Cloud-driven Apps vs. Native apps | Know the Difference

In the realm of mobility, terms like native apps and cloud-driven apps are common. Mobile devices, smartphones, tablets, have become the preferred choice of the people for personal computing, business computing, information gathering, and entertainment. Millions of applications are brewed daily and introduced to the world.

Developers creating the next generation of mobile applications often face controversy over which mobile apps are better; Native applications or Cloud driven applications. This has been a constant debate.

To examine this controversy, it is important to first look at the differences between Cloud Apps and Native Apps.

1. Definition and working

 

In a layman’s language Native apps are the one that users download and install on their devices directly from the application store; private or public (eg: Google play store and Apple’s app store).

Whereas Cloud driven apps are the Server-side solutions i.e. these apps run on servers that are external to the mobile device and requires the use of the browser in order to display and use the app UI.

The native apps only tied to one type of operating system and are built for a particular device and its operating system and coded in a specific programming language, such as Java for Android operating systems or Objective C for iOS. The native apps are expensive to develop as duplicate versions of the app are required for different platforms. But, the cloud-driven apps reside on servers. The user need not download them but instead accesses them through a web browser. Users can view the mobile cloud app in a browser window remotely on any device, only an Internet connection will be required and data is transferred using JSON over HTTP between a mobile device and a mobile cloud app.

The cloud-driven apps have solved the major issue of design and develop an app that can be accessed from all the devices but they cannot be accessed remotely, the cloud-driven apps require the stable internet connection to work. Whereas the data associated with the native app is stored locally on the device and becomes accessible once the app reports back to the developer. Depending upon nature, the native app may or may not require Internet connectivity, as the data can be stored remotely and accessed by the native app.

As native apps are device-specific hardware and software, therefore, they and can work offline as well as can take full advantage of all the device features such as camera, the GPS, accelerometer, compass, address book, and so on. They can also access gestures (either standard operating-system gestures or new, app-defined gestures) and device’s notification system.

Most video games for mobile devices are native as are many of the reading, word processing and productivity applications that people use on their tablets and smartphones.

Native apps are generally faster and more reliable and their interface runs on the mobile device, eliminating any browser overhead.

On the other hand, Cloud apps do not natively support notifications and can only access device features like camera, the GPS, accelerometer, compass, address book, etc through application programming interfaces (APIs) that reach down to the device itself.

2. App development

Each mobile application development platform uses its own development process for the building of native apps and with its own native programming language: Java (Android), Objective-C (iOS) and Visual C++ (Windows Mobile).

Native apps usually have app development kits or tools such as Google’s Android development tools, Apple’s iOS software development kit, and Microsoft’s .NET Compact Framework.

The other development tools for native apps are provided by Sybase and PhoneGap.

Conversely,  the cloud-driven apps are not tied specifically to any mobile device operating system. Mobile Enterprise Application Platform or commonly known as MEPAs is the tool that contains all the services and products that are required in the mobile application that can run on servers and can be accessed from remote devices. It ensures that the data sent from the server to the device is compatible with the device and fits in the device screen resolution without any hindrance.

Data sent by the server to the device is converted into the user – friendly interface by the tool. It also sends an authentication tool that goes into the device with data in case of stolen or lost data can be wiped out.

Cloud-driven apps are written in CSS3, HTML. And JavaScript and server-side languages such as C++ or Web application frameworks of the developer’s choice such as PHP, Rails, and Python allows diversification of the attributes to an extreme extent.

3. Security evolution: Moving from perimeter to data-level protection

Data security, data breaches, etc are terms that can be seen very commonly on newspaper headlines nowadays. Security is the biggest weakness of mobile applications and is the biggest concern of the users.

Native app security hinges upon protecting the user’s device. Apps that access business or personal data remotely and store it on the device, are big risks if the device is lost or stolen. Data benefit from encryption, and consumers should use native apps with longstanding or reputable developers running secure APIs in situations when the app does call on external sources.

With the increased use of cloud-driven apps due to their flexibility, the developers are needed to take into account the way users access these tools to deliver on the promise of secure data.

Accounting for data security in the apps. Developers are required to move beyond the single perimeter defended by firewalls. They are needed to work within a scenario that more dynamically adjusts to whatever users are doing with the stored information. This is particularly critical when the data in question is stored on the server side.

Regardless of whether developers choose native or cloud-based apps, the user experience is paramount.

As the companies like Google are adopting the policy of Bring Your Own Device in the workplace to create the satisfactory environment for the employees. The devices with different screen resolutions and platforms are used by the same venture, therefore creates the need to develop an app which is based on cross-platform, this requires a lot of skills and hard work from developers but Cloud storage is driven app to save the developers from this pain. And as the app is operated from the server there is no space required on the device and every device is supported by the browser.