Android App Development : Cost Vs Functionality and Benefits

Android app development is a must for every business in gaining a strong foothold in the market. With more than one billion people around the world using smartphones and tablets you can’t afford to miss out on this target segment. Custom Android application development is at its peak with businesses wanting to manage their operations smoothly and attract new customers to the fray by using apps. This has led to newer and better apps hitting the market. These apps are user-friendly, rich in graphics and also come with highly interactive user-interface.

 

Now if you are planning to develop Android applications, two things come to your mind straightway – functionality and cost. How do you develop an app that is highly functional and adds the brand value to your business? Second and most importantly how do you keep the development costs low? At first both these seem inversely related as low cost often means compromising with the quality. Is there a way out? Thankfully there is and it lies in the adoption of new development techniques that we will discuss here.

Use of HTML5

The success and application of HTML5 isn’t restricted to web alone as this technology finds usage even in  custom android application development. HTML5 is platform independent and the same app can work on iOS, BlackBerry, Windows Phone and other mobile operating systems thereby reducing the cost of development. It also offers you a lot of additional advantages such as better memory management, threaded performance and better graphic control. It is an easy programming language and thus you can easily find a firm that offers you these services.

Having said that, keep in mind that HTML5 does also have some shortcomings. For instance it cannot be used to handle large volumes of data or make full use of device specific features. Users also don’t have the advantage of push messages which are a must in today’s world. However these shortcomings can be met with a technology that offers you better security, manage individual device features and also handle large volumes of data.

Hybrid App Container

Some of you might be new to this kind of a technology and never heard of it before. So what is a hybrid app container? It is nothing but a native application that has been designed to process generic function calls from an application. Here the container allows an application developed in HTML5 to perform functions that are exclusive to a device’s hardware and data handling abilities. In short, it makes the HTML5 app function similar to a native app on different devices. They are also very easy to adapt for any developer.

All that you will need to do is make use of native app containers and you can use the same HTML5 app across a number of platforms and offer the best experience on those devices. So you can have a native app-like experience in each device although you develop this app using HTML5 which helps cut down on costs. Hybrid app container also offers you back-end data, data access and authentication features something that apps developed on HTML5 lack.

Making Use of Low or No Cost Tools

The great demand for Custom Android Application Development has paved the way for many low cost and no cost tools to enter the market. These cross-platform tools are nothing but frameworks that facilitate the development of multi-platform apps using the same codebase. These tools not only reduce the cost of development but also make it easy for the new developers to create multi function apps with knowledge of HTML5 and JavaScript. They offer developers basic structure to develop apps that are impressive on the first look and help promote your business in the most attractive manner.

To develop apps that are cost effective as well as highly functional you can make use of this development technique either individually or all of them in the same project if you want.

App Lifecycle

Another important consideration to make where comparing the cost versus functionality topic with Android App Development is the lifecycle of the apps. On an average an app would have a lifecycle of three months after which it needs to be upgraded to meet the newer demands arising in the market. Thus for the app to be successful commercially it needs to offer better return on investment in terms of sales or brand value within less than three months. Subsequent upgrades can also cost you lot of money and there should be a mechanism for you to earn profit from the app even if you are using it purely for the branding purpose. To cut on these costs you need to foresee your app in the future and keep it ready for easy upgrades.

Hence, now you know how to develop an android application with high functionality and low cost. However you need to hire android developers from a reputed company as well. ValueCoders is one such IT outsourcing company that offers Android application development services from dedicated android developers who are well versed with all the state-of-art technologies. So, ValueCoders is the one company for you to hire android developers meeting your specific requirements.

7 Top JavaScript Frameworks List In Today’s Time

When it comes to Web Development, JavaScript frameworks are one of the most favored platform for developers & businesses. Possibly, you have had a chance to experiment with one or two of the top JavaScript Frameworks too. However, somewhere in your mind you are still a little unsure about the best one to devote yourself to mastering or suggest your developer to opt for your next web development project.

