ViziApps now supports direct integration of RSS Feeds from your app with no coding. RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a web standard for publishing frequently updated information in a standardized format using links. For example, you can use RSS to display a list of news items with links to web pages.

RSS is now a new ViziApps field that you can add to any page. In the property sheet, give it a name, RSS title, the feed URL and one of two ways to display the RSS items:

RSS Display with Title and Date

RSS Display with Image, Title, Date

Then, when your app runs and the RSS feed is displayed, the user can tap on one of the rows, and the associated link in the RSS feed is used to popup a web page.

When it comes to creating a mobile app, you have a number of different kinds of development platforms to choose from. Terrific, right? Well, only if you understand your options.

For starters, there are platforms that allow mobile software engineers to code their apps in a structured and efficient way. These platforms are essentially software development kits — SDKs — for engineers that provide a library of functions, thereby eliminating the need to reinvent the wheel for basic app functions.

One such platform is Titanium Mobile from Appcelerator. Titanium Mobile provides a set of tools for engineers to develop mobile apps using languages and tools such as Javascript, CSS, HTML, and Ruby. Another coding platform solution for mobile software engineers is provided by PhoneGap. This option is an open-source set of tools, based on HTML5, that leverages web technologies HTML and JavaScript in a free, open-source framework to give access to a smartphone’s SDK APIs using standards-based web technologies to bridge web applications and mobile devices.

The second major category is that of non-coding solutions for native apps. Of course, you already know one of the key players here: MobiFlex’s ViziApps, which provides a visual means for building and creating native apps that run native features on iPhones and Android phones; and web apps that run on any mobile device with a full browser. With ViziApps, users can design and test the apps for free; publishing them involves a modest monthly subscription fee or, is even free in some cases.

Another company that offers a non-coding solution — though it may require coding in some cases — is Pyxis Mobile. Pyxis provides a toolkit for creating apps that is downloaded to the user’s server and runs within the user’s site. While a robust solution, it is also very expensive: license fees can start at over $50,000, and the complexity of the system often requires users to take training courses costing thousands of dollars.

The third major category of platforms includes those that enable the user to create web apps, generally without coding. Some web-app solutions require HTML or Javascript, but many web apps can be created without coding, and there are a number of startup companies offering such services. These web app suppliers provide a means for reformatting web pages to fit the mobile form factor. Web apps are typically inexpensive to create and publish; they can also be created and published quickly because they generally use existing content available on the user’s web site or other marketing materials. Web apps can be published directly from the user’s web site, rather than going through the app market and store review and publishing processes.

MobiFlex’s ViziApps recently added web app capabilities, making it the first and only no-coding solution for creating both web apps and native apps for iPhones, iPads, and Android phones in the same integrated ViziApps Studio. Web apps created with ViziApps are available for immediate use on any of the more than 5,000 mobile devices that support full browser capabilities.

ViziApps is pleased that the need and value of Rapid Mobile App Development (RMAD) platforms like the ViziApps Visual RMAD have been recognized in the fast paced mobile industry.

Chris Nerney is a technology writer who covers mobile technology, big data and analytics, Android, data centers and cloud computing. Here’s an excerpt from one of his posts in CSC Blogs:

Even the best of the best mobile apps development best practices may not be enough to enable enterprises to meet the expected demand for serious business apps, according to a new report by technology research and consulting firm Gartner:

By the end of 2017, market demand for mobile app development services will grow at least five times faster than internal IT organizations’ capacity to deliver them. Gartner forecasts mobile phone sales will reach 2.1 billion units by 2019, which will fuel demand for apps in the enterprise that meet the high performance and usability of consumer apps.

The driving force behind the growing demand for mobile apps by enterprise users is the increasing number of devices employees are expected to use in the workplace, including smartphones, tablets, smartwatches and other wearables. The Internet of Things also will generate more demand for mobile apps.

