How COVID is Changing Custom Business Apps

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Ways COVID is Changing Custom Business Apps Permanently

A recent study into the post-COVID business climate revealed some insight into the draining effects of Zoom meetings. Zoom, of course, is the popular video-conferencing application. Businesses and individuals have turned to using Zoom all over the world because of the pandemic. However, with such up-close pictures, and a limited range of mobility, Zoom meetings have proven to be even more stressful than their in-person counterparts. Zoom isn’t the only business application getting attention, though. Rather, custom business apps are becoming more and more popular as the work-from-home wave continues on.

Custom business apps are changing the way that companies and organizations operate entirely. Instead of being told what features are available in a one-size-fits all enterprise application; your company is king when it comes to designing a custom app specific for your organization.

Developing Your Custom Business App

After making the decision to invest in a custom business application, there’s a lot to consider before getting started. For instance, a major decision organizational leaders have to face is whether they want to go with a professional app designer, or a more cost-effective choice. Now, there are obvious benefits to both sides; cost-savings on one, and a more professional end-result on the other.

Keeping in mind the use-cases of your custom business apps, it makes sense to prioritize quality over cost when it comes to choosing a designer. Choosing a cheaper route could result in unnecessary bugs that bog down your application, or glitchy and unreliable operations. Either way: not ideal results for the application your remote teams are going to rely on.

Furthermore, choosing a professional app designer to build your custom business apps guarantees a more sleek, modernized, and updated application – ultimately boosting your remote teams instead of hindering them.

Must-Have Features

Once a designer or design firm is chosen; your team can begin looking at what features they want to include in their custom business apps. Depending on your industry, your business needs, and your general workflow; business apps can look vastly different from organization to organization. However, there are a few features that are pretty staple to include in custom business apps despite organizational or marketplace differences.

One feature that your team needs to include in your custom enterprise app, almost without saying, is an instant messaging platform. Instant messaging is a must have. This is because remote workers and teams need to be able to quickly and effectively communicate with one another. Not to mention management and business leaders.

Another must-have feature in your custom enterprise app is scheduling and video-conferencing. Folding project management and video-conferencing capabilities into your custom business apps will bring the tools that your team needs to them, no matter where they’re located. This is a huge advantage in the new economy, as the work-from-home and remote-work era is here to stay.

Wrapping Up

Custom business apps are a great way to build a framework in which remote teams and remote workers are able to thrive. As we’ve seen over the past year, a functional remote work-force is vital to long term stability. For more information on the impact of COVID and how it’s changing the economy; continue browsing NS804’s content library.

How Much Time it Takes To Learn Android App Development

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Exploring More Languages: Learn Android App Development

It’s widely accepted that our prime time for language learning is in the formative years of our life. Because of this, young children who learn multiple languages early on, are often bilingual or trilingual for life. This is true in many cases. In general, the further along we are on our life journey, the harder it is to learn something entirely new. Coding languages are a whole different ballpark altogether. However, the same principle applies. As such, in the last few years, educators have placed a higher emphasis on STEM and computer sciences in the early phases of education. For many, though, it makes more sense to seek external help than it does to try to learn android app development from scratch.

There’s nothing wrong with challenging oneself; and in fact individuals who prioritize mental-fitness often retain a sharpness into their deepest years of life. But for anyone looking to produce android apps on a more efficient schedule, utilizing an android app developer might be the preferred avenue.

Trying to Learn Android App Development

Those curious enough to pursue fluency in coding may want to start elsewhere. In coding for Apple devices, developers use a language called Python. Python has a strict set of definitions and a rather formal dictionary. These elements make learning Python more accessible and easier for beginners to latch onto. With a more rigid structure and semi-less customizability, Python is a great language for novice coders to start with. Allowing them to learn the ins and outs of programming, and get into a natural flow.

In trying to learn android app development, however, there is a lot more flexibility. Rather than a single coding-language with strict definitions and a rather formulaic approach to running and writing code; android app developers pride themselves on thinking outside the box, and doing things a little differently.

In trying to learn android app development effectively, one can’t just focus on a single language. Instead, a developer needs to possess knowledge over an array of coding languages, in addition to understanding how those languages relate to and play off of one another. As such, the coding can quickly become complex, convoluted, and hard to read for novice developers.

Working With Professionals Simplifies Things

While everyone should work on learning something new and keeping their minds active; some things in life are just simpler with outside help. When it comes to your business or app development company, using a development firm or professional designers will simplify the process significantly. Where trying to learn android app development yourself is a long and trying process. Therefore, collaborating on projects with design professionals who already know the ins and outs of android coding, will streamline the process. Not only that, but using a professional designer or firm for your mobile app will ensure that there’s a minimal amount of bugs and glitches that infest your application.

Wrapping Up

The market for applications in all their forms is bustling right now. From enterprise apps to mobile gaming apps and mental-wellness applications; the app market is thriving. Get started on your app-development journey with the professionals at NS804, ready to make your ideas into realities.

SaaS Mobile Apps Vs Custom App Development

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Weighing the benefits of SaaS mobile apps vs custom app development is worthwhile for several reasons. With rapid digitalization underway, every enterprise should consider what type of apps they need. They also need to look at costs, customization, integration, time to implementation, and scalability, to name a few. 