This is quite obvious. JavaScript is moving at a breakneck pace and there is constant pressure to add  new skills to your repository. In order to do that, knowing and understanding more of the top JavaScript Frameworks in today’s time is necessary. After a thorough research at ValueCoders, we shortlisted seven of them and here they are:

1) AngularJS 2.0 & 1.x

After the most awaited official release of AngularJS 2.0, the popularity of the framework has reached a new level. However, this is still a risky decision to jump to the new version if you are not so sure. Let us help your decision with this flowchart-

Credit: daveceddia.com

Whatever the conclusion you come to, you must admit that AngularJS (maintained by Google) has the capacity to build web applications like no other. With a rapid development pace, easy code integration, readiness for  unit testing AngulatJS can certainly be you choice for next project.

Read More: Top 20 latest Angular JS Developer Tools

2) ReactJS top JavaScript frameworks

One of other top JavaScript Frameworks is ReactJS and again maintained by a reputed brand Facebook.  Be it it’s ability to perform good in SEO (surptisingly being part of JS family), Simpler JSX, Virtual DOM or powerful JavaScript library, ReactJS is a developer’s choice to build dynamic & high traffic web applications.

However, while comparing with AngularJS, ReactJS falls short in testing simplicity and component structure. Also needless to say, this does not make ReactJS to fall short from AngularJS.

For detailed comparison: AngularJS vs ReactJS : What’s good for your business?

3) Meteor.js

JavaScript is used as the universal scripting language in browsers on the client-side.  Using it on the back-end as well to save time and build expertise is one of he major ideas behind Meteor.js.

Hence, front-end developer can also work on the back-end comfortably with Meteor without switching context between Ruby/Java/Python/PHP/ and whatnot JavaScript. It gives the flexibility to use “one language  everywhere.”

Also, Meteor is perfect for those who wants to build real time web apps. All of the app’s layers from database to template update automatically. This is how it works-

Hence, user does not need to refresh the page to see the updates. Just like what you see after commenting on a Linkedin post.

4) Node.JS

The main idea of Node.js is to use non-blocking, event-driven I/O to remain lightweight and efficient in the face of data-intensive real-time apps that run across distributed devices.  In simple words Node.JS is used for specific reasons to fill out particular needs.

It helps build scalable and fast network applications, as it’s capable of handling a large number of simultaneous connections with high throughput, which brings out high scalability.

5) EmberJS

Some amazing frameworks like Ember.js allows you to develop web applications easily with a faster pace. Ember.js is many developers’ first preference because of many reasons. One is Ember.js’s router allows you to stop breaking the web. With Ember, you get URLs and a default working back button with every route  created by you, and the API is easy to use.

Moreover, the combination of Ember.js and Rails provides you more freedom, flexibility and joy to code richer and more interactive web app.

6) Mithril.js

Mithril.js has few similar features like React.js. Mithril gives you hierarchical MVC components and safe-by-default templates with an intelligent DOM difference checking for high-performance rendering just like React. Moreover, Customizable data binding, and URL routing are two of the impressive features of Mithril.js.

7) Polymar.JS

Polymar is another JavaScript framework from Google. There is no doubt that the joy for developers in Polymar is much lesser than React.js still, there are many improvements made recently.  The material design components that come with Polymer have a very high quality.

Moreover, Polymer has web components that are part of the HTML standard which promises longer existence than ReactJS. Hence, there is a low chance for Polymer to get replaced in future by another framework.

The bottom line-

Choosing the right JavaScript framework is never about the number of features that the particular framework can provide. It’s about the actual functionality of the framework and how that functionality can be utilized within your own  development project.  Hence, choose one these top JavaScript frameworks as per your project needs and save time and money.

There is another way to save time and money. Hire ValueCoders. We deliver excellent AngularJS, MeteorJS, NodeJS and ReactJS development solutions to build your web application. Our dedicated developers are well skilled and offer following benefits:

1. Zero billing guarantee

2. Pro-level Teams

3. Guaranteed SLAs

4. Flexible Hiring Models

Source: http://www.valuecoders.com/blog/technology-and-apps/top-javascript-frameworks-list-comparison/

Want To Develop An App Like Uber? See The Features & Cost

A revolutionary app like Uber has really helped consumers and businesses alike. It is a perfect taxi app that helped travelers find the right cab service with the convenience of their mobile . Uber app has taken the traveling experience of consumers to the next level adding convenience as well as choice. 

