Having a mobile presence in different platforms is mandatory, but the challenges associated with it are very relevant. From having to manage different code bases to making sure you have a team with the right skills, there are many reasons for customers to seek a real cross-platform approach. The Xamarin Platform allows developers to build their apps using C#, sharing most of the business logic and making sure the apps are native – concerning performance, usability and API access. And all ensuring a lower TCO and a smaller time-to-market.

Sometimes, we want apps to run on one specific mobile operating system, such as iOS, Android or Windows. Or perhaps existing teams have skills in native development using dev tools supplied by each vendor, and the objective is to build those skills, or at least to take advantage of them. This approach allows developers to use native programming languages like Objective-C, Java or C# to access all the device features and capabilities, such as a camera, GPS or 3D engine, with no limitations regarding APIs and UI elements.

A hybrid app combines native and web based technologies. The vast majority of the app is built using mobile web standards – HTML5, CSS and JavaScript – running inside a thin native shell. The main benefits of a Hybrid approach are that most of the app will be built using a single code base with web standards, leading to less effort to develop and maintain multi-platform versions of the app. Another significant advantage of a Hybrid approach is that new versions can be released immediately, since the vast majority of changes will be to the web components, thus with no need to submit new versions to the app store.

One of the biggest problems in developing mobile apps is making sure they run well on all the different devices out there. The sheer number of combinations of available models and OS versions makes it impossible to verify that an app runs smoothly everywhere. Besides, there’s no economic rationale to invest in dozens of devices and working days to execute tests. Xamarin Test Cloud offers you the possibility of overcoming this challenge by allowing you to create your automated tests in C# and then run them on a device cloud with hundreds of physical devices.

After publishing an app, there’s still a lot to be done. Regarding Crashes/Warnings, it’s imperative that you have a solution that makes your bug fixing independent from Store ratings. Besides, you want to know what your users are doing with the app, so that you can correct something if needed, or understand what needs to be created as a new feature. Xamarin Insights allows you to get access to crash information that tells the whole story and, at the same time, gives you relevant insights about your users.

Providing design and architecture based on simple-to-manage processes that deliver flexibility, ease of use, and cost-effective. No need to change the fundamental core of the platform or associated services.

A Secure, cross-platform native banking app, it supports payment authorisations and expense approvals. The apps are already available for iOS, Android and Windows platforms.