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While the use of mobile applications in business is growing on the back of increased functionality, the development, management and maintenance of these can be cumulatively expensive, according to UXC Connect.
Although simple apps are often quick and easy to implement, the ICT infrastructure services company said more complex mobile apps can add significant costs to an organisation’s bottom line.
The proliferation in mobile devices of different form factors (including wearable technologies) can force companies to cater for three operating systems and up to 20 different apps to mirror employees’ desktop experiences, both of which add to the total price.
A survey conducted by AnyPresence in 2013 indicated that more than half the participants spent more than three months and over $50,000 developing a typical app, while nearly a quarter splurged $100,000.
“There is absolutely no doubt that the use of mobile apps in business will continue to increase and forward-thinking organisations should be innovating around how these can be leveraged within their business,” UXC Connect enterprise mobility and wireless practice manager, Denise Carson, said.
“However, CIOs need to think about how they are going to establish an agile and cost effective approach to application architecture, development and management across multiple device types and platforms.”
Despite the cost, Carson said an app-less organisation restricts its mobile workforce, and therefore integrating complex apps with work tools contributes to improved productivity.