Gartner recommends four specific steps enterprises can take to offset mobile apps development challenges:

1. Prioritize app development

Rather than develop apps for whomever asks first or the loudest, “mobile development teams need to formulate a process of mobile app prioritization that involves understanding the needs of business stakeholders,” Gartner says.

2. Adopt a bimodal IT model

Gartner urges the scrapping of the “traditional IT development approach” with a bimodal approach that delivers apps more efficiently and quickly. Bimodal approaches consist of two modes: “Mode 1 drives the creation of stable infrastructure and APIs to allow apps to retrieve and deliver data to back-end systems without impacting those enterprise applications, while Mode 2 uses high-productivity, agile approaches to quickly deliver front-end app features required by the business.”

3. Deploy RMAD tools

Rapid mobile app development (RMAD) tools enable enterprises to turn out apps much faster. Examples include drag-and-drop codeless tools, model-driven development and other approaches that allow non-developers and people in business units to get involved in creating mobile apps.

4. Used a mixed-sourcing approach

While Gartner says enterprises eventually will upgrade their in-house mobile development, only 26% of organizations now use in-house-only development, while more than half (55%) are “successfully delivering apps using mixed sourcing.”

The bottom line, if Gartner’s forecast is accurate, is that enterprises need to ramp up mobile apps development in a strategic way. If they don’t, they may cede market opportunities to their competitors.

Professional Investment Advisors are looking to mobile apps as a way to deepen connections with clients. They are also employing them to showcase their brands, with current clients, as well as prospects.

In a recent article in RIA Biz magazine (a publication for registered financial advisors), Bill Hayes, principal of Charles Carroll Financial Partners, described the ViziApps-built iPad application he uses to work more efficiently. Now, instead of carrying around lots of paper, Hayes uses the app to access the various types of documents that his clients need to complete or review and approve when he meets with them.

“I travel quite a bit to meet with clients, and it was getting more difficult to get the necessary information and this makes it much easier,” Hayes told the magazine. “This allows me to show prospects all of the necessary documents that will need to be filled out if they become my client.”

The app Hayes uses was created with ViziApps 2.0, which features powerful data management capabilities for accessing and managing information stored in Google Docs spreadsheets for use in both native mobile and web apps. ViziApps also supports accessing and managing information stored in SQL. ViziApps 2.0 is now available for download in Apple’s App Store and Google Play (formerly Android Market).

You can use ViziApps to create mobile apps that can push the right messages to your employees, partners, and customers at the right time, in the right context, based on the stage of work flow they are in and/or the category they are in.

Our new Push Notifications, using QuickBlox, enables multiple kinds of notifications. These include notifying a sub-group of users based on their category defined by your app. QuickBlox pushes over 2.5 Billion messages per month.

Here’s all you need to do to include Push Notifications in your mobile app:

1. Create your QuickBlox account and create a messaging app there. You can get a free account with up to 1 Million Push messages per month.
2. Then, login to your ViziApps account, select the app feature for push notification and configure a few QuickBlox keys and set the JavaScript function you want to handle the messages when they come in.

Now you’re ready to start sending messages to your test ViziApps app on your mobile device and include sending Push messages in your app.

No news may be good news, but sometimes the news is good. There are changes afoot at MobiFlex, and we’re excited to announce them to you. Today, we’re rolling out ViziApps, our flagship visual mobile app development tool, and we’re certain the mobile app landscape will never be the same.

Sounds like a big deal, right? We think so. This new self-service platform will build on the first-generation mobile-app platform that we launched earlier this year, and the features and capabilities it offers — enhanced visual app design tools, visual data integration access, and more — allowing business owners and managers to quickly create and publish mobile apps. And all work is done visually, eliminating the need for technical expertise, coding skills, and major time commitments.

ViziApps also eliminates the need for massive capital budgets. Our proprietary system of drag-and-drop wizards, selection tools, widgets, and graphic interface features is free to use to create and test mobile apps. Only when you are ready to publish your app do you pay a $99 provisioning fee. From there, a monthly subscription fee of $10 to $199 — based on the app’s number of users and screens — is the only remaining cost.