Both SaaS and custom apps offer very similar benefits, which makes the decision-making process difficult. While a SaaS solution may be perfect for certain types of businesses, it may not be right for your enterprise. Below, we pinpoint the differences between SaaS and custom apps and what you should consider before coming to a decision. 

1. What Are SaaS Mobile Apps?

Most of us know what mobile apps are and know how indispensable they’ve become. But what exactly is SaaS (Software as a Service), and why does it matter? Well, if you’ve used a modern cloud service, you’ve likely made use of a SaaS. Dropbox, Google Docs, and Netflix are good examples of popular SaaS offerings that users find valuable. 

And since these services are cloud-based, users don’t have to download and install large executables and packages. Thus, they avoid installation errors and the possibility of their devices becoming infected with malware and viruses. Another side benefit is that users don’t have to worry about updates, as these are done in the cloud. So, enterprises that hire employees that aren’t too technical can hit the ground running.

SaaS mobile apps offer all these benefits to users who mainly or only use smartphones for their daily business activities. As long as they have a reliable connection, they should enjoy uninterrupted service most of the time. However, many SaaS offerings have offline modes allowing users to continue using these services without breaking their workflow.

2. Top SaaS Mobile App Benefits

You may be deliberating whether to develop a SaaS or a custom mobile app. We understand that it’s not always a clear-cut decision if the app should fulfill many vital business functions. Therefore, we’ve listed a few of the benefits that you should be aware of when developing SaaS mobile apps: 

  • Fast Implementation – If you’re leading a startup or need to deploy services rapidly, then a SaaS is the way to go. A SaaS allows you to bring all your ideas to the market far quicker than taking the custom app development route.
  • Simple Customization – SaaS apps are far easier and quicker to customize than custom apps. Furthermore, features are likely to fit your enterprise’s needs since SaaS apps are updated at more regular intervals.
  • Integration With Other Apps – Your enterprise probably relies on several third-party applications to function smoothly. A SaaS allows you to quickly and cheaply integrate all these apps since you can access its built-in APIs (application programming interfaces). For a custom app, you’d need to handle all integrations during development and incur additional costs if you integrate them later on.
  • Easy To Scale – Small enterprises with approximately 50 employees use between 25-50 SaaS apps. And larger enterprises with over 250 employees utilize more than 100 SaaS offerings. Furthermore, almost 85% of small enterprises have invested in SaaS solutions. The adoption of SaaS is partly due to how easy it’s to scale for enterprises of various sizes.

3. How Does Custom App Development Differ?

Developing a custom mobile app is a more elaborate process than creating a SaaS solution. The developer will have to consider the costs associated with back-end hosting, setting up a developer account, operating system updates, handle user feedback, support new devices, and offer maintenance and support. Of course, some of these costs apply to SaaS mobile apps but to a lesser extent. 

But what truly sets a custom mobile app apart is that it makes use of a smartphone’s unique features. For example, a developer can add functionality that takes advantage of the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 S Pen. It wouldn’t make sense to add this functionality in a SaaS since it’s meant to work on a wide variety of devices.

4. Top Benefits of Custom App Development

As we’ve already revealed, SaaS mobile apps offer a wide variety of benefits that you ought to consider. The lower costs and quick implementations certainly benefit startups and enterprises operating on a tight budget. However, it would be a mistake to forge ahead without looking at what custom app development brings to the table.

  • Full Customization – Both SaaS and custom apps can be customized. But a custom app offers deeper customization since the developer can access more of a device’s APIs, hardware, and operating system.
  • Fits Your Needs Perfectly – Your enterprise’s unique needs can’t always be addressed by a SaaS. For example, storing data on the cloud presents certain security risks that you’d like to avoid. But your custom mobile app allows you to store and encrypt data on the device or offline.
  • Takes Advantage Of Device Features – Today’s smartphones come with innovative features that set them apart from competitors. And users choose a specific brand and model because they find its unique features desirable or valuable. Thus, you can make your app stand out if you take advantage of a device’s unique features and grow your audience.
  • Changes With Your Business – SaaS apps often become monolithic as they grow and mature. When an enterprise’s needs change, it becomes a monumental task to implement changes in such apps.  But that’s not the case with custom apps since they don’t require any significant platform changes to adapt to your business.

5. Which Development Strategy Is Best For Your Needs?

Last but not least, you must consider your development strategy that best fits your enterprise’s needs. Developing apps is challenging and is fraught with risk, that’s why it’s important to make the right decisions. We recommend that you look at your costs, time to implement, and customization factors in more detail. 

  • Costs – Consider all the costs of developing a custom mobile app versus that of a SaaS. Additional features, higher complexity, and sleeker visual elements will inevitably increase costs. And the longer it takes to develop your app, the more expensive it becomes.
  • Time To Implement – One of the key benefits of SaaS is how rapidly an enterprise can deploy and implement services. In most cases, a SaaS is the smarter choice for startups and smaller enterprises that don’t have the luxury of time.
  • Customization – Smartphones have become more advanced and sport features, which were inconceivable a few years ago. Furthermore, user expectations have risen, and enterprises may want to take advantage of features unique to specific devices. In such scenarios, it’s necessary to develop apps with deep customization in mind. That’s only possible with custom app development because the developer works directly on the hardware and not the cloud.