On the other hand, an app like Uber has also helped taxi owners and drivers get more business and appropriate payments for their services. There has been many businesses who have emulated the success of Uber and created similar  taxi apps, only to reap similar dividends.

Hence, an app like Uber remains the talk of the town and so does its services and business model. Before going to the cost part let’s see what conveniences an app like Uber can offer for your target customers:

#1 – Categories of Cabs to Choose From

Uber app provides wide range of  car categories for the users to choose from. With Uber app, customers can avail cabs from high end Sedans, SUVs to economy cars. Once user login from the app and start placing request from current location, by GPS tracking the taxi app shows all the available options nearby.

 #2 – Carpool Pool and Split Fare

A consumer who books with Uber app can avail the carpool service & ride sharing options too. These services excite users as  they save a big percentage on their ride fares. Besides these also help to reduce down the traffic and fasten travel times by accommodating more people in one vehicle.

 #3 – An app like Uber estimates fare

Uber fetches the current location of user and when he decides his destination, the taxi app quotes the price and tells him about the availability of the cab. The Uber app is so smart that it finds the shortest route to destination with less traffic via GPS and multiplies the distance with the per mile fare.

# 4 – Discounts and Online Payments

As an Uber app user, one can avail the convenience of getting discounts while booking from the app. The app gives the feature of adding promo codes while making the booking and availing the current offers. Apart from that, there are host of options to make online payments to Uber like debit cards, credit cards and payment gateways.

#5 – Share Feedback and Cancel the Trip

With Uber app, user can easily share the ratings and feedback after the journey. The App also allows  to make a cancellation with a no cancellation charges. These factors also affect the driver ratings.

Everytime an user rates a cab driver low, the chances of getting the next customer becomes harder for the cab driver. The Uber app not only finds the nearest cab, but also prioritize cabs with highest rating.

#6 – Drivers can Request and Accept Orders

Drivers on Uber can easily know if a customer is looking for a cab in their location. They can place their request and accept orders if they are free to serve the customer at the desired time. They have a limited time to accept the order and the whole process provides convenience to both drivers as well as consumers.

#7-Access to Maps and Easy Communication

The driver can access the route map on his Uber app account and easily arrive at the customer location. The app automatically informs the customer upon the arrival of the driver and makes the process simpler. The driver too can rate the rider and share concerns regarding the rider or the fare.

 # 8- Drivers Receive Online Payments

The Uber app helps the drivers to maintain and account with Uber and get paid online for their services. The convenience of the app makes it very easy for drivers and car owners to partner with Uber and run a profitable business.

The Uber app is an idea that has worked well for consumers across the globe. Similar apps are also getting a decent share of the business. Developing an app like Uber cost upwards of $60,000 depending upon the functionalities and services provided.

If you have an idea for developing a business app like Uber or an exiting game on android or iOS platform, we are there for you.

ValueCoders, an Indian IT outsourcing company where you can Hire Dedicated Android Developers in India.

Application Maintenance: A Cost Saving Way To Secure Your Web & Mobile Applications

In today’s digital era, your business is completely dependent on Web and Mobile applications.  Therefore, application maintenance appears to be a primary concern to get things going. Now, you must be thinking why should you do that? well, let’s dive deep then.

Think about the following issues:

1. Who takes care of your website, software and apps when they crash?
2. Who resolves the issue when they catch a bug?
3. Do you update your website, software or apps at the right time?
4. What will you do when your Website gets hacked?

Most of the people Outsource a Good IT Company to develop their applications, post blogs on a regular basis and stop worrying about everything else. That’s it, right? No! certainly not. Some extra care is needed. A Deloitte report says that 60% of the outsourcers prefer to hire Application maintenance & support.

So, what is Application Maintenance?

A common conception is there that Software Application Maintenance is all about fixing bugs. However, it’s much bigger than that. It takes care of the visual branding of your website. It manages  Web/Android/iOS updates that your mobile app needs.

Sometimes, maintenance means modifying a software system or application, work on software performances, monitoring lifetime as well as optimize up-time & downtime.

