Top tools for fuss-free Mobile App Development

Ever since the inception of mobile phones, there's been an incredible increase in the demand for apps that can be used for performing varied tasks effectively. With thousands of mobile apps being launched daily, it's hard to build one that's competent in standing out from the crowd. If you're a mobile app developer, you must be well acquainted with the techniques of streamlining the mobile app development process.

This is an article that throws light on some top-notch Mobile Application Development tools you'd love to use for your upcoming projects. I'm sure these tools would encourage you to deliver mobile apps that are both eye-catchy as well as fully-functional.

Mobile App Development Tool No.1-Android Style Guide

If you're keen on creating an appealing Android app, Android Style Guide is a tool you can't afford to miss. This tool serves as a guide that answers all your questions regarding the Android app development process, ranging from wireframing to tracking the app's progress once it reaches the app stores. All in all, Android Style Guide has everything that's required for helping novice app developers build exceptional Android applications.

Mobile App Development Tool No.2- App Cooker

Whether it's about guiding you through the initial app development stages or helping you organize the app for the Google Play Store, App Cooker serves as a great mockup design tool helpful for anyone who's about to prepare an iOS application. Affordably priced between $19.99 and $49.99, App Cooker doesn't expect you to spend a fortune for building an ideal mobile application.

As an ultimate toolbox for iOS app developers, App Cooker serves as a handy tool for creating professional-looking mobile apps. The best part of App Cooker is that it offers you the freedom to use and customize all the iOS7 UI elements in addition to using an all-exclusive wireframe mode. You can simply add a link area within your mockup, customize its transition and see life being poured into your app.

The built-in AppTaster feature allows you to receive client feedback prior to initiating the app development tasks. And that's not all. AppCooker also allows you to generate printable PDFs, PNGs and JPGs of mockups for clients who don't have access to an iPhone or iPad.

Mobile App Development Tool No.3- MobileDevHQ

Consumer discovery is a key concern of every mobile app developer. Understanding the target audience is something that will help you develop the app faster and in a much more effective way. MobileDevHQ is an incredible mobile application development tool that helps you keep a good track of your app rankings and competition.

In all, you'll be able to a clear idea as to where your app is going and what kind of audience is interested in the same. With an up-to-date report on your and your competitor's app, taking suitable app maintenance measures would become convenient.

Now you've them all, the finest mobile app development tools that aid you in designing and developing mobile apps for varied users. Ensure to choose a tool that lets you reveal the creative side of your personality when it comes to building applications for different mobile operating systems.

Read More: https://xicomltd.wordpress.com/2014/08/01/new-to-mobile-app-development-tools-youll-love-to-embrace/

DotNet Framework Ensures Web Development with High ROI

With each passing day, the demand for application development is augmenting rapidly and developers are looking out for more advanced ways to meet such ceaseless need for app development. DotNet is a coveted Microsoft web development platform that enables web developers in introducing a plethora of tools and features into an application to amend the conventional structure of a basic web layout and transform it into a dynamic structure.

.NET development framework is based on object-oriented programming and thus, helps get rid of unnecessary code and requires writing less code. What’s more, while writing unmanaged code quite often you have to utilize low-quality machine, so as to assure that user can run the code devoid of any difficulty. However, .NET helps write applications in managed code and thus, ensures better performance compared to running an unmanaged code. Moreover, writing managed code reduces the chances of memory leaks, and thereby strengthens your code by avoiding the occurrence of buffer overruns and also evades any sort of susceptible attacks usually discovered in native code. Thus, you can vouch for Compelling Application Development with DotNet.

There are plenty of benefits that DotNet offers that help it provide ROI, such as:

• Your application scale, as your business grows.

A lot of business organizations often start at a small scale, but can grow out quickly. The rise in the growth of the organization often brings a lot of challenges like expanding the infrastructure and improvising the applications to meet the growing needs of the organization. Since .NET was incepted with scalability in mind, thus while your company grows you can easily scale your application being developed in this framework. This helps in reducing your time and the need to invest more money in redeveloping your apps to make them capable of supporting large load. This eventually ensures greater return on investment.

• Provides more web application security.

Today lot of businesses panic from the mere thought of their application getting attacked by a hacker. In fact, in the worst scenario if your site gets hacked can cost your business spending huge bucks! However, building applications with DotNet frameworks is a viable option as it comes with topnotch security features. Moreover, once your app gets hacked users will most likely avoid acquiring your app, and will lessen their confidence in obtaining your business product.

• Helps in increasing developers’ productivity.

