A report published today says that even though wearables and other connected devices offer lots of potential for app developers, they do bring significant challenges.
Released to the public today, the survey has uncovered a plethora of issues app developers and designers face when developing products for non-traditional technology products.
Wearables, in particular, are growing in dominance. However, 65 percent of the application designers surveyed said designing products for connected technology is challenging and something they will face in the near future.
Developers are thrown in the deep end
65 percent of application developers, who see designs through the development stages, agreed with their colleagues. Firms are either working on apps for wearables and connected devices already, or have plans to do so within the next 12 months.
As well as having to face the prospect of working with new technology, poor communication is also causing mayhem for developers. 40 percent believe that the biggest challenge is the lack of communication between developers and IT stakeholders.
Of course, working with new and constantly evolving technologies means that firms need to invest in appropriate resources. But 37 percent of those who took part in the survey said they have insufficient time and resources to work on new projects.
Highly complex and consuming
The complexity of Omni-channel development is another issue. 37 percent said it’s one of the most often-cited barriers during the development stages of projects. Meanwhile, 51 percent of designers think creating plans for multiple mobile devices and platforms is challenging.
A lack of vision – and even office politics – is causing major problems too. Nearly 25 percent of developers felt that stakeholders and employers lack “clear vision” when it comes to developing apps and products.
Beacon of hope
The survey was undertaken by application development platform Kony Inc. Dave Shirk, president of products, strategy and marketing at the firm, said companies want to take advantage of IoT tech but face significant challenges in the development stages.
“Forward-thinking enterprises are eager to take advantage of the wealth of new devices and form factors entering the market today, but capitalising on these innovations remains a challenge for today’s mobile app design and development teams,” he said.
“To meet this demand, designers and developers need next-generation creative tools that allow them to more easily adapt their apps to a broader range of interfaces, screen sizes, and capabilities.”
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