As you’re undoubtedly aware, mobile apps are becoming crucial for small- and mid-sized businesses to encourage engagement and build community. With the new ViziApps platform, we make it easier, faster, and cheaper than ever for you to create and publish them. Come visit us atViziApps and we’ll show you how we do it.

Also, please read this great article about MobiFlex and ViziApps from Xconomy.

Last week, we told you about ViziApps 2.0 and its new web appcapabilities, which make it the first and only no-coding solution for creating both web and native apps for iPhones, iPads, and Android phones.

We also told you how inexpensive those solutions are.

But what’s even better than inexpensive? How about free?

That’s right: to celebrate the launch of ViziApps 2.0, MobiFlex has introduced the ViziApps Free plans, which allow users to publish aViziApps web app with unlimited static-content pages for up to 2 million page views per month. ViziApps native apps for a single user are also free; think personal apps to keep track of schedules, product pricing, customer information, and more.

For complete information on all the pricing options available, visit www.viziapps.com.

According to new data from ABI Research, to-date revenues accumulated by the worldwide mobile app market will exceed the $30 billion milestone by the end of this year. That figure includes revenues from pay-per-downloads, in-app purchases, subscriptions, and in-app advertisements. The $30 billion total is almost twice the amount for cumulative mobile app revenues that was reached by the end of 2011.

The Mobile Application Markets Research Services at ABI Research provides data on mobile app stores, looking at the distribution and economics of mobile apps, with information on download volumes, revenues and business models, as well as trends for different types of mobile apps.

Regarding trends in the application storefront market, ABI Research senior analyst Aapo Markkanen asserts that “Google deserves a lot of credit for rehabilitating its proposition as an app distributor in the past year or so. If the old Android Market was a garage sale of the industry then the new Google Play has begun resembling a respectable department store. We estimate the Android developers’ share of the annual app revenues to set around one-third.”

Ouriel Ohayon, co-founder of Appsfire, an apps discovery company, recently told The Next Web that Apple has received 1 million mobile app submissions since July 2008 and that there are currently 736,247 offered in the App Store. Google reports that it has 700,000 mobile apps in its Google Play store.

Geoff Bock just posted interesting insights on Mobile First Strategy at TechTarget.

Here’s an summary

• Websites that perform well across multiple devices are the hallmark of a strong mobile-first strategy, but custom-built mobile apps can improve productivity by expediting specific activities.
• If your Web Content Management System supports Responsive Web Design and dynamic templates, you can create the content once and adapt the presentations to the form factors and navigation links of different device types.
• But there is more to Mobile First than consistent content presentation. Beyond keeping tabs on the latest weather reports or sharing immediate thoughts on Twitter, consider how mobile apps can engage users and simplify work-related tasks. With smart devices in our pockets and handbags, content in the palms of our hands can expedite user engagement.
• A mobile-first strategy can spawn a new generation of apps designed to support the micro-moments, when getting access to just the right information at the right time assists decision making. These are task-oriented apps that connect to multiple information sources and diverse content collections running in the cloud, and that provides the tools to mobilize moments of engagement.

In short, content presentation is only the initial step in the mobile journey. A mobile-first strategy can evolve to support task-oriented mobile apps that transform business processes, remove communication barriers and increase productivity.

ViziApps is the first mobile app creation without coding service to introduce a revolutionary new capability for mobile apps: Offline Data Access & Remote Sync.

Mobile users worldwide have become dependent on their smartphones and apps to provide them with capabilities and data wherever and whenever they want. And now companies using ViziApps are enabling more and more corporate data to be available from our mobile devices.

But the reality is that mobile data connections are often unreliable, very low bandwidth, too expensive to use, or completely unavailable in needed work sites. Yet these issues can hit at exactly the time and place we need to get our jobs done. A mobile device without a data connection suddenly becomes frustrating and useless.