In Conclusion

SaaS solutions have gained traction in recent years as more enterprises embrace the cloud. And many smaller enterprises have invested heavily in SaaS apps, and this trend’s bound to continue. But for enterprises requiring high levels of customization and the ability to take advantage of a device’s unique features, only custom apps will do. Contact us today to learn how NS804 can develop powerful enterprise apps that will boost your business.

Managing Remote Teams and Avoiding Burnout

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Avoiding Burnout is Key While Managing Remote Teams

Burnout is a very real thing. Not only in business or in one’s career, but in all areas of life. Burnout at the gym, too much socialization, too much food, and of course – too much work. After all, there is some truth to that age old adage about all work and no play. In the current state of things, remote teams are becoming a standard across almost every industry and marketplace. With that, it’s important for organizations and managers to find ways to provide remote teams with downtime while still remaining efficient and productive.

The way of the world is changing. Every year we’re inching toward a more digital landscape. More integrated technology. More virtual interaction, and of course, more remote work teams. Understanding that this isn’t just a phase, but a larger societal transition will help managers. With this knowledge, leaders are more able to create successful strategies for managing remote workers and staff. There are many benefits to a workforce that predominantly works from home.

For instance, a stronger sense of work-life-balance has been achieved by many workers who used to feel they were lacking in this area. Additionally, teams have shown higher rates of efficiency in certain areas as time-wasting and energy-draining activities are removed from daily schedules.

What Causes Burnout For Remote Teams

There are many factors that contribute to a remote teams burnout. Just like with any other form of a burnout, it doesn’t necessarily stem from a single source. Rather, it’s a combination of elements that lead to an exhaustion. One of the culprits of remote team burnout is video-conferencing. With the transition to remote teams popular video conferencing applications, like Zoom, saw a major surge in usage. From amount of users to amount of time on video-calls, the application soared. So much so that it actually topped the app charts for the first time in a historic moment.

With all this newfound attention, though, it wasn’t before long that some digging was done. The way most video-conferencing applications work is by framing the users face in a very close-up angle. As such, over the period of the video-call users are up-close and personal with one another. Our brains process this type of face-to-face interaction as an extremely intimate exchange. Usually, we only see close loved-ones in this framing. Hence, why so many people feel drained after engaging over a video-conference.

Beyond this phenomenon, though, there are other factors that cause remote teams to burnout as well. Without the interpersonal exchanges that are normally associated with physical office-spaces, it’s harder now to form personal relationships with our coworkers and colleagues. Add onto all of this that those who are fortunate enough to remain working full time from home; now have the pressure of completing their deadlines without the resources of an office, and almost acting as their own oversight.

Incorporating Employee Incentives

Just because employees are working from home doesn’t mean that your organization can’t offer them incentives for strong performance. In fact, in this economic and social climate, showing your employees that you care goes a long way. There are many ways to incorporate employee incentives into remote teams. As the world was already moving toward a more digital age, some teams were already operating on an almost entirely remote basis. Because of that, certain enterprise apps that already exist on the market are specifically designed for employee incentives.

This is great for current managers for a variety of reasons. First of all, that means there are already options for those looking. Simply do a bit of research, pick the provider that seems most suitable and start the incentive process.

However, for managers and organizations that are looking for a bit more specification and customization with their incentive programs, these options still offer value. In one direction, this information and these preexisting options for a remote teams incentive program provides insight into incentive-functionality that works. In other words, companies looking to build a custom enterprise app to handle the incentives for their remote teams, can look to see how the current incentive softwares operate and function, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel.

Types of Incentive Programs

Just like in a physical office, the realm of possibilities for incentives is far and wide. Therefore, the way that employees earn and spend incentive points can also vary widely from organization to organization. In some programs employees simply earn points based solely on performance. Prizes and incentives have various price-points and the more points that one saves, the better incentives they can earn.

Beyond that though, there are also systems that integrate co-worker and colleague recognition. In these incentive type programs, users can also award points to one-another for exceptional work or high achievement in a certain area.

Not only do the ways in which employees earn and receive points vary, but the types of incentives can also vary. While travel destinations used to be extremely popular choices, with the state of the pandemic, travel, while still exciting and fun, can be quite a bit more dangerous these days. Other popular choices include high-ticket items for the household, new electronics, and various other options. No matter the choice, one thing is certain. In these trying times, it’s essential to boost your employee morale, especially in remote teams. Using incentives is a great way to relieve team pressure, and actively work to prevent burnout.

Improve Efficiency Through Enterprise Apps

A main component to effectively running a remote team that remains productive is equipping your staff with the right tools. Regardless of trade, one of the very first lessons to learn is that without the proper tools – nothing gets done. In the context of managing remote teams, this means providing your team with the proper enterprise applications. Implementing the proper corporate applications allows your remote team access to important data, instant communication, and other vital features.

Similar to the discussion on incentive based programs, there are already a plethora of enterprise apps available to businesses. However enterprise applications already on the market tend to be one-size-fits-all. This is important to note because of the variations in workflows and operations from business to business.

As such, when determining whether your remote teams would benefit from an enterprise application that already exists, or a custom enterprise application, you should take a complete and comprehensive look at your team and their specific needs. If you’re already considering investing in an enterprise application, however, it might as well fit your custom needs for the organization. Build an enterprise application that fits your needs completely with the experts at NS804. NS804 is the mobile app developer of the everyday person and businessman.

