Assignment 1

ITE 2152 - Introduction to Mobile Application

Development
1. Describe the importance of mobile application development in business
environment.
The success of every businesses depends on the customers have get. It is all about how you going
to treat your customers or deliver your products to them. People who live in modern era have
changed their life styles and willing to be with latest technology rather than living with old
trends. As an example, we can see we have moved to use Smart mobile phones instead of using
Desktop, Laptop computers for day today things. They can use a web browser to find everything
that they need within few seconds by using a smart phone.
Furthermore, there are plenty of Apps to fulfil almost every thing and it is much easier than a
web browser as well. People using Amazon, AliExpress, eBay and such kinds of mobile apps to
order products online because it is much easier than finding things in a shopping mall or
somewhere else.
On the other hand, they are using apps like Gmail to get notified about their mails, all the Social
Media apps to connect with the world, apps like HouseJoy to find household work providers
easily and apps like TripAdvisor, Booking.com, Agoda to find best places to visit and make the
reservations without reaching the place where they need to travel. So that this technology has
become a must for the businesses as well and it has done a huge impact to those business field.
Each and every company uses an app for their customers’ needs or else they are using apps or a
specific system to keep their records well and also to provide a better service to their customers.
Customer relationship management (CRM) is a technology for managing all your company's
relationships and interactions with customers and potential customers. The goal is simple:
Improve business relationships. A CRM system helps companies stay connected to customers,
streamline processes, and improve profitability.
These kinds of apps can be useful when you sell or built a product for your customers. Most of
the products are sold with a Guarantee or a Warranty. So that if the customer needs to ask for
something regarding the product, they can simply use the app instead of hanging on the phone
for a long time. It is also an advantage for the company to have an app like that otherwise there
should be more people in the company just to answer those calls.
Not only business owners are having those kinds of apps to make the things easy, but also these
apps are being used in Health Care, Transportation, Food Products etc.
Whole sale products companies can introduce an app to their retail sellers and in return they can
introduce an app to their customers to buy retails products through an app instead of going from
a shop to shop.
Manufacturers can have mobile apps to manage their internal process and sales process through
it.

Every business can have a mobile application based on their business requirement because a
well-developed mobile app will always help the business to grow. It may help the business to
reach out to more customers, or it may help the business to simplify the existing process and
make the work much better.

It will be a must for each and every business in near future since it has so many advantages than
using old era books and the other stuffs which used to run the business.

2. What is the difference between mobile web and mobile app? Explain.

Mobile Web

Mobile websites are very much alike usual websites that consist of browser-based HTML
pages connected between each other and properly functioning with a so familiar to an
everyone internet connection. There’s just one thing that distinguishes mobile website from a
normal one is that the first one is created specifically for mobile devices users.

 mobile website is a browser-based service that can be accessed from a phone or

tablet.
 There is a plethora of companies that charge a huge amount for mobile apps and also
for the cost of maintenance whereas, mobile websites don’t charge such amount.
Even developing mobile apps is a bit expensive than a developing website.
 Mobile website can often be developed by updating existing websites to mobile-
accessible sites. In mobile websites upgrade can be made easily and which is
accessible to every user. On the other hand, for mobile apps lot of data need to
upgrade and that is kind of complex task and only the user will upgrade that only can
enjoy the privileges of a new update.
 Mobile website doesn’t have to be downloaded to use. On the internet, an extra step
can cause a customer to drop off.
 Mobile web centrally updated and it can be observed by the user without updating
anything in the mobile phone.
 It is not platform dependent.
 Mobile web needs the browser to the access such as chrome, safari etc.

Mobile App

Mobile apps are specific programs that should be installed on the mobile devices. Users
can find and download them on the app stores specifically for each OS.

 Mobile app is a software program that is designed to run on a phone and tablet. 
  Mobile apps run within their own interface environment, which allows users to
become more profound in the experience and allow them to interact with mobile
devices more deeply.
 Mobile applications provide users with extra special features which are only
developed for the mobile apps and that are not available on mobile websites. The
important feature for instance push notifications address books, audio recording,
device vibration, cloud integration, offline access and caching, which enables
extra functionalities directly from the app.
 Mobile app allows the user to improvise the security of the app by implementing a
higher security code or pattern or fingerprints. After getting access to such codes
mobile permits to communicate with existing apps.
 All mobile apps can be accessed easily and in a very quick or in a suave way by
just tapping on relevant Icon on the device. This allows user to find the
information quickly rather than being waiting for long time. Many apps can be
accessed offline with the updates being stored temporarily until the device get
connects to the Internet.
 It must be download and install.
 Mobile app platform dependent.
 They are manually updated by the user.

3. List down the benefits of mobile apps.

 Offer more value to your loyal customers

A good business always should have a competition with the competitor companies. So that it
should find the best way to encourage their customers to hang with their business instead of
going somewhere else. If the business needs to grow faster or win this battle between the
companies, they should provide a level of value to their customers so that they won’t go
anywhere else. If you can include a loyalty program in your app the customers will be pushed to
use the app more and more which means your sales will be increase gradually. Giving some
discounts for the customers who use the business app or giving some rewards to who install the
app for the first time can make a valuable effect to your business’s future in a positive way.