Offline Data Access & Remote Sync

ViziApp’s approach to Offline Data Access & Remote Sync, like the rest of our no-coding platform for mobile app creation, couldn’t be simpler for the user and even for the app creator. In fact it’s practically transparent.

Data Access While Offline

For a user, the synchronization between a remote database and their mobile device happens automatically as a background process. There is no action the user needs to take. When a user makes a data query, their app will use a local copy of the synchronized data which not only gives them access to their data while offline, but also allows the app to perform much faster than normal online operation.

Data Updates While Offline

Mobile users without a network connection can now continue working and updating their data sets, such as filing reports and even submitting photos. The next time that the user runs their app with a network connection, the new data will be automatically synchronized back to the remote database in both directions.

Simple To Enable

For the app creator, in ViziApps Studio just go to the App Properties selection for “Setup Offline Operations”, then select “Use offline operation.” That’s it – the rest is automatically handled for you. There is no difficult middleware to install or configure or worry about for scalability.

Offline Data Access & Remote Sync is now available for Intuit QuickBase and Android devices. ViziApps will soon be releasing Offline Data Access & Remote Sync for iPhone and iPad users, and then expanding to other remote data sources.

Now, you might be wondering how ViziApps can mobilize your business. Let’s go back to the criteria listed in Part 3 of this Series, and look at how ViziApps addresses those needs for Rapid Mobile Application Development:

• Security – ViziApps is built on a highly reliable Amazon AWS network with an eye on “protecting your app” with utmost priority. ViziApps leverages the latest security AWS tools to build a secure network that does not slow down performance of your app.

• Part 5 in a Series: Make it happen with ViziApps

  We’ve discussed how Viziapps is disrupting mobile app development with the power of visual rapid mobile app design, data connectivity, and publishing. Let’s recap the key factors ViziApps provides.

  Visually Design your Mobile App User Experience. Viziapps is a Visual platform for IT Professionals and Citizen Developers to easily design, test, and publish mobile apps for iOS or Android OS devices. All this through the Visual Design studio that supports all of the cool features that you want in your mobile app’s User Experience.

• Publish Your Mobile Apps In An Instant

  ViziApps has pioneered fast creation of custom mobile apps without the need for coding. However, you may need a faster more controlled way to distribute your apps than available through the public app stores.

  Now you can also publish your custom mobile apps directly into the hands of your iPhone, iPad, and Android users, literally in minutes, with ViziApps Instant Publisher.

  The Need for Instant Publishing

  There are a number of situations where you may not want your custom mobile app to be distributed through a public app store:

  • Your app is only to be used by company insiders and channel/supply partners
  • Your app contains ideas, concepts, or intellectual property you don’t want competitors to see
  • You want to avoid the complexity, delays, and cost of publishing through public app markets
  • You need fast distribution to a limited set of users
  • Your user population is small
  • You are conducting a Beta or Pilot test

  How It Works

  ViziApps Instant Publisher™ creates a special App Installation Web Page, unique for your app, that guides your users through a simple and fast installation process.

  ViziApps also creates a unique App Invitation Card which contains a bit.ly short URL and QR code that will bring your users directly to the App Installation Web Page.

  

  App Invitation Card

  Your users open your installed app directly from your custom branded App Icon on their device home screen, and the same published app can run on both Apple and Android devices. ViziApps Instant Publisher is available to use with the latest version of ViziApps from the Apple App Store and Google Play.

  Try installing the demo app shown in the Invitation Card above to see how Instant Publisher works.

• Small Businesses Are Tapping the Power of Mobile Apps

  In a survey of 2513 small businesses conducted by AT&T, nearly one-third of respondents reported that they are deploying mobile apps. Their goals, they said, are to save time, increase productivity and reduce costs. Almost half of the companies using mobile apps indicated that those apps are critical to the success of their business.

  Have you wondered whether a mobile app could provide an effective way to enhance customer loyalty for your small business? Or are you thinking of deploying an app that would attract new customers?

