Here's Why Mobile Startups Prefer Apple's iOS Over Google's Android

Even with the immense popularity of Google's Android, Apple's iOS is being increasingly preferred by the users. Now, there are several reasons supporting the growth and development of the iPhone OS. For instance, the iOS apps ensure smooth operation on a small range of iPhones and iPads whereas when it comes to Android, there are numerous devices of different versions with equally varying screen sizes and processors. Let us look in details at why the mobile startups prefer Apple's iOS over Google's Android.

Reasons Behind Preferring Apple

The present scenario implies that a majority of the Android users are working with the most advanced version of this particular operating system. On the other hand and quite in contrast, about 93% of the Apple's mobile device users were making use of the advanced version of the OS a day before iOS 7 was even released. The fragmentation of Android calls for high costs on part of the developers considering the point that they need different engineers for the different versions.

When it comes to the generation of revenue, it is found that the Apple's App store generates more than double of the revenue generated by the Google's app store. For the startups, this is a strong reason behind why they go for the former. Added to these are the several capital- raising issues encountered by the startups these days. As such, starting on two different mobile platforms becomes difficult resulting in an ultimate choice of Apple as the dominant platform instead of Android.

Arguments in Favor of the iPhone OS

Research on the matter reveals certain other points that make startups go for the operating system of Apple instead of the other. Here is a list of such points:

• It is often argued that the iOS, being an out of the box app, is more functional while also working without flaws. Compared to this, a few users find the Android applications to be rather chunky and that too, loaded with notifications.
• iphone operating system is considered to be better optimized than Android. Android is slower than the iOS. At the same time, a great advantage of Apple is that it checks every app prior to publishing them in the store and this is what makes it safer than Android.
• The interface of iPhone OS is much simpler to use. This leads to the shortening of the initial learning curve and hence, is beneficial for the non hi-tech users. IOS is also regarded better than the other in terms of the touch feature and the running of the flash games.

A Few More Benefits of Apple iOS

• Fluidity of the iPhone OS: The Apple hardware might have slower processors but the operating system is way faster and more fluid for most users. Apple puts utmost priority to the user interface, which somewhat compensates for the slow processors. The fluidity quotient of the other operating system in question, on the other hand, is the lowest.
• Apple iPhone OS is More Easily Learnable: It is a widely held notion that the Apple iOS is more intuitive, offering users with a hassle- free experience of learning than the other operating systems. There are certain counter arguments, which point out to the fact that different people learn in different manner and therefore, the choice of platform is subjective.

All said and done, it is accepted that Apple is more concerned about the aspects of usability and design standards. The growing preference for the iOS largely owes to the consistently satisfactory experience that it has been providing users for quite a long time now. Notwithstanding the fact that Android looks excellent out of the box, it is the Apple iOS that stands above the former especially in case of mobile startups.

You can hire developers from top android mobile apps development companies in India who can help you build mobile apps within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide android mobile application development services. If you would like to know more about the expertise of our expert android app developers, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.

What Does It Really Cost to Fix a Software Defect?

While there is no denying the point that the advancements in software technology have brought about several benefits for the business enterprises all over, it is also true that certain defects in software are really hard to handle.

The later the defects are identified, the more difficult and expensive it becomes to handle them. This was said by none other than a software engineer called Barry Boehm back in 1976. He also drew a curve representing the consecutive phases of the waterfall software development lifecycle on the horizontal line. The vertical scale, on the other hand, denoted the relative cost of fixing the particular defect in a specific phase versus the cost involved in fixing the same defect in a different phase. With time, this curve was modified to make room for a second exponential relation.

Finding the Cost of Fixing a Defect

There are certain problems that arise when it comes to the fixing of a software defect. Out of these, deciding upon the cost of fixing the trouble happens to be the most important one. The actual cost involved in finding solution to a problem is often the least understood factor too. Now, the cost usually depends upon the development lifecycle as well as the development process that one chooses apart from the risk that the enterprise is ready to take. Estimation of the cost can be done by means of the following technique:

Considering that all the people working in a system test are completely dedicated to identifying and fixing defects, the number of fixes are to be taken into account. Next, the number of people including that of developers, testers and everybody else along with the duration of system test are to be considered. The process of calculation goes like this:

Average cost of fixing defects= Number of days* number of people* cost per person-day/ Number of defects that have been fixed

It is worth remembering in this regard that it is not the defects but the ones that are fixed that matters while also leading to the right calculation.

How Much Does It Cost?

The attitude taken towards fixing software defects often varies depending upon respective managers. Again, there is some confusion about when to find solution to which defect. Now, the cost of finding solution to the defects is influenced by the organizational culture and its implications. Here is a brief overview:

Routine Culture

In a routine culture, quality is considered valuable by the management but there is neither money nor the time to devote on improving the same. The problems are fixed only after quite a severe one has occurred. The easy defects are identified while the difficult ones are left out. As such, the cost of fixing a problem is the lowest of all.