Importance of Application Maintenance:

Let’s take an example of your house. After buying or building it, do you just forget about it? Or think about budgeting your time and money for ongoing utilities,  repairs and renovations? Undoubtedly, the second one.

The same concept is applicable for your applications. Every project of yours is going to require at least some amount of  ongoing maintenance. However, maintenance is not only about maintaining, it’s also about improving and evolving gradually.

In technology, you are either enhancing yourself or you’re falling back. Here, you can’t just stand still. User needs are changing everyday and if you  don’t have a regular maintenance strategy in place, you’re lagging behind. Hence, Application Maintenance is important. Really important!

 

Benefits of Application Maintenance:

Now that you know Application Maintenance is important, you need to know what are the benefits too. Here are few of them-

Scalibility and Security:

 

Regular maintenance makes sure  your application is secure from all external threats. At the same time, your applications become much more scalable. It enables to accommodate larger workloads while keeping consistent and acceptable levels of performance.

Cost saving:

 

It is not a cost saving plan if you buy new software or develop from the scratch whenever it crashes or catches bugs. It is way better to maintain the same on a regular basis to enhance the lifetime and reduce future costs.

Customer Satisfaction:

 

Application maintenance improves the quality, web presence and response time of your apps and websites. This does not only help to evolve with time but also fulfills customer requirements better. As a result, the satisfaction level also improves.

Peace of Mind:

 

Once you know your mobile software applications are in safe hands and you do not need to do anything extra for upcoming few years, peace of mind automatically comes. Hence, you can focus on other attributes of your business.

Wrapping it up:

 

No legacy can go forever, it’s important to know when to update or upgrade. That’s why Application Maintenance is necessary and you need a professional to do that.

Article Source: http://bit.ly/2auiCHm

 

Top 5 CMS tools for web development

Nowadays to get a competitive edge, building a business website is mandatory and to do that, you need a Custom Content Management System(CMS). The term CMS is nothing new to you, however, with a number of new platforms emerging every year, sometimes it becomes hard to make a decision while choosing your perfect  web development tool.
 

Whether you need to set up a blog, a portal for  maintaining web presence, an attractive eCommerce website or anything else to enhance your online presence, there is a CMS for your specific needs. The decision to choose the perfect CMS depends on your requirement. Therefore, you have to decide the purpose of your website at the first place (I hope you have already done that).

Now, let us discuss about the top 5 CMS platforms available in market and what are they offering differently in their latest updated versions:

WordPress: 

WordPress is an online, open source website development and management tool based on PHP. However, in non-geek speak, it’s probably the easiest and most powerful blogging and website content management system with 59% market share altogether.

WordPress 4.5 latest features for web development:

 

Version 4.5 of WordPress, named “Coleman” has few improved and newly added properties to offer such as:

1) Inline Linking, Formatting Shortcuts and Custom Logos.

2) Smart Image Re-sizing, Selective Refresh, Better Embed Templates.

3) JavaScript Library Updates.

If you are looking for a website for blogging, product showcasing or e-commerce purpose  with high quality, good support and security at the same time then WordPress can be your perfect choice.

Magento:

 

Magento is an e-commerce platform built on open source technology that provides online merchants with a flexible shopping cart system. Magento offers powerful marketing, search engine optimization, and catalog-management tools. Specifically made for e-commerce stores. Magento has a 9.69% overall market share.

Magento 2.1 latest features for web development:

As Magento is more and more inclined towards e-commerce the updates also focus on the same vertical-

1) PayPal enhancements include PayPal in-context checkout and saved credit/debit cards.

2) Braintree enhancements enable merchants to qualify for the easiest set of PCI compliance.

3) Improved management interfaces make Magento faster and easier to search for information.

If you want to make an e-store with advanced payment systems and faster loading properties Magento 2.1 can be a good option.

Drupal:

Drupal is a ready to use CMS software written in the PHP programming language. The software supports content management, newsletters, collaborative authoring, pod-casts, image galleries, file uploads/downloads, peer-to-peer networking, and more.

  

Drupal 8.1 latest features for web development: 

1) With new version, developers can put configuration under version control, track changes and update a production site cleanly

2) Developers can also expose data as XML and JSON, and take advantage of advance  web services

3) Now developers can use several “best of breed” libraries like PHPUnit, Composer, Zend Feed Component, Guzzle and others.