A Quick Summary

Remote teams are going to be a part of the normal working landscape for the foreseeable future. As such, there’s really no more time to waste in preparing your business or organization for a more predominantly remote economy. Having a sustainable and happy workforce is an important part of that.

Help your teams avoid burnout by equipping them with the right tools to conduct their work, rewarding them with incentives, and making sure to plan off-work bonding events that can bring the team together like D&D. For more information on the future of remote team management, or anything else mobile app development – continue browsing NS804’s library.

What Are The Best Tools For Android App Development?

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When embarking on the Android app development journey, you’ll need to choose the right tools. Google provides several excellent tools at no cost to developers to help them get started. But third-party vendors such as Microsoft and Unity also offer Android developers powerful and versatile solutions. We’ll be covering these in more detail below.

1. Choosing The Right Tools For Android App Development 

The world of Android software development can be fascinating and rewarding, provided you choose the right tools. Fortunately, there are several mature and robust tools on the market that facilitate a smooth development process. Here’s a shortlist of tools that every Android developer should have as part of their toolchain:

Android SDK – The official software development kit (SDK) that makes Android mobile app development possible. It contains several battle-tested libraries and tools for building, compiling, debugging, monitoring, and testing apps. 

Android Studio – All developers need an integrated development environment (IDE) to make their ideas come to life. And Android Studio is the quintessential IDE for Android developers, even though there are many alternatives in the marketplace. Moreover, it’s the official IDE for the Android platform and comes with an emulator, image files, and SDK. 

Unity – If you’re developing augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) apps or games, consider using Unity. It’s a versatile game engine, renowned for its powerful and user-friendly editor and ability to build games for the most popular platforms with a single click. To target Android, you’ll need to download the Android Build Support module together with Android SDK/NDK and Open JDK.

2. When To Use Another IDE Instead Of Android Studio 

If you’re building native Android apps or targeting the platform exclusively, you’ll probably want to stick with Android Studio. But if you’re targeting Android, iOS, and Windows, you may prefer a cross-platform solution. And one of these is Xamarin, which utilizes Microsoft’s rich .NET ecosystem and tooling and offers native performance. However, Xamarin requires Microsoft’s Visual Studio 2019 IDE as a prerequisite.

3. Why You Should Consider Using Firebase

For a simple mobile app, you probably won’t need to access cloud services. But if you’re developing something more complex, you may require a suite of tools that allow easy integration to Google’s back-end infrastructure. And if you need analytics and authentication together with AdMob integration, then Firebase is a solid choice. Before forging ahead, consider Firebase’s pricing and hidden costs to see if it fits within your budget.

4. Always Profile And Test Your Mobile App

Your development team may be incredibly talented, but it would be a mistake to ship your app without profiling and testing beforehand. The good news is that both the Android SDK and Android Studio come with powerful profiling tools. 

Android SDK includes the Dalvik Debug Monitor Server (DDMS) that allows developers to emulate phone calls, examine threads, profile methods, view the heap, and gather information about the CPU, GPU, and frame rate. And the Android Studio IDE offers real-time monitoring of the CPU, GPU, memory, and network. 

5. Android Software Development Is Constantly Evolving 

Without a doubt, Android app development will be around for a long time still. There’s a massive international audience with an insatiable appetite for innovative apps released on the Google Play Store.

And while most developers will want to support both iOS & Android, they can’t go wrong if they can only support Android at the start. Moreover, they’ll find that Android’s tooling will only get better and more diverse with time. Contact us today to learn how NS804 can help you with your Android software development endeavors.

What Is SaaS App Development?

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SaaS app development has been gaining momentum in recent years. With the proliferation of cloud services, a growing number of developers are taking advantage of these. And the big winner has been the user who can now access powerful applications without a hefty upfront cost. But what does this mean for enterprises and developers considering a SaaS? Below, we delve deeper into the fascinating world of SaaS mobile app development.

1. Understanding SaaS

Back in the 80s and 90s, enterprises and desktop users requiring specific software would have to purchase it in physical form. Many popular software packages came in big boxes and featured thick manuals and one or more floppy disks or CD-ROMs. With online access becoming more common in the 2000s, software distribution switched from physical media to digital downloads. 

But over the past decade, users have gradually made the switch from digital downloads to cloud services. Many developers have taken advantage of this proliferating cloud infrastructure and offer their applications as a Software as a Service (SaaS). The main draw of SaaS is that users can access these applications without needing to download them. Since SaaS applications run in the browser, users don’t have to worry about compatibility issues and updates. 

And unlike packaged and downloadable software, SaaS users don’t have to pay a steep upfront fee. The majority of SaaS offerings operate under a subscription model and usually offer a free tier. However, one of the key advantages of SaaS is that all data is stored directly on the cloud. Enterprises have extra surety that they won’t lose data due to employee error or neglect. And since cloud services have become so robust and ubiquitous, they’re perfectly suitable for mobile app development.

2. How SaaS App Development Differs

Every developer embarking on SaaS app development should consider how it differs from custom app development. SaaS is a good choice for smaller developers that need to make an impact in the market. It’s easier to attract paying customers with a SaaS with a limited development and marketing budget. Furthermore, it’s usually quicker to deploy a SaaS than a more monolithic application or custom app.