Steering Culture

In a steering culture, the management realizes that quality is but a systematic issue and automatically, the task of managing is executed better. Problems are openly discussed as well as resolved in an orderly manner. The defects are found earlier than the system test leading to the creation of several bad fixes. Eventually, the cost of solving the problem is the highest among all.

Variable Culture

In a variable culture, the management usually does not consider quality to be a management issue. Personal efforts in solving problems are often preferred over a systematic approach, as a result of which, it is found that the employees identify more defects compared to what they could fix. Accordingly the average cost of fixing a defect is higher than that of a routine culture and lower than that of a steering culture.

Ways of Preventing Defects

Preventing the defects from arising in the very first place is essential for the simple reason that fixing them requires considerable effort, time and money. Early defect detection has a number of advantages. Following a list of some of the prominent ways in which the software defects can be checked:

• Analyzing the software requirements well beforehand is a significant way of preventing troubles. The specific customer needs are to be analyzed and then transformed into product specifications with expertise. Interactive sessions with the customers is helpful in this regard.
• Reviews, both self-reviews and peer reviews, work wonders in uncovering defects instead of finding them out later. Self-review, in particular, allows reduction of problems related to implementation of algorithms, incorrect logic and missing conditions. Many software organizations are making this a part of their best practices of coding.
• Documentation and defect logging leads to better management of the troubles as well as the depletion trends and costs. A defect logging tool allows correction of the problem, identification of the phase and so on.
• Analyzing the root cause can be done via applying local expertise and targeting the systematic errors. This largely helps in saving time and costs involved in fixing the troubles.

Having considered the above discussion, implementation of the defect prevention procedures into the application software testing process is the most difficult of all tasks. If carried out successfully, it can actually prevent the troubles from arising and pave the way for smooth operation of the enterprises.

We provide software testing services. If you would like to talk to one of our certified software testers, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.

10 Tips for Making Your SharePoint Project a Success

While SharePoint, as an advanced web application development platform, has become widely used for its many benefits, several organizations fail to emerge successful with a SharePoint project. So, prior to looking into the tips on making SharePoint project a success, here is what one should avoid doing at the time of implementation of SP.

Mistakes to Avoid in SP Project Implementation

• Trying to accomplish too many tasks within very less time is one of the common mistakes committed by enterprises. It needs to be realized by the stakeholders as well that the specific needs will be catered to and fulfilled in future if not right now.
• Point searching several websites that are quite large is a mistake for the reason that there is no possible way of limiting the volume of data in the search catalogs of SP. As a result, SP will simply index numerous pages while also bringing the server down.
• The attempt at doing everything including delivering projects in house leads to a failed outcome. Unless the enterprise has quite a large team, emerging successful with a SharePoint project is but a rare possibility.
• Allowing any one individual to exercise complete control of permissions is a blunder. This is because users with full permission can take certain wrong steps such as adding a lot of content, deleting sites, giving inappropriate permissions and so on.

Tips on Enjoying a Successful SharePoint Project

Once you are aware of the things to be avoided, it is time to concentrate on few tips or strategies, applying which paves the way for an effective SharePoint project. Here is a list of these:

1. Making Use of Standard Functionality

Configuration is always preferred over coding. SharePoint is immensely powerful and mistaking it for just a .NET application should be avoided. As such, spending on other resources instead of spending too much on coding makes it easier to support as well as upgrade the site.

2. Understanding the Technology

Understanding SharePoint thoroughly is essential in the very first place. One should gain the basic knowledge of SP in order to be able to not just deploy it in the desired manner but also encounter the issues, as and when they arise.

3. Empowering the Users and Delegates

When it comes to executing a SharePoint project with success, one must not be apprehensive of handing down the rights to create sites or author content and so on. Alongside, use of publishing control, version control along with workflows to adhere to quality and policy of the organization should also be facilitated.

4. Focusing on Simple Visual Designs

With respect to the SharePoint user interface, more emphasis should be laid on the functionality of the site instead of its looks. Let the designers know what matters most for a SharePoint site from the very beginning, as customizing it later might appear to be a rather tough task.

5. Never Planning for the End

This might appear to be rather tricky but it has to be remembered that a project in SP, unlike others, does not end but expands with the growth of the business. What is necessary is to take an interactive approach and let users understand as well as contribute to the process of repeating till the desired goal is achieved.

6. Managing Expectations Arising from Different Quarters

Every SP project will essentially begin with two figures set as goal, one of cost and the other of delivery date. One must always stay careful about managing the expectations of the senior managers by means of giving them high level costs as well as timescales.

7. Allowing the Permission Model to Stay Simple

The permission model, especially the structures, should be kept as simple as possible. Building complex structures implies managing too much in return of too less a value.

8. Choosing the Partner Carefully

It is more than necessary to have a partner, who understands both the technology as well as the NHS. Partners should be the ones you can trust no matter how much you test or challenge them. Mutual advice and cooperation paves the way for appreciable results.