 No more waiting

These apps can provide a faster user-friendly service than web versions of the business. If the
customers are using a web browser, they have to open the browser, enter the URL or any
keyword to find the exact business and should wait until the page loading is over. But in this case
if they have a mobile app to use with, after few touches they can even finish purchasing a
product from you. Abd also the connection is not a must to use the app but there should be a
internet access definitely if they have to use the web platform. Since so many data can be stored
in the mobile app it will be useful for the owners as well. Because of this time saving mobile
apps customers will be attracted to use it more and more which means there are chances to lead
this into positive leads of the business.
 Reduce cost and increase customer engagement

Mobile apps can reduce the cost compared to text messages, old advertising methods. The
communication is secured and it goes directly to the messaging customer not to anyone else. And
this is a huge advantage for the business since this one app can reduce many staff work which
means it reduce the amount that a business has to pay to their staff members. And majority of the
customers using these apps to stay tuned with the business or service they need to fulfil because
this is the best way to do so. So that these apps are the trending, most valuable tool for a business
at the moment.

 It can provide a better customer service

A business owner can offer a great promotion to lure more customers to the business. And it
its much better to give the customer a clear idea about the offer. All of these can be done through
a mobile app. And most importantly a customer can be having questions regarding these offers or
something else about the business. So that they will be searching for customer care service. Most
of the businesses are using Emails to do so. But it takes long time as we all know. But a mobile
app can provide a better customer service by adding live chat system, Instant reply service or
FAQ section which gives answers to most common problems. So that they can resolve most of
the issues themselves instead of calling customer care.

 Increase visibility

In today’s competitive world, mobile apps are the best tools to enhance visibility of your
brand. The awareness and name of your brand will increase tremendously with a mobile app. In
fact, it works like a billboard sign. If you have a mobile app with great looks and features,
nothing can stop it from increasing your brand awareness. Mobile apps have the ability to serve
multiple functions such as playing games, audio & video, news feeds, instant chat and many
more. In short, it works as a direct channel that provides the user with all the information they
need.

 Boost your business in social medias

People in modern era are living with social medias most of the time. So, if you have a mobile
app for your business, you can share it on these social sites to attract more customers. You can
register for new surveys and customers will download your app even when they are looking for
something else. When they download your app even without an idea about your business, the app
will show them the above offers after recognizing they are newly registered members. So, if
these people buy your products because of that offer, it is another income for your business. So,
no doubt a business should have a mobile app to reach the whole world.

 Unique service and easy payments

Mobile apps can provide a large range of features which can be useful in so many ways. For
an example imagine you’re a in a service proving business like saloon, healthcare, tour company,
online food selling etc. So that customers can make there reservations much easier. They don’t
need to call you to make an appointment. Isn’t it faster and user friendly? Of course, it is. Then
you can send push notification via your app to keep the customer informed about their
reservation. So, you never miss them and the customer doesn’t miss you either. And also, the
payments of these reservations can be done via your mobile app. It has become a trending way of
transactions in the modern era. You will be able to get instant money through card payments
instead of waiting for a long time to get your money even after you sell your product or provide
your service. Once you get a reservation and the money for that reservation means they are
taking your service for sure unless they cancel it last minute. That means you get loyal customers
because of this app. And at last people trust these transaction methods because they are faster
and trusted.

 Retail Service

Mobile application helps in transforming the retail experience, enabling retailers to remain
ahead of customer expectation through the delivery of unique customer experience, Also, mobile
app help to drive a digital process and model which would invariably cut down on store cost and
increase profitability. There are several businesses that are built and based mainly on mobile
apps. This helps to reduce the overhead cost associated with the typical brick and mortar
establishment. 

 Offering a better personalization

Mobile apps can provide a monitored service to the customer unlike the other common ways.
When a customer register on our app, we can collect information about him/her to provide better
service for them. By asking their favorites and checking their history of purchases a business
owner can recommend the customer the products they have been checking all the time. So that
customers don’t need to search the stuffs to buy them. And also, we can ask for the location
permissions from the customers and provide them a geography customized content.

 Ability to work offline

This is the most fundamental difference between the website and the app. Even though an app
requires to provide some services via internet connection, most of the services can be provided
offline unlike a website does. If we consider a banking ap as an example an app can provide the
customer Tax calculation, Installment calculation, Determination of loan limit and some more
services even without an internet connection. So, it is necessary for a business to have a mobile
app to grow up faster with this competitor world.

4. Describe the features of Android Operating System

The techniques which can be used to make your business app great are mentioned below.

 Beautiful UI
 Android OS basic screen provides a beautiful and intuitive user interface.

 Connectivity

GSM/EDGE, IDEN, CDMA, EV-DO, UMTS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, LTE, NFC and WiMAX.

