Everyday I get the question whether WebKit and HTML5 applications are the answer to the complexity of mobile. The answer is that they are a partial solution, and depending on the application requirements, they may not do at all.
It is true that simply by moving from native to HTML5 that the complexity of building applications is greatly reduced. There are many kits on the market that provide ready controls to construct the app. There’s a big HOWEVER here. The implementation of WebKit on the various smartphones is not the same. There are still intricacies for controls that can work across Blackberry, Android, Apple, WebOS and everything else that’s coming. These variations are not trivial. When you consider the idea that you would have to implement securing the app database differently, create control libraries, and handle device APIs, there still is a lot to create. Keeping up with these changes is also a significant challenge. Many are looking to the future and the standardization of WebKit.
W3C has recently requested last call in order to ratify the HTML5 spec, but this does not mean that it will be standardized any time in the near future. Even with a spec, device manufacturers are free to implement with their own twists. For those looking to get greater ROI for their mobile apps investment, HTML5 is many times the right choice but technology like Antenna’s Volt handle the variations and provide the security and control needed to really make HTML5 enterprise ready. Consider as you evaluate technologies whether they simply provide sets of controls, or also solve for our implementation and management needs going forward.
Anyone considering HTML5 should also already have app design in mind. This point is important because HTML5 does have some UI limitations when it comes to animations in particular. This is evolving rapidly as more and more developers are moving toward HTML5 the device manufacturers are adding acceleration to provide for this. There continues to be a drum beat that HTML5 is in its early days. While somewhat true it is a powerful method of delivering applications and can provide for rich, stable, and powerful apps.
Tags: Antenna Volt, Deep Dev, HTML5, Ken Parmelee, WebKit