9. Convince Even the Rather Stubborn Customers

The best way of engaging the stubborn customers are by considering and appreciating their requirements as well as ideas. It has to be remembered in this respect that the stubborn ones are also the most vocal ones and hence, they can turn out to be the real assets for an enterprise.

10. Be Ready to Take Risks

As the saying goes, 'No risk, no gain', it is always good to take risks than stay back in apprehension. Try out varying strategies and trust the users enough to gain the desired success in the usage of SharePoint.

Implementing the 10 points suggested above greatly amplifies the chances of getting successful with SharePoint application development, leading to the benefit of the enterprises.

We provide custom Sharepoint development services. If you would like to know more about the expertise of our SharePoint developers, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.

SharePoint End-User Adoption and Productivity List

SharePoint has undoubtedly emerged as one of the best web application development platforms that is being implemented by enterprises all over. Now, attempts are constantly being made to improve the user adoption and productivity of the SharePoint 2013. There are a number of tools, techniques and methods that are implemented for making SP more user- friendly as well as productive.

Enhancing the Level of User Adoption

Before looking into some tips on how the productivity can be increased, let us begin with a discussion of the different stages of user adoption as follows:

Collaboration of Documents
Document Collaboration is the very first and the most basic way of letting users adopt SP 2013 with higher level of effectiveness. With SharePoint, document sharing does not stay restricted to sending emails back and forth but extend much beyond that to include check in/out, alerts, versioning and so on. The integration with Office further paves the way for a direct opening of the files from the Office programs.

A Single Focal Point or Team Sites
It is always more comfortable for the users if they get the chance to reach a certain point where they are making regular use of this platform. While trying as well as exploring certain new things, users become friendly with the concept of team site. Calenders can be shared, tasks can be assigned while contact lists can be created for proper referencing. Connection among each other through Outlook makes SP more productive.

Coordinating Business Processes
When the users are able to keep in touch by virtue of the team sites, they engage in the task of automating business processes. Using the workflows is indeed an elaborate task with multiple processes that need to be taken care of. Now, irrespective of the numbers of processes or the complications involved in the same, it is always easy when the processes are automated.

Reporting with SharePoint 2013
For organizations that are pretty much advanced with regards to SP implementation, reporting is quite hassle-free. The application of the tools should be followed by an understanding of the placement of the data to ensure that the best-suited tools are used. As far as the end users are concerned, there are different products along with equally varying ways that can be presented. SharePoint is deployed as the primary means to presenting these reports. The level of user adoption is automatically higher with SP being used for both document collaboration as well as reporting.

Social Media Adoption
The good thing about Microsoft SharePoint 2013 is that the social features and functionality are available everywhere. Even today, few organizations are found considering the social part of SharePoint 2013 even after they have become rather experienced in SP use and knowledge. At the same time, there are organizations that implement social media as a significant part of their use of SP and they actually benefit from it. However, integration of the social media and SharePoint must take place following a carefully planned process.

Tips on Increasing Productivity
The successful deployment of SharePoint 2013 can be gauged from the increase in the overall productivity. There are certain strategies that can be adopted to ensure that the implementation of SP has a direct influence upon the productivity.

• The end-user requirements should be taken into consideration in designing an interface that maximizes productivity. The site aesthetics matter to a great extent. For instance, branding of the SP intranet implies that users should seriously consider it along with its use.
• Training is must to let users get the most out of an application. Awareness about the functional requirements as well as that of the not so professional or specialized areas goes a long way in increasing productivity.
• Performance happens to be more important than a lot of other things. Increased emphasis should be laid on improving the load time of the pages, accelerating the upload and download time of files and making sure that the servers work well enough to cater to high demand.

The above-mentioned list of stages and tips helps improving end-user adoption and productivity of SP 2013. And that is equally as important as optimizing the process of SharePoint application development.

We provide Sharepoint development services. If you would like to know more about the expertise of our SharePoint developers, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.

Design Tips for SharePoint 2013 Apps on Tablets

The discussion on the tips for designing for the SharePoint 2013 Apps on tablets should essentially begin with the concept of minimal viable product. The idea is to enhance the user experience with Office 365 and Microsoft Office. Enterprises seem to be on the lookout for continuously updating the products to gain a strong competitive advantage and engaging in viable business in Office 365.

With the increase in the number of mobile devices and tablet users, it has become necessary for the SP 2013 apps to stay accessible as well as work effectively on these devices. Here is a list of tips on designing excellent SP apps for the tablets.

Always Go For Responsive Design
Whenever it comes to designing SP 2013 applications for tablets, a responsive design is a prerequisite. Now, for those working on a publishing site or planning to render it with a great look and feel, a responsive web design is must. Now, for those not using a custom master page as a basis for compatibility with other apps, a responsive design might not appear to be that suitable.

Maintain the Minimum Possible Width
Although the base resolutions vary depending on the landscape mode, majority of them have a width of 980 pixels. While the meta tags, JavaScript and CSS allow for control over the zoom behaviors and