 Storage

SQLite, a lightweight relational database, is used for data storage purposes

 Media support

H.263, H.264, MPEG-4 SP, AMR, AMR-WB, AAC, HE-AAC, AAC 5.1, MP3, MIDI,
OGG Vorbis, WAV, JPEG, PNG, GIF, and BMP

 Messaging

SMS and MMS

 Web browser

Based on the open-source Web Kit layout engine, coupled with Chrome's V8 JavaScript
engine supporting HTML5 and CSS3.
 Multi-touch

Android has native support for multi-touch which was initially made available in handsets
such as the HTC Hero.

 Multi-tasking

User can jump from one task to another and same time various application can run
simultaneously

 Resizable widgets

Widgets are resizable, so users can expand them to show more content or shrink them to
save space

 Multi-Language

Supports single direction and bi-directional text.

 GCM

Google Cloud Messaging (GCM) is a service that lets developers send short message data to
their users on Android devices, without needing a proprietary sync solution.
 Wi-Fi Direct

A technology that lets apps discover and pair directly, over a high-bandwidth peer-to-peer
connection.

 Android Beam

A popular NFC-based technology that lets users instantly share, just by touching two NFC-
enabled phones together

5. Explain the Android architecture with a suitable diagram.

Linux kernel
Linux Kernel provides the basic system functions such as process management, memory
management and device management like camera, keypad, display etc. It also provides an
array of device drivers which makes interfacing the android with peripheral hardware easy.

Libraries

On the top of the Linux Kernel, another layer called libraries is present. It provides the different
libraries useful for the well-functioning of the Android operating system. Libraries are java
libraries build specifically for the Android operating system. Some of the important libraries are

Library Explanation

This library is used to access data published by content providers and includes SQLite
SQLite
database management classes

SSL This is used to provide internet security

OpenGL OpenGL is used to provide Java interface to the OpenGL/ES 3D graphics rendering API.

Media It is used to provides different media codecs which allow the recording and playback of
framework different media formats

WebKit It is the browser engine used to display internet content or HTML content

Based on the open-source WebKit layout engine, coupled with Chrome’s V8 JavaScript
Web browser
engine supporting HTML5 and CSS3.

Android Runtime

It is the third component of the Android architecture and placed in the second layer from the

bottom. It provides the most important part of android called Dalvik Virtual Machine. Dalvik
Virtual Machine is similar to Java Virtual Machine (JVM) but the only difference is that it is
designed and optimized for Android. Dalvik Virtual machine uses the core functions of Linux
such as memory management and multi-threading and enables each android app to run its own
process.

The Android runtime also provides a set of core libraries which enable Android application
developers to write Android applications using standard Java programming language.

Application framework
It is the fourth component in android operating system stack. Android applications directly
interact with an application framework. Application framework manages the basic functions of
the android device such as resource management, voice call management etc. Application
Framework layer provides many higher-level services to applications in the form of Java classes.
Application developers are allowed to make use of these services in their applications. The
important blocks of the application framework are

AP Block Explanation

Activity Manager Used to manage complete activity life cycle of applications

Content Providers Used to manage the data sharing between two applications

Telephony Manager Used to manages all voice calls

Location Manager Used to manage the Locations obtained using GPS or cell tower

Resource Manager Used to manage the different types of resources used in an android app

Applications

Android application is the fifth competent of Android OS and situated at the top layer.
Applications are developed to be installed on this layer only. Examples of such applications are
Contacts Books, Browser, Games, etc.

6. Describe the importance of Android Software Development Kit (SDK)

The Software Development Kit of Android is a combination of some tools used to develop
applications for the Android Operating System. It comes with,
• Required Libraries
• Debugger
• Emulator
• The documentation for the APIs (known as Android Program Interface)
• Source Code
• Tutorials about the Android Platform
 All the operating systems such as Windows, Linux and MacOS can run Software
Development Kit without any issue. The other components of the SDK can be downloaded
manually and separately. Also, there are some third-party add-ons that available for
downloading. Even though this SDK can be used to write programs for Android in the
command prompt, IDE in other words; Integrated Development Environment is the most
common method by now. Eclipse is the recommended IDE with the ADT (Android
Development Tool) plug-in. Not only Eclipse but also the other IDEs like NetBeans or
IntelliJ will work as well. Most of these IDEs offering an easier way to make things faster by
providing a Graphical Interface Enabling. For all of these, a user should have installed Java
Development Kid (JDK) since Android Applications are written in Java Code.

7. What is the importance of Eclipse ADT Plug-in in Android environment? Briefly

explain.
once we install eclipse it comes with basic functionality to develop standard java applications.
To extent the eclipse IDE to perform android base mobile application developments we have to
install the eclipse ADT plugin. Installing the for mentioned tool kit lets you manage android
project within eclipse.

Android Development Tools (ADT) is a plugin for the Eclipse IDE that is designed to give you a
powerful, integrated environment in which to build Android applications.

ADT extends the capabilities of Eclipse to let you quickly set up new Android projects, create an
application UI, add packages based on the Android Framework API, debug your applications
using the Android SDK tools, and even export signed (or unsigned) .apk files in order to
distribute your application.

Developing in Eclipse with ADT is highly recommended and is the fastest way to get started.
With the guided project setup it provides, as well as tools integration, custom XML editors, and
debug output pane, ADT gives you an incredible boost in developing Android applications.