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Analysis - inefficient, mobile web browsers do not provide the user experience of a native application. But the work in progress, especially around HTML5, could provide new weapons for browsers that and would find a central place. At stake: more openness, flexibility and cost savings in terms of development. Dominique Hazael-Massieux of the W3C gives us some clues.
With its essential duo iPhone + App Store, Apple has imposed a standard for mobile applications. Standard sung by competition. Thus, unlike the fixed Web, any application on smartphone runs independently outside the browser.
Such an approach suited to developers in light of the overwhelming dominance of the iPhone on the smartphone market. The explosion in the number of applications available on the App Store is a smoking gun.
But the market has evolved with the rise of Android, which has become in a few months the second mobile platform market. Not to mention the appearance of other OS as Bada (Samsung) or Windows Phone 7 (Microsoft).
Therefore, the development work is a nightmare and it is almost impossible for a publisher of content to be present on different platforms at the same moment.Surtout be present on the iPhone is no longer enough to be visible due to the decrease gradual market share.
Web Apps: a pragmatic approach
Still, the extra cost by multiplying the OS shower ambitions. For many, it is now to find an alternative to be everywhere without exploding budget.
It is in fact returning to basics, using the Web browser as a receptacle for applications and therefore to develop Web Apps and Web applications.
Only problem, the current mobile browsers, too limited, do not achieve this goal. But things could change rather quickly, thanks to the rapid development of HTML 5.
This standard makes it possible to integrate many features (drag and drop audio, video, location-based, voice recognition, forms ...), previously reserved for native applications, the Web browser.
In any case, the purpose displayed by the W3C, the standards body for non-profit organization, which promotes the compatibility of the World Wide Web technologies. "Our ambition is to ensure that the Web becomes a platform for mobile development. There are a lot of waiting around that, "explains Businessmobile.fr, Dominique Hazael-Massieux, head of mobile operations for the W3C.
True to his sense of openness, the consortium believes that this approach increases the benefits "for developers to build on one universal platform is much more affordable than other development languages on mobile. For users, it is to access the true riches of the Web, "says the expert.
However, to support a browser-function as rich as that provided by native applications, not for tomorrow even though things are progressing.
Web browsers mobile richer
"The tracking is now integrated into the browser, which can offer many services. Now, the W3C is working on the integration of speech recognition (still experimental), address book, and access to hardware components of the phone as the camera, accelerometer, gyroscope or microphone. Some of the bricks could be operational in 2011, "said Dominique Hazael-Massieux.
The Web Apps could therefore multiply on the land. Land that seems highly interested actors in the value chain. Developers and publishers will be able to make very significant savings while providing a multi-platform presence through a standardized development.
But it is mainly the handset manufacturers and operators that could reverse the balance of power. Today they are highly dependent on Google and Apple, and virtually no opportunity of windfall applications.
They thus seek to develop their own application portal (WAC initiative) and watch closely the development of Web Apps to enable them to regain control of this lucrative market. "Operators are closely and concretely involved in our work because they know that it is strategic for them. This is the value of their pipes, "said the expert.
Another winner in this story: the opening. Certainly, Web Apps will bypass the closed models to Apple, roundly denounced by Tim Berners-Lee, co-inventor of the Web and chairman of the W3C.
For him, the current model of application stores is a threat to network neutrality. "This mode of smartphone apps rather than web applications is of concern because the proposed content is not part of the Web" is causing the introduction of web access parallel but closed.
Source: www.businessmobile.fr / Olivier Chicheportiche
The vision of Domus Technology
actually are less interactive web apps with native functions of the smartphone, but we think the business model of native applications is a short-term business.
At Domus Technology parrions us since the beginning of the web apps for several reasons: cross-platform deployment, functional architecture, ease of update, no application installations ... bcp benefits ...
In addition this model is in complete contradiction with the spirit of the web and trends of cloud computing or web services.
in our industry, we face competition from a native application and added value to our front web application is about the gadget ...
We remain convinced that web applications are the techno-economic models most suitable for long-term business model.
