building these apps can erect barriers to development. [1] That’s why more and more B2B organizations and SaaS providers that are active in app development are using the Xamarin platform. These statistics show why mobile development is so important in B2B sales: [2] 125 million consumers in the United States own smartphones, and 50 million own tablets about 62 percent of mobile phone owners use their devices to make online purchases Sales for eCommerce applications now command 10 percent of all retail revenue Globally, 10 billion connected devices generate a vast market for B2B eCommerce about 40 percent of B2B customers move on to a competitor after having a bad mobile experience Most buyers first look at B2B websites on mobile devices [3] Some B2B companies feel that desktop devices perform better at capturing, qualifying, and nurturing leads. However, proprietary B2B mobile apps can deliver astonishing conveniences such as automating form-fills, optimizing content for different types of customers, providing access to push notifications, and capturing leads from app behavior. Code Re-use & Efficiencies What Is Xamarin? Xamarin is a cross-development platform that enables developers to deliver faster mobile applications using native OS controls. Coders can develop code using an open-source, .NET, or C# platform that can be run on iOS and Android systems. The resulting apps appear proprietary and don’t differ in any significant way from apps written in Objective-C or Java, which are used by iOS and Android respectively. Developers can use 75 percent or more of their code across all operating platforms. [4] That means each app will look and perform as expected regardless of the operating system. Development costs and time are cut dramatically. Microsoft-backed Mobile Development Benefits of Xamarin Development Things are not only simplified with the Xamarin app development platform, but it also cuts costs by one-third or more depending on whether Xamarin.Android, Xamarin.iOS, or Xamarin.Forms are used. The platform benefits from more than 700,000 developers collaborating to improve the software continuously. The benefits of Xamarin mobile development for B2B organizations include: Rapid Mobile App Development, or RMAD Fast app development ranks as the top benefit of Xamarin for most B2B organizations. Accelerating development allows companies to keep up with marketing trends and respond quickly to their competitors’ actions. Companies can even use up to 100 percent of their code when using Xamarin.Forms. Cost Savings of Xamarin Development The cost savings can of using Xamarin can be substantial because less time is needed for cross-platform development. Companies of all sizes can afford to develop apps, but those that already use Visual Studio receive Xamarin automatically without extra costs. [5] Native User Interface, or UI, Controls Users expect consistent experiences from mobile apps, and Xamarin enables writing code that closely matches each operating system’s native user interface, or UI, controls. This greatly simplifies sharing code across operating systems including Android, Mac, Windows, iOs, and others. Easier Architecture and Testing Standardizing the programming language--C#--allows coders to write internal algorithms only once instead of writing code in Objective C and Java. This approach makes the resulting code easier to engineer and test. API integration Developers can use any existing APIs and UI controls in platform-specific programming languages, which reduces development and integration costs. Shared App Logic The ease of sharing code among multiple operating systems is one of the biggest benefits of Xamarin. That makes it easy to update apps, test new versions, and respond to market trends. Choice of Native User Interface, UI, Controls, or Faster Development Native user interfaces are a big benefit of using the Xamarin cross-development platform. App designers have a choice of reusing up to 75 percent of their codes for apps in multiple operating systems or using Xamarin.Forms for leveraging up to 100 percent of their code across multiple mobile platforms. Visual Studio Testing App developers can find bugs on different devices and operating systems by using Visual Studio to test apps on thousands of real-world iOS and Android devices. The results of thorough testing allow companies to fast-track their apps. Developer-friendly Analytics Custom Xamarin analytics make it easier to improve app performance and monitor sessions, crashes, events, and other metrics. Clarity is Xamarin Certified & Experienced Finding a Development-Friendly Expansion Partner Finding a Xamarin-Certified development partner to build your Xamarin mobile app or Xamarin Mobile Shopping Cart app ensures high performance, strong support services, and reliability in developing apps across operating systems that work like native apps. You can use Xamarin.Android/iOS or Xamarin.Forms. Xamarin.Forms for even faster development when the user interface isn’t critical such as developing apps for internal use. [6] The Xamarin Consulting Partner Program merged on June 30, 2018, with the Microsoft Partner Network, so potential development partners should also qualify as Microsoft solution providers. More than half of all shoppers now browse and buy from their apps, so it’s critical to tap into this market to remain competitive. An easy way to do that is with a Xamarin Shopping Cart. There were 178.1 billion app downloads in 2017, and 205.4 billion downloads are predicted for 2018. [7] The right development partner is one that has experience in mobile design, app development, and Xamarin mobile development, as well as a strong background in developing custom web apps, eCommerce, and web development. Developing a world-class sales platform with proprietary apps can help your company maintain and increase its share of the mobile market. Experienced development engineers can troubleshoot any problems that arise, suggest the best development approach for your needs, and integrate social media and third-party applications such as on-site connections with carriers, extended payment options, support for multiple decision-makers, and other critical B2B user features. Give Clarity a call today to discuss your Xamarin mobile project or to discuss the benefits of B2B mobile apps. References: [1] Businessofapps.com: Cross Platform Mobile App Development Guide (2017) http://www.businessofapps.com/guide/cross-platform-mobile-app-development/ [2] Outerboxdesign.com: Mobile ecommerce Stats in 2018 and the Future Trends of mCommerce https://www.outerboxdesign.com/web-design-articles/mobile-ecommerce-statistics [3] Business.linkedin.com: 6 reasons why you need more mobile B2B content https://business.linkedin.com/en-uk/marketing-solutions/blog/posts/B2B-Marketing/2016/6-reason-why-you-need-more-mobile-B2B-content [4] Visualstudio.microsoft : Xamarin App Development with Visual Studio https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/xamarin/ [5] blog.syncfusion.com: Cost Saving with Xamarin, Visual Studio, and... https://blog.syncfusion.com/post/cost-saving-with-xamarin-visual-studio-and-syncfusion.aspx [6] Altexsoft.com: Xamarin vs React Native vs Ionic: Cross-platform Mobile Frameworks https://www.altexsoft.com/blog/engineering/xamarin-vs-react-native-vs-ionic-cross-platform-mobile-frameworks-comparison/ [7] Statista.com: Number of mobile app downloads worldwide in 2017, 2018 and 2022 https://www.statista.com/statistics/271644/worldwide-free-and-paid-mobile-app-store-downloads/