But every paying SaaS user expects constant updates and the introduction of new features that enhance workflow. Thus, developers need to respond quickly by updating their SaaS at a regular cadence. They may also need to upgrade their cloud infrastructure to deal with the additional demand when necessary. Custom app developers usually don’t have these cloud-centric considerations. And they prefer to offer solutions that better integrate with an enterprise’s existing software.

3. How Do SaaS Mobile Apps Scale

SaaS mobile apps scale incredibly well, and it’s a key reason why so many enterprises use them. And given how powerful and robust cloud infrastructure has become, it’s possible to serve millions of users concurrently and continuously. So, any enterprise that plans to grow its business and reach new users should consider deploying SaaS mobile apps.

But how do custom apps hold up to mobile apps in this regard? Well, unless a custom app’s built to handle huge traffic spikes and high computational loads from the get-go, it will struggle to deliver satisfactory results. Furthermore, it becomes challenging to scale a custom app at a later stage.

4. SaaS Mobile Apps Have Limited Integrations

While SaaS mobile apps offer plenty of pros, we should discuss a few of their cons. Most enterprises use several applications for the smooth operation of their day-to-day business processes. Sooner or later, an enterprise will need to integrate all these applications with their flagship SaaS. But most SaaS platforms usually lack all the integrations and APIs to make this possible.

That’s why enterprises that use many applications should consider custom mobile app development. The developer can create integrations for each piece of software and make these work flawlessly. Therefore, enterprises can run all their applications without experiencing downtimes at regular intervals.

5. Maintaining SaaS Mobile Apps

In a general sense, it’s easier to maintain a SaaS mobile app than a custom alternative. However, this doesn’t mean that the SaaS solution is always ideal. Think long and hard about all the updates and upgrades that you’ll need in the foreseeable future. And the reason why this is so important is that most SaaS providers only offer a limited amount of updates and upgrades.

It’s never a good idea to have your enterprise applications so dependent on third-party vendors. They can change their roadmap and terms of service (ToS) whenever they like, and these changes can affect your business adversely. With a custom solution, you’ll be future-proofing all your mission-critical applications by ensuring that all updates and upgrades are always implemented when you want them done. 

6. Why SaaS App Development Timeline Isn’t Better

Don’t jump into SaaS app development because you’ve heard that it’s faster to implement. While you may save time and money initially, your SaaS may fail if it doesn’t line up with your business needs. Take the time to carefully plan your app and determine whether to go with a custom or SaaS solution. Consider how secure your data system should be, and choose custom app development if you need maximum security.

7. Creating All In One SaaS Mobile Apps

If you’re planning on developing an all-in-one SaaS mobile app, you’ll need to consider a few things. Large, complex applications are difficult to pull off, especially for smaller and inexperienced teams. Furthermore, your SaaS should run flawlessly on a variety of devices. Some users may not have access to a smartphone and may prefer to access your app via a desktop or smart TV. It’s vital to accommodate all these users to ensure the success of your app. 

Ensure that your all-in-one SaaS mobile app brings unique and valuable features to the table. And optimize these features so that they provide users a more efficient workflow. Ultimately, you’ll want to give users plenty of reasons to keep using your app over alternatives.

8. How SaaS App Development Affects Business Productivity

The success of SaaS applications largely depends on how well they onboard new users. And every good SaaS should also enhance existing business processes and facilitate productivity. In a best-case scenario, an enterprise should find a SaaS platform that suits its needs. 

But every business is different, with its unique challenges, demands, and needs. And it may become difficult to find a SaaS platform that fulfills these needs. Therefore, it’s better to go with a custom solution designed for a specific business. Not only is this a more robust solution, but it can lead to better productivity since the custom app tightly integrates with existing processes and workflows.

9. Main SaaS App Development Issues

Mobile app development always throws a curveball or two, and the same applies to the creation of SaaS apps. Since every SaaS is reliant on the cloud, developers should always prioritize security. They’ll need to take extra care in how they store data and how they authenticate users. Any data losses or security breaches will tarnish the reputation of their SaaS and subsequently lose users.

Developers should also ensure that data synchronizes properly between their mobile and desktop apps. Moreover, calendars, documents, and task lists should synchronize without causing any conflicts or errors. The last thing you want is to frustrate users and ruin their workflow if the apps they use most don’t synchronize or work properly.

In Conclusion

SaaS mobile apps have been growing in popularity in recent years. And while they offer plenty of pros, they’re not always ideal for all enterprises. If your business has unique needs and requirements, you may want to go with a custom solution. Contact us today to learn how NS804 can help you develop versatile apps that solve business problems.

Improving Remote Team Communication For Remote Workers

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Improving Communication and Collaboration for Remote Workers

The digital era saw a hyper acceleration through COVID-19 and the events of 2020. Because of the pandemic and the major shift toward a digital era, remote workers and remote staff quickly became the norm. This subsequently forced businesses and organizations to embrace a digital world with remote workers. Before the pandemic, there was already a lot of buzz and excitement around the future of remote work. In fact, some companies like NomadX sought out to create entire business plans based around planning travelling work trips for the remote-worker. In any case, whether prepared for the digital era or not, the transition started in the blink of an eye.

Now, remote work and remote workers seem absolutely normal. As if it were always the way things were. However, many organizations and businesses are still adjusting to the new remote landscape and digital economy. And the companies that were already in position for a digital transition, are still looking for ways to improve their current remote-work environment.

