Vision Mobile Report
What is in this important report on the mobile industry, concerning LiveCode and other mobile platform tools.

by Samantha Steinweinder

With Mobile World Congress wrapping up last week, the clear presence of Android, lack of presence of Apple, and continued nudging of Windows Phone demonstrate the critical importance of cross-platform development in mobile. Gone are the days of building solely for the Apple fan. As you know, LiveCode is one of the best at mobile app creation across every major platform and for whatever development purpose -- enterprise or small business, games or educational -- and a new report by VisionMobile features LiveCode prominently as one of the top tools for developers, new and experienced alike.

The smart folks at VisionMobile have spent several months and countless hours digging into mobile development trends and tools, and their new report, Cross-Platform Developer Tools 2012, centers on the development platforms, languages and environments that are "bridging the worlds of mobile apps and the web."  With a deep dive into 100+ tools, the report was formed with input from more than 2,400 developers from 91 countries (including many from the LiveCode community), and presents a range of opportunities and perceptions on key issues and trends for both developers and vendors to consider over the next few years.

Some of the key report findings about cross-platform tools...

• Addressing real challenges for developers and flattening the playing field for the industry.
• Challenging the Apple/Google duopoly: It just doesn't make smart business or productivity sense to develop simply for one platform.
• Creating a democratisation of development: Something we're particularly focused on, cross-platform tools like LiveCode appeal to any developer segment, experience level, language, and background. 
• Have passed the early-adopter chasm and are moving into mainstream.
• Have triggered an influx of web developers to mobile: We're seeing a dramatic shift in the profile of our users specifically from this trend, and it's a good one for the entire mobile industry.
• Will complement, not compete with native development, with hybrid apps combining the best of both worlds.
• Will expand to new verticals as a means of differentiating and catering to the specific needs of developers focused on games, enterprise, media apps or others.
• Pushing multi-screen as the next frontier. It's not just about the device, but now screen size and device type, from PC to mobile, tablet to TV.

LiveCode developers gave high marks to the environment over other cross-platform tools for Platform Breadth, Runtime Performance, Learning Curve, Develop & Debug, Publishing, and Support & Service.

Additionally, VisionMobile calls out a host of LiveCode advantages, including:

• Rapid development process
• Easy learning curve
• Visual development environment
• Access to additional platforms, both mobile and non-mobile
• Higher than average development of education and reference apps

We were very happy to participate in the report and expect it will be a useful guide for those looking at developing mobile apps for the first time, or extending their expertise across a range of platforms and tools.

Take a look at the report and let us know what you think!

About the Author Samantha Steinwinder is Managing Director of Concept Communications, appointed to the care of RunRev's PR operations.