If you are searching for an easier to build, support, use and migrate website the Drupal 8.1 can be a perfect web development tool for you in a low investment.

Read More: What is new for developers in Drupal 8?

Joomla: 

Joomla is designed to be easy to install and set up even if you’re not an advanced user. Not many Web hosting services offer a single-click install, getting your new site up and running in just a few minutes.

Since Joomla is so easy to use for Web developer or designer, your web developer can quickly build sites. Also Joomla makes it easier to manage the website further.

Joomla 3.5 latest features for web development: 

1) TinyMCE Drag & Drop Images: a user-friendly way to add images directly to articles.

2) Insert Modules into Articles: a new button has been added to the toolbar to get easy access to the modules.

3) Count items: Joomla 3.5 includes multiple counters in the category view for your articles, contacts, banners, and news feeds, making it easier to keep track of items.

If you are prone to develop a well optimized website that is content filled and complicated then Joomla can be your perfect web development tool at the first place.

Read More: Top Benefits of Hiring Dedicated Joomla Developers

Microsoft DNN:

DNN Platform is an open source software that is intended to allow management of websites without technical knowledge, and to be extensible through a large number of third-party applications to provide functionality not included in the DNN core modules.

DNN 8.0.3 latest features for web development:

 

1) .Net 4.5.1 or higher version is required.

2) Removed modules like Feed browser, Widget framework. Getting Started and Contact list.

3) Removed support for internet explorer.

As this is a .Net based platform, it is mostly suitable for Microsoft supported tools. Other than that, DNN can be a great tool for web development.

As you can see, determining which CMS platform is the best fit for you individual web development requires consideration of a number of criteria, and each platform has its own benefits and drawbacks. If you’re looking for a good reason to choose a particular CMS platform over another, then you can shortlist any one from above as per your requirement and install them for a demo.

Looking for an agile software team for web development? ValueCoders, one of the leading Offshore Android App Programmers Companies in India, provides remote web developers who make secure, optimized and quality web applications with the following advantages.

1. Zero billing guarantee
2. Pro-level Teams
3. Guaranteed SLAs
4. Flexible Hiring Models

Why Should You Start Playing Pokémon Go From Today Only

It’s only the last Wednesday (6th July) when Pokémon Go was released and it is ruling the Android and iOS app stores monstrously. It has already broken many records including more downloads than Tinder in just 2 days after release. Not only the download, but the engagement is also remarkable. More than 60% of the downloaders are using it daily.

This game is released only in three countries till date- United States, New Zealand and Australia. You can get an idea what amount of madness it has created among masses in this photo-

So, what’s the reason this game is able to gain immense popularity in such a short time span? Moreover, how their strategies can help you to develop an app that makes your audience go mad? Here, I have explained the major five reasons why Pokémon Go left the other gaming apps way behind.

1) Large Number of existing fans:
 

The appeal of Pokemon is pretty much a generational thing. If someone didn’t grow up with Pokemon, that means he is more than 35 years old roughly. Since past three decades, 1000+ Pokemon episodes, 19 movies, and many special activities have been done. There is hardly anyone in this generation who hasn’t heard about this Japanese cartoon.

2) It’s the first ever Pokemon Game:

 

It’s the first ever Pokemon game for Smart phones. Nintendo, the maker company, has always been resistant developing its games available on mobile phones, instead preferring to promote its hardware. However, this time they have come up with something that is accessible to everybody and the fans are reliving the Pokemon fantasy once again.

3) “Primarily” it’s free:

The game is available free on Android and iOS app stores and can be enjoyed without spending a penny. A series that is already famous, releasing its first ever game that too free of cost. Isn’t it a great deal? Yes it is. Fans are downloading this game without giving a second thought. However, gamers can spend real money to buy PokeCoins to get access to more game items.

4) Augmented Reality, the new technological sensation:

 

Augmented Reality(AR), as we all know, makes an application more engaging to the users. And this is exactly what is making Pokémon Go so much interesting. Pokémon Go is an AR based game that tends the gamer to find Pokemon in the real world. This AR effect is so strong that people are finding Pokemon under office desk or even in the washroom.