DotNet let developers to re-use the code while creating diverse type of apps. Besides this, developers make use of the same development environment and approach while carrying out application development. All these factors helps developers to work in a more productive manner, which otherwise won’t have been possible while working with a new environment or using new advanced tools. As developers’ productivity increases, you can most likely complete your development process within the allocated time-frame or maybe earlier and with efficiency, which will help you earn greater returns.

Dot Net is the perfect choice if you want to use a framework that assures reliable and scalable workflow. Furthermore, it facilitates developers with an execution environment having rich set of features that enables them to streamline application development. If you wish to learn more about the benefits that this framework offers, just read the above discussed key points.

Some Major Differences Between J2EE and .NET

Today having web presence has become a necessity for online merchants and businesses alike. The web is filled with several web development platforms. However, J2EE and .NET are two most extensively used platforms that are used by developers for web application development. Both these platforms enable developers to streamline the process of developing web applications by providing them with modular components and services that helps offer a standard way for executing tasks. With help of these components businesses no longer have to focus on programming and can concentrate more on accomplishing the business requisitions.

Undoubtedly, both J2EE development and .NET development are excellent choices – when it comes to building websites and applications. However, there are some differences between the two that might make one surpass the other in a particular situation.

Platform – Single vs. Multiple

A key difference between both the platforms is that while J2EE can run on multiple platforms, DotNet on the other hand, is a property of Microsoft and can only run on Windows platform. Plus, though you can purchase J2EE products from any vendor, DotNet products are made available by Microsoft only.

The Language Factor

J2EE is written only in one language that is Java, also all the J2EE components such as EJB and JSP are written in Java. In contrast, .NET facilitates development in multiple-languages – the main languages it supports are Visual Basic .NET, C# and C++.

The Cost Factor

Both J2EE and .NET uses Win32 platform, a cost-effective alternative to UNIX and other operating systems. However, Microsoft's renders web development solutions at a relatively lower price than J2EE. That’s because, when building an application in J2EE developers have limited choice over language – Java is the only language they can use. Conversely, DotNet provides developers with the flexibility to choose among multiple languages – they choose one that incurs less development cost.

Rapid Application Development (RAD)

J2EE provides developers with state management that reduces the need for programming and renders better RAD. In comparison, .NET at present does not support container concept, and some functions that are available automatically within the J2EE development environment needs to be hand-coded in DotNet.

The Perfect Fit for Developers

J2EE is the best bet for veterans and knowledgeable developers looking forward to have programming control over low-level services that ensures improvement in performance like caching. Whereas .NET does not provide such low-level services, and also does not provide support to introduction of errors that might affect the system, and this language more appropriate for novices.

Embracing web services has become critical for enterprises. Today you are offered with more than one choice when it comes to choosing web development environment. But .NET and J2EE are the two commonly used platforms. Choosing one among the two can be daunting, as which one is better largely depends on your business needs. But, aforementioned are few factors that will help you understand where one fails other – be it in terms of platform, language, cost, RAD or empowering developer. However, the end choice is ultimately yours. 

Unveiling the Reasons that Makes Yii the Most Popular PHP Framework

Yii is today known as one of the most dominating frameworks amongst the other PHP frameworks. Yii is a simple and user-friendly framework, ideal to be used for Web 2.0 application development, and is based on OOPs programming language. It considerably minimizes the overall development time (due to its powerful caching support) and is perfect to be used for any web development project, regardless of the size – it could be used for creating a simple web application to highly complex website or online portal.

Yii is well-known for rendering high-end professional services, since it is known to be developed using clean code and for following the MVC architecture. What’s more, this framework tends to be designed in a manner so as to make it work efficiently with AJAX. The major highlight of Yii framework is its remarkable features such as integration with jQuery, authentication, caching and many other features. Let have a more detailed look at some of the major advantages of Yii Framework:

• Yii is based on MVC (Model View Controller) architecture, and thus, helps in carrying out the web development process in an organized manner by separating the logic from the presentation and business model, and thereby curb the concerns associated with projects.
  
• Yii ensures high security and protects web applications from getting attacked by the hackers by providing advanced security methods like Cross-site Scripting, SQL integration, and Cross-site Request Forgery to name a few.
  
• Yii removes the long and complex task of writing repetitive SQL queries, Yii is based on OOPs, and therefore helps in eliminating the lengthy and complicated process of writing SQL queries repetitively as it allows developers to transform database in terms of objects.
  
  
• As Yii comes with integrated authentication and authorization functionality, it helps in executing the web development process seamlessly.
  
  
• Yii includes a wide assortment of extensions that empowers the developers to heighten the quality of web development projects by providing them with a rich set of features and several style options to choose from.  What’s the best part is that the extensions prove a lot profitable –it helps to curtail the need to apply test procedures, and thereby helps saves a lot of money and time usually spent while re-building the web applications.
    