One of the most important aspects in a business is communication; internal communication between teams, external communications with partners, suppliers, and consumers, and internal communication between staff and management as well. Especially in a remote-work-environment, then, prioritizing effective and efficient communication tools is more than necessary.

Keeping Remote Workers Looped In

Remote workers need to be able to communicate. Plain and simple as that. Yet, communication can mean a lot of things; and in today’s world businesses utilize everything from social media platforms, to email, IM, and phone calls to correspond and communicate. Therefore, building a suite of communication tools that keeps your remote staff in the loop is a daunting task.

When addressing the communication solutions for your remote workers it’s important that you keep their needs, workflows, and operations in mind. You don’t want to give a carpenter a painters toolbox and the same applies to your remote workers. Building an enterprise application from scratch for your organization won’t only help you customize the features and tools that your remote staff can access; but will also lead to boosted efficiency and higher rates of productivity from your staff.

Encouraging Communication

While developing your enterprise business application to address the communication needs of your remote workers; consider push notifications to encourage and boost communication efforts between team members. By enabling push notifications at a reasonable rate, your enterprise application will become more than a simple business tool. Rather, it will add value to the c0-worker relationships that exist and develop within your firm, boost productivity, and lead to higher rates of efficiency from your team.

In addition to boosting important business KPIs; having an organization-wide enterprise application for communication supports team-building and team bonding. By acting as a medium and platform for digital and remote team-building exercises, by investing in a custom enterprise application, you’re really investing in the people of your firm.

Wrapping Up

The era of the remote workers is upon us, and it isn’t going anywhere soon. Even with vaccinations rolling out world-wide, the pillar of remote work is likely here permanently.

For more information on managing remote workers, enterprise application solutions, or anything else app development, keep browsing NS804.

Creating An Enterprise App That Focuses On Security And Compliance

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Building an enterprise app that’s secure and compliant should be the priority of every serious developer. Users need enterprise mobile apps that won’t leak sensitive information or be at the mercy of hackers. We’ll briefly touch upon why security and compliance should never be an afterthought.

1. Why Security Matters In An Enterprise App?

Nowadays, many enterprises use collaboration apps that allow their employees and remote teams to get work done. A few examples include Google Docs, Slack, and Trello, which are cloud-based SaaS (Software as a Service) offerings. Furthermore, these apps make life easier for IT managers since they no longer need to maintain and manage their own servers.

While a typical enterprise app offers convenience, it’s not entirely secure. Hackers love to target small or large enterprises through their collaboration apps. For example, a savvy hacker can launch a phishing attack via an enterprise’s messaging app instead of relying on email. And since employees trust communications within the company’s messaging app, they’ll likely click an URL or download files containing malware or malicious code.

The malware may contain a keylogger, which records user keystrokes such as login passwords and sends them back to the hacker. Thus, the entirety or part of the company’s online infrastructure will be compromised. The hacker can now steal valuable company information, install viruses, launch a ransomware attack, and that’s only the beginning. That’s why all applications, including enterprise mobile apps, should have enhanced security features from the get-go.

2. How To Ensure Enterprise Mobile Apps Are Compliant?

With 38% of iOS mobile apps and 43% of Android applications having high-risk vulnerabilities, it’s time for developers to take security seriously. The most common problem is insecure data storage, which puts correspondence, financial data, passwords, and personal information at risk.   

So how should you tackle enterprise app development with security in mind? You’ll need to focus on the client-side since 60% of vulnerabilities are found on the client, and 56% can be exploited without administration rights. 

Look at your insecure interprocess communication (IPC) and reduce its usage. And don’t use third-party keyboards in your enterprise mobile apps, as these can leak sensitive information, such as user passwords. Finally, mask sensitive on-screen information with a custom background image or filter.

3. Why Should You Use A Professional App Development Company?

Don’t make the mistake of trying to build your enterprise app for free. While there are many app builders and resources to help you make an application, you won’t get the desired result. You may not complete your app, or if you do, it may cost you more than anticipated. 

Whether we like it or not, enterprise app development is a serious endeavor. You’ll need to work with a professional app development company that will deliver an app that functions properly and meets all safety criteria. Contact us today to learn how NS804 can help you build secure enterprise mobile apps.

How To Start Your Own SaaS Business

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If you’ve been planning on starting a SaaS business, then there’s never been a better time in embarking on such an endeavor. Many SaaS (Software as a Service) enterprises have emerged in the past decade and have successfully left their mark in the industry. 

Established tech giants such as Amazon, Google, and Microsoft have made available their own SaaS offerings. And users have been reaping the benefits of accessing these cloud-based applications cheaply and easily. Now, we’ll look further into what it takes to start your own Saas enterprise.

1. The Rise Of The SaaS Enterprise

The internet has radically transformed the way we do business and consume. Enterprises can release powerful apps far quicker than before, while users can access these applications almost effortlessly. And digital distribution has played a vital role in making this possible over the past two decades. 

But even digital distribution has its fair share of bottlenecks that impedes the accessibility and evolution of software. In many cases, users have to pay a steep upfront cost and download and install files on their computers. And in the case of freemium or mobile apps, users may not have to pay a cent, but they’ll likely have to watch ads or whip out a credit card to access certain functionality. 