5) Social Media integration of Pokémon Go :

As Pokémon Go involves real world inside the game, people are sharing medias on the social networking platforms frequently. Images with pocket monsters found in their houses, schools, parking lot are being posted all over. Thereafter, everyone realized it would be amazing to take funny photos of their friends with Pokemon and post them on social media. This helped the game to go viral on Social medias.

Hence, now you know what’s making Pokémon Go viral. You can also develop a game or an app that follows this kind of strategies that engages audiences instantly and pushes them to share on social medias.

Already have an amazing idea of developing a gaming or business app? ValueCoders offers Agile software teams for Android application development as well as iOS application development. We are an Indian IT outsourcing company for web and mobile development projects with following benefits:

1. Zero billing guarantee
2. Pro-level Teams
3. Guaranteed SLAs
4. Flexible Hiring Models

11 Mind Boggling Facts and Stats About WordPress

If there is a singular platform that has swept the floor for any web developer, blogger or   web designer it has to be WordPress. WordPress has completely changed the definition of website designing, web developing, blogging etc. Today developers and designers alike rely on WordPress for all their creative needs.

One the other hand, most of us came to know about WordPress while reading a blog or web-site content. Some of us are actively using back-end of WordPress supported websites.   Few are planning to launch their websites on WordPress. Whichever category you fit in,  the latest facts and stats that I am about to discuss are going to boggle your mind-

1. 26.4% total market share: Right now, among all the websites that exist on the web, 26.4% of them are built on WordPress. The number is pretty huge which is           approximately 17,289,521.

2. 59.6% CMS market Share: Yes, that’s true. 44.4% of the total number of websites   use a CMS to manage their websites. Out of 121 CMS that we know of, WordPress is   leading the CMS market leaving Joomla and Magento way behind with 59.6% market  share.

Read more: 14 Major Advantages of WordPress over Other CMS

3. Market share by 2020: With the immense growth seen in past 13 years, it is  predicted that WordPress will acquire an overall market share of 35% by 2019 end of  the year.

4. Popular Businesses using WordPress: You may know that The New Worker, BBC America, Sony Music, Tech Crunch and Forbes websites are built on WordPress.  However, you may not know Harvard, eBay, Samsung, MTV News and Mercedes Benzare  also using the same platform.

5. World Ranking in top 50: With 409 million unique visitors monthly, wordpress.com is worlds one of the top 50 websites. The current ranking is 41st globally and 48th in  United States.

6. 35 new websites per minute: As reported, there are almost 50,000 websites newly built on WordPress every day. That makes it 35 websites/minute on an average.

7. Languages used: There are 120 languages used in WordPress Blogs. Out of them,  71% are written in English. Surprisingly, Spanish ranks 2nd with 4.7%.

8. Top Blogs: 8 of the top 100 blogs posted on the web is on WordPress.com. With more  than 2 billion blogs every day produced everyday, its a remarkable achievement.

9. WordPress 4 rules all: WordPress version 4 is used by 52.0% of all the websites  whose CMS we know. This is 23.1% of all websites that exist overall.

10. WooCommerce in eCommerce: WooCommerce covers 37% of the total market  share among the eCommerce CMS supported websites with 1,095,000 participants.  The only closest competitor is Magento with 15% share.

11. Less than 500 employees: The parent company of WordPress.com is  Automattic.com has a total 476 employees all over. Imagine a company like WordPress which has  more unique visitors than Amazon, has such less number of employees.

In this digital era, this CMS platform has achieved recognition world wide in such a short  span of time and nothing is stopping it 3 years down the line. Hence, if you are one of them  who is searching for WordPress coders to hire, its time to outsource WordPress developers  for your new business or eCommerce website.

ValueCoders, a WordPress development company, offers Agile WordPress developer  teams with following benefits-

• Flexible Hiring Models
• Pro-level Teams
• Guaranteed SLAs
• Zero billing guarantee

Sources:

1) elegantthemes.com

2) Builtwith.com

3) w3techs.com

4) Expandedramblings.com

5) Winningwp.com

6) Mercedez-benz.com

7) Generatewp.com