  If you are like many small businesses owners, you may worry that you lack the resources to design and build a robust mobile app. Perhaps you have put off plans for a mobile app because you assumed that creating one would have to be expensive, time-consuming and complex. It doesn’t.

  ViziApps takes a “no coding” approach to creating mobile business apps, making it possible for non-programmers to design and build a custom mobile app at less cost and in significantly less time than it would otherwise take. By providing an elegant way to create both native and web mobile apps, ViziApps eliminates perceived impediments and enables even the smallest companies to build apps that run on iOS and Android devices.

  If you knew that you could develop a mobile app for your business in a day, would that help you get started? Let us know: would a drag-and-drop approach make it easier for you to get a mobile app up and running?

• Speed Your Mobile Apps to Market in a Major App Store

  New, disruptive technologies are enabling business and IT people to create robust, visually appealing, data-centric mobile business apps quickly and cost effectively. Using a tool like ViziApps Studio provide step-by-step directions on how to get a ViziApps-built app published in the Apple App Store or in Google Play.

  To publish an app in the Apple App Store using ViziApps, for example, you just need to complete three steps:

  • Prepare the data, icons, images and other items that will be used to promote your app in the App Store with iTunes Connect
  • Brand and build the code for your app using ViziApps
  • Deploy your app to iTunes Connect with the Application Loader.

  Deploying An App to iTunes Connect

  The process for deploying an app to iTunes Connect has changed over time, so be sure to download and refer to the current iTunes Connect Developer Guide for the latest information.

  Knowing what you will need to take your completed mobile business apps through the build and app publishing process will help you plan your time at the onset of your mobile app development project to make your apps available to your users on schedule. By clearly understanding the steps you will need to complete to meet the unique requirements of the Apple App Store and Google Play, you will avoid unnecessary delays and ensure that your mobile apps will be ready when your users expect to start using it.

• The Differences between Native Apps and Web Apps

  We’ve talked a lot recently about ViziApps extremely varied capabilities: with ViziApps, users have the option of creating and publishing both native apps and web apps — quickly, inexpensively, and without coding.

  So what are some of the major differences between native apps and web apps, and how best to choose between them.

  An effective way to break down the key differences is to look at the areas of speed, function, and cost.

  When it comes to speed, web apps can be created very quickly and published immediately, either with a URL link or QR code. Unlike with native apps, there is no lengthy app store review process. Someone can scan your QR code and have immediate access to your web app. Native apps for the iPhone simply cannot get to market as quickly as web apps because they must go through Apple’s App Store review process.

  On the other hand, when it comes to function, it’s hard to beat a native app, which can use on-device resources such as GPS, calendar, contacts, and camera. These native resources are critical in terms of location-based marketing functions such as pushing coupons to nearby users. That’s a real key differentiator for native that you don’t get with web apps. Also, if you want your brand in the App Store, or you’re targeting a public app user base and you want to say, “Just go to the App Store for our app”, native is the way to go.

  As for cost, web apps tend to win here. Web apps are generally less expensive to create and publish because they involve simply repurposing existing HTML or other content that’s already been created for other marketing or business purposes.

  Of course, whether you’re creating native or web apps, ViziApps features the lowest cost options available, and even offers free options for certain users. With ViziApps, both web apps and native apps are free to design and test; publishing costs run from $7 to $149 per month for web apps to $10 to $199 monthly for native apps.

  ViziApps makes it affordable for small-to-medium sized businesses and business units in larger enterprises to build either native apps or web apps at a fraction of the cost of custom app development.

  Create a free account on ViziApps and find out for yourself how easy and quickly you can build your own native apps and web apps.

• ViziApps Development Cycle

  The development cycle for ViziApps is a streamlined process. You develop and update our app by using the ViziApps Studio, which is available on both PCs and Macs and is browser based.

  

  The development environment is a drag-and-drop WYSIWYG one. There’s no HTML5, CSS3 or JavaScript to deal with – no coding at all. Even connecting to backend data sources is done without coding.

