* Featured resource: this post is an extract of a whitepaper from Marketing-supporter IBM.

Mobile applications are rapidly becoming the primary channel through which people in the world do business. At the same time, user experience expectations for mobile applications far exceed expectations for applications delivered through virtually any other channel. In a world of millions of mobile apps, an estimated 80 to 90% of apps are deleted after first use. Users expect value, ease of use and a delightful experience, but too often their expectations are not met.

Developers at companies building mobile apps are responding in a number of ways to the increase in demand and high expectations for mobile apps. One response is the decision to build native mobile apps. Of course, building native apps can be more costly because you have to develop a distinctive code for each supported platform and often each platform requires differentiated development teams. The benefit, however, is that developers can use the full capability of the device operating system. Native apps offer benefits including an extremely powerful user experience, innovative functionality and top-line performance.

Native SDK vendors seize the power of this idea and offer their respective development toolsets as the way to realise these benefits. However, developers at organisations require more than toolsets to build native mobile apps that meet the expectations of their users.

Experience on-screen is only the beginning

Tool sets are essential because of what they focus on, but the fact is these toolsets typically focus only on client-side development. Client-side development effort is essential, after all developers want to deliver an exceptional user experience, but there is more to a mobile app than what is on-screen. In fact, studies show that the time spent building the user interface typically accounts for only a small percentage of the overall time spent developing and delivering a mobile app.

At this point you might ask, ‘How is the rest of the time spent?’ In simple terms, the rest of the time is spent making sure the application is more than just superficially attractive. The remaining time is spent ensuring the app is secure, integrated and engaging. For this reason, developers at an organisation require more than just a toolset for native mobile apps. In addition, this is the reason why developers require a mobile app platform that enhances the entire mobile app lifecycle management process.

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LEARN MORE: Marketing partner IBM has made the white paper ‘Build more robust native mobile applications with IBM Worklight’ available to readers here »