• Yii outshines the other PHP frameworks in terms of compatibility level with third party codes. Yii framework compliance with third party codes makes it quite easy to use other PHP frameworks code easily with the Yii framework, without affecting the development process.
  
  
• Yii comes with amazing tools that aids PHP programmers in quick code generation devoid of any errors.
  
  
• Since Yii is an open-source framework, it endows users with an extension library comprising of copious number of user contributed components.

If you are pondering about choosing the appropriate PHP framework for web development, then Yii is the best bet for you – as it helps the developers in developing highly efficient and interactive web designs effortlessly. Above are few reasons as to what makes Yii framework an apt choice for developing websites or web applications. 

SharePoint – A Powerful Tool for Application Development

SharePoint is a rich web application platform, developed by Microsoft that can cater document management and web requirements of any organization. It is a powerful tool that helps in designing and developing ingenious applications to heighten business performance. However, to make the best possible use of this tool it is imperative for you to hire services of a reputed IT firm that can provide you with SharePoint development in accordance with your business wants and needs.

Let’s have a look at few of the benefits offered by SharePoint that are crucial for an enterprise:

• This tool enables an enterprise to keep their work in a highly efficient and organized manner. 
• SharePoint trim down work related issues and helps in smooth functioning of day-to-day operations. 
• This platform is extensively used to create document management system, and a number of websites as per the project requirements. It comes with wide capabilities and rich features that enable developers in developing varied applications. 
• It provides enterprises with useful tools for collaboration, which plays a considerable role in improving teamwork and productivity of the employees of the enterprise working in a group. 

Use of Web Parts in SharePoint

SharePoint is a content management tool that helps a user to maintain the content in the web pages in a highly organized and systematic manner. But, prior to adding content it is important to create SharePoint pages. Web Parts are modular components that help in adding functionalities on web pages of the websites made in SharePoint. These components enable the user to change the appearance, and performance of web pages without the need to access any software. 

Web parts also assist in application development. Every app instance that you’ll add to your site has an associated web part. these app web parts facilitate to add a view into the data in your application.

Conclusion

SharePoint is a powerful tool that is used by developers across the world, as it has proved to be a profitable choice for companies that can be used for creating highly interactive applications. SharePoint comprises of different type of web parts that are useful components that also contributes in application development.

Social Media Splurging Online Reputation

Social media networks play vital role in the world of internet, be it individual or an organization.  It is considered as one of the best ways to connect to the world virtually. Facebook, Twitter, linkedIn, Google+, etc. are platforms where the consumers of today’s world reviewing brands, client’s testimonials and analyzing the company’s image in market. It has been accumulated by many surveys that almost 70% of consumers value other client’s review and experiences on online places.  However, maintaining a positive image on all social media networks is itself a tough task to do but the benefits are so huge that every other business is indulging in online reputation marketing through social media networks.  Find out the major advantages of social media networks to splurge your business in the virtual world of internet.

Branding

Social media networks help in creating brand image of your company. Whenever the customer searches your company with any abbreviation, service or product, the company profile must be ready to serve. The social media profiles ingratiate a brand image of your company and fill the first page of search engines with your company profile in varied social media networks.  This makes easy search of the company for customers and let them collect information about you.

Direct conversation

Social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter allow having direct communication with the customers.  Learning about the grievances, complaints and positive comments from the customers and resolve them there only is another benefit enjoyed by business entrepreneurs.

Earning potential customers

The rampant of social media networks helps in gaining huge amount of customers via regular clients’ reviews and updates of the company.

Online reputation is now part of marketing and social media is playing cardinal role for branding and publicizing the company’s image.

How Evil Online Marketing Tanks Big Brands over Web, Says Xicom

The online marketing has become a biggest riddle for top 500 fortune companies as well as blue chip companies. It is indeed necessary as it connects the brand with the end consumers. But, it also carries the perils of losing customers due to bad press. This is the same reason why FMCG companies do not take part in active press reports. They fear of losing customers. But in the age of online media. It is difficult to stay aloof with mediums where targeted customers roost majorly.

The Perils of Evil Online Marketing

In concurrent era, the companies work day & night to keep their virtual reputation intact. They try to take good and positive reviews from their customers to add new customers. But, the evil marketers do some wrong things to bring the customers on their websites. They defame the virtual reputation of their close rivals by showing them as the culprits of scams. It simply decreases the chance of new customer enhancement. For this purpose, they use false complaints and untrue reviews.

How to Get Away With Bad Press

You just need to keep approaching the review posters and revoke their claims with your official explanations. It shows that the company has not run away from the ground. Your ethical and official explanation or resolution gives lasting strength to your business organization. In case, you are not able to get over with bad press about your organization then you should take online reputation management services of some good companies.