When I want an offline mobile application for Salesforce Should I use the Salesforce 1 Mobile app or the Salesforce Mobile SDK? Do I need Hybrid or Native? Which Salesforce Mobile Pack do I use? Can I encrypt device data? How much will our development cost? What development skills will I need?
Before MobileCaddy came along, our team had often faced these questions as well as the choices of which of these rich, powerful and awesome technologies we should use. We faced them one more time - when we created MobileCaddy. This is how it all began.
MobileCaddy Requirements
Mobile apps must work seamlessly and securely offline by default with Salesforce data sync being a simple function call. They must run on iOS, Android, Blackberry (and others) and have a fully customisable UI. Javascript devs will write new apps quickly using our tools/emulators without the need to learn new frameworks, Apex or Visualforce.
- Offline Data
- Offline Functionality
- Speed of Development
- Multiple Devices
- Fully Customisable UI
- Easy to Deploy
| Requirement | Salesforce 1 Mobile App | Salesforce Mobile SDK |
|---|---|---|
| Offline Data | Some | Yes |
| Offline Functionality | No | Yes |
| Multiple Devices | Yes | Yes |
| Speed of Development | Yes | No |
| Fully Customisable UI | No | Yes |
| Easy to Deploy | Yes | No |
Conclusion
Mobile apps go offline - often due to a poor signal. Our apps must be available 24/7 in any location, be responsive and allow the developer to store their choice of platform data locally. We cannot develop the Salesforce 1 Mobile App and so we are pushed towards the Salesforce Mobile SDK which will allow us to develop around its gaps - ie development speed and ease of deployment.
"So we made our first decision....custom and offline won the day
| Requirement | Native | Hybrid |
|---|---|---|
| Gestures Swipe, Pinch, Spread | Yes | Yes |
| Fast Graphics API | Yes | No |
| Camera Access | Yes | Yes |
| Geolocation | Yes | Yes |
| Appstore Distribution | Yes | Yes |
| Secure Offline Storage | Yes | Yes |
| Native Look and Feel | Yes | Some |
| Cross Platform | No | Yes |
Conclusion
Native apps offer the user that familiar look and feel with very responsive graphics - ideal for graphics intensive apps and games. However a Hybrid app only needs to be written once (with web development skills) and deployed to multiple platforms. A native app must be written once for each mobile platform (Objective C/Swift for iOS, Java for Android etc). The MobileCaddy choice here is for Hybrid apps - write once and deploy on multiple platforms.
"Tough call but we believe in HTML5 and love the idea of a single code base
| Requirement | Existing | MobileCaddy Wishlist |
|---|---|---|
| Skills |
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| Initial Costs |
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| Ongoing Costs |
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| Dev. Time | Variable depending on number of objects. Days to weeks in our experience. | Have working prototypes available in under a day |
From this wish list we dived in and created MobileCaddy!
And now we can get an app up and running ready to configure in 45 minutes - see for yourself or check out the full feature list that will get you building robust offline apps with the ease of normal platform development.