Nowadays, users don’t have to relegate themselves to any digital distribution platform to access powerful and useful apps. With the rise of the SaaS enterprise, users can try out web-based solutions directly from their browsers.

So, what exactly is a SaaS enterprise? Well, it’s a company that develops an application or a series of applications meant to solve specific problems. These applications are hosted on a cloud service either by a third-party or on the company’s own servers. In the latter case, the company needs to update and maintain its SaaS applications and hardware. But that’s a boon for end-users since they don’t have to worry about updating their apps. And they no longer have to trawl forums or contact support when an update or installation goes wrong.

We’ve seen that this SaaS business model has been gaining traction in recent years. If you’ve used MailChimp, Slack, or Zoom, then you’ve used a SaaS product. But it won’t end there, as we’re bound to see many trailblazing SaaS enterprises emerge in the coming years.

2. Why You Should Consider Starting A SaaS Business

Whether you’re an appreneur or leading an enterprise, you’re likely coming up with cool and unique ideas. A few of these ideas could be solutions to problems that most people encounter in their day-to-day lives or enhance existing business processes. Either way, for these ideas to come to fruition, they’ll need the right vehicle to drive them forward. 

One of the best ways to do this is by starting your own SaaS enterprise. And the good news is that it’s entirely possible with a small investment and a bit of sweat equity. Online marketing expert, Neil Patel, managed to launch his SaaS business based on a call-tracking idea for under $ 40,000. With his organized approach to building web-based businesses, Neil found a designer and a developer, built his product, and then focused on marketing and sales.

While we’re not insinuating that building a SaaS is easy, it’s doable with the right approach. Furthermore, you’ll benefit by establishing an enterprise that’s entirely your own without requiring a substantial investment. And, if your SaaS proves popular, it won’t be difficult sourcing venture capital (VC) to grow your enterprise further.

3. Choose The Right Funding Model

If you want to have maximum control of your SaaS enterprise, you should consider personally funding the entire endeavor. But if bootstrapping isn’t possible, then you could borrow money from friends and family. A word of warning, if you haven’t planned and validated your SaaS idea, you’ll be risking these funds on a project that could potentially fail.

However, if you’ve done your homework by conducting a competitive analysis, creating detailed financial forecasts, writing a lean plan, and validating your idea, then your funding options widen. Now, you’ll be in a position to seek funding from financial institutions, angel investors, and venture capitalists. But you’ll be giving up some control, and your business decisions will have to line up with requirements set by these entities. 

4. A SaaS Business Starts With Proper Planning

Every serious entrepreneur draws up a business plan from day one. After all, no financial institution or angel investor will lend money to an enterprise without a business plan. And when building a SaaS, it’s essential to get your ideas on paper as quickly as possible. 

However, it’s not necessary to draft a long and complex document initially. Start with a one-page pitch that briefly describes your business, unique value proposition, competitors, target market, sales forecast, expenses, milestones, and schedule. You can go into more detail once you’ve solidified your business model and SaaS proposition.

5. Creating A Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

Determine whether or not users have an interest in your SaaS. Moreover, validate if these users are willing to pay to use your app. Without releasing a full-fledged product, you’ll never know for sure. But by creating an MVP, you’ll be able to quickly gauge if users are genuinely interested in your offering before building a SaaS.

6. Building A SaaS

Ideally, you’ll have talented developers on your team that will help bring your SaaS ideas to life. While you’ll probably do most of your development in-house, you may need to outsource some work. For a smooth collaborative process, it’s always better to work with experienced developers such as NS804. 

Be sure to start small and choose the right software development methodology for your project. Then, get a beta version of your SaaS out the door as quickly as possible, and don’t add any unnecessary features before launch.

7. Employing Good UX Design 

It’s just as important to have one or more competent designers on your team. After all, your SaaS shouldn’t only run well, but it must also look great! Users expect good UX design from their apps, and you must meet their expectations if your SaaS is to succeed. Your designers will need to have a solid grasp of the five key elements of UX designs, namely: information architecture, interaction design, usability, prototyping, and visual design.

8. Don’t Ignore Custom Development

While your SaaS enterprise may function amazingly on the cloud, this doesn’t mean that you should ignore custom development. Many users will appreciate accessing an offline version of your SaaS that runs natively on their computers or mobile devices. Furthermore, you can provide users with additional features, extended business functions, and improved security with a custom-developed app.

9. Should A SaaS Business Incorporate Custom Development? 

Yes, every SaaS enterprise benefits from incorporating custom development. Many business processes require the speed, stability, and security that only a custom-developed native app can provide. And certain visually intensive apps only run well if they have direct access to a device’s CPU and GPU, which may require a custom solution.

In Conclusion

Every appreneur and enterprise should consider building a SaaS if they want to reach new users. While there’ll always be a market for native applications, many users enjoy the accessibility and convenience of today’s SaaS offerings. Contact us today to learn how NS804 can help you get your SaaS business off the ground.

Why Lower Cost Android Freelance Projects Aren’t Actually Cheaper Than Agencies

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The True Cost of Cheap Android Freelance Projects Development

Cost is a funny thing because while there is always a cost, it isn’t always obvious. Hence, this is where the difference between value and cost comes into play. Since the beginning of 2020, when the pandemic started, the application market has been one of the few to not only survive, but thrive. As the world embraced a more digital economy, app developers capitalized on the robust influx of user-traffic. In turn, this created ample space for new appreneurs, existing developers, and first-time app designers to enter the market. While it may be tempting to contract a freelance developer for your android freelance projects, but before you do – make sure to conduct your due diligence.

Undoubtedly, when you compare prices between an agency development firm and a freelance developer; the freelancer will almost always be the cheaper of the options. However, as mentioned above, upfront cost doesn’t always paint the whole picture. When it comes to your android freelance projects, consider what will be best for the end result, and for the user.

Pulling Back The Freelance Veil

Freelancing is often a bit of a shadow-realm it feels. It doesn’t have to be, though. Freelance android developers seem an inexpensive option up-front, but in reality; that inexpensive cost comes with a much higher price. The average rate of an android freelancer is around $60/hr. This is a relatively low cost when compared to the prices of an agency, but this low of an hourly rate should raise a few red-flags.

Firstly, that low of an hourly rate in app-development likely means that the freelancer may be less experienced, or just simply not as talented as agency developers. In turn, this translates to a sloppy finished product that may be low-quality. All because the freelancer didn’t pay as much attention to the details of your android freelance projects as was necessary. A poorly designed application won’t help you gain traction or users, has potential to be riddled with bugs and errors, and will certainly end up costing you time and money, essentially all for naught. By choosing an agency developer, however, you protect yourself, and your project, against the freelancer liability with a quality guarantee.

Don’t get tripped up by the appearance of low-cost development, and remember that the true value is in the end result.

Up-Front Cost Vs. True Value

When it comes to app-development, quality and user experience are two of the highest priorities. Understanding this is integral to developing applications that are user friendly and attract a wide user-base. By creating a user-friendly application, the user-experience is immediately enhanced. An enhanced user-experience is good because it leads to longer log-times on the application, in addition to other important performance KPIs. A dedicated and robust user-base that consistently engages with your application is the ultimate goal for developers. To get there, though, takes more than just a good app-idea. It also takes strong execution.

Having a good app-idea is only half the battle, poor management or subpar execution on that idea might lead to failure. That’s why it’s important to know the implications of choosing your app-developer. While it may be enticing to bring freelance android projects to freelance developers due to their low cost of development, keep in mind what exactly it is for which you’re paying. Everyone, especially business owners and app-developers alike, are trying to save money where they can. Though, the best app-developers know full-well the areas that continue to need full-throttled-funding; and agency app-development is one of them.

The Vitality of Quality

Quality over quantity is one of the most common expressions of all-time. Simply put, this phrase emphasizes the importance of quality in our ventures and personal lives. In the context of mobile-app-development, this means putting the quality of the application over the upfront cost of the development.

Once again, while freelance developers come with an attractive rate, keep in mind that app-development aims to solve problems and deliver value to the end-user. You sacrifice quality by selecting a cheap developer for your android freelance projects. This, in turn, leads to an underdeveloped application that will frustrate users and send them to your closest to competitor. Worse yet, by developing a low-quality application, you may just open the door for another developer to execute the same concept in a much stronger fashion by paying more attention to user-experience and overall app quality.

Developing applications with an agency, on the other hand; comes with a quality-guarantee, continuous feedback rounds, and a dedicated team of experts. Meaning from start to finish, you application is in good hands. Not to mention, agency developers have insights into current user-trends and app store data. These insights allow them to build apps that will innately have a higher chance of success by leveraging app-store strategies and tactics from the onset of development.

Common Obstacles With Android Freelance Projects

Beyond quality and the true-cost of freelance android developers, there are other common issues that arise with freelancers as well. Since freelancers often work for themselves there is a much less rigid schedule to which they must adhere. Not only does this mean that they are likely taking on a handful of projects simultaneously; but that they may be rushing through some of those projects in order to ‘just get the work done’.

Such a liquid schedule can lead to a few complications with your android freelance projects. For instance, if  you don’t require any check-ins, or progress updates from your freelancer; there’s a chance that projects get delayed and pushed back several weeks, even months from their initial due dates. In fact, there’s a slight chance they never finish the project at all. Ultimately, leaving you to hire an agency after all.

On the other hand, since freelancers don’t always have a steady income, some of them have a tendency to rush through their projects and deliver accelerated timelines. This, while on the surface seems like a good thing, once again circles back to the lack of quality and attention that freelance developers are capable of dedicating to your project.

Wrapping Up: Freelance Development Vs. Agency

There’s a lot to consider before jumping into app development. However, anyone and everyone is capable of having the next great app-idea and becoming a rockstar appreneur. Yet, execution is just as important as the idea itself. Prioritize quality and the user-experience in your app development and you’ll see the true-value of your investment in the end-product. There are plenty of ways to cut-corners in life. Short-cuts if you will. Taking them, though, doesn’t always work out the way you expect. In app development, there are no short-cuts.

By choosing a freelance developer for your android freelance projects you take the risk of spending more in the long-run, hiring an agency to fix the poorly designed app or start from scratch, and opening yourself up to freelancer liability. Choose an agency developer and rest assured that your application will be designed with quality and the user experience as the top priorities.

For more information on app development, agency vs freelance developers, and anything else related to app development, keep browsing NS804. NS804 is the proud agency of the everyday appreneur.