  It’s easy to use and unlike environments that use an emulator, ViziApps gives you instant results directly on your device (iPhone, iPad, or Android smartphone).

  You can start by selecting one of the many mobile app templates available in the ViziApps Studio and giving it a name. Then click Select This App to Test on Device. Now you’re ready to run your app on your iPhone or iPad or Android phone.

  If you haven’t already done so, download the ViziApps app from the Apple App Store or the Android market. The first time you run the ViziApps app on your device, you’ll be asked to log in to your ViziApps Studio account. As soon as you do, your selected app will be downloaded and run. Try it.

  Now, make a quick edit to your app in ViziApps Studio. Return to your device and run the app again. You’ll be notified that an updated version is available. Select OK and your updated app will be run instantly.

  When you’ve finished your development/testing cycle and you’re ready to publish, ViziApps is ready to help. Select the Publish button within the ViziApps Studio and simply follow the steps. There’s a nominal $99 one-time setup fee for each published app.

  Detailed steps for publishing apps are available on the FAQ page of the ViziApps Studio – Look for What are the steps to getting my ViziApps app into the Apple App Store?

  When your app is published, your customers will download your app with your icon and your splash screen. They do not need the ViziApps app that you used while testing. Your app will behave exactly like the ViziApps app, that is, when an update is available, your customer will be notified when he/she launches the app.

  To make a change to update or upgrade your app, you work in the same develop/test cycle you used when you first developed your app. When you’ve finished testing your update, you can easily make the new app available to all current and new customers; and you can update your app as often as you like. There’s no charge. And your changes show up on the app automatically without any manual intervention.

  All this without coding! Mobile app development has never been easier.

• ViziApps Eases Building Data-rich Mobile Apps with Online Guide and Graphical Query Tester

  ViziApps provides app creators with a major advantage – the ability to quickly produce data-rich mobile business apps without coding.

  And now, with a new online reference guide available in the ViziApps Studio, app makers have a handy reference to help them build apps using Google Docs spreadsheets for access to a wide range of data, including text, images, and maps. The searchable documentation speeds development of robust data-rich apps for the iPhone and iPad and Android smartphones and tablets.

  ViziApps users tell us that delivering their business data into the hands of mobile users is driving new revenue and attracting new customers for their business. Providing mobile access to business data is what sets their apps apart from their competitors. So, make the most of your business data in your next mobile app. Check out the new data management documentation in ViziApps Studio to learn how to present and manage data in a way that gives your app users the information they need – wherever they are.

  Simply click the “Spreadsheet User Guide” button in the Manage Data section for info and tips.

  • Introduction to database commands
  • Updating and deleting data
  • Incorporating images and maps
  • Using Google Docs spreadsheets
  • Data Management best practices

  This is just a sampling of the topics provided to help app creators select, create, and efficiently manage data for use in their mobile business apps. Check it out by clicking the “Spreadsheet User Guide” on the Manage Data page in your free ViziApps Studio account.

  Easier Testing of Data Management Designs

  Recent enhancements to the ViziApps mobile app creation platform allow testing of any spreadsheet query directly from the ViziApps Studio. In other words, it is no longer necessary to go out of ViziApps to your mobile device to test individual spreadsheet queries

  Now mobile app creators can use this new graphical query tester early in the app design process to verify which queries are working and to identify issues that require attention. Every spreadsheet query in the ViziApps graphical query tree now has a green icon that represents this new testing tool for that particular query.

  

  When a user clicks on it, a pop-up appears with that query for testing.

  

  This new ViziApps capability speeds app development and eliminates the need for app creators to move in and out of the ViziApps Studio to test every query made to a database.

  The tester works for all query types. For update, insert and where condition tests, the app creator enters test values in the empty device fields and clicks the “Test” button. That simple action submits the query and then displays the results in a second graphical response tree. Both single values and array values are displayed, as well as any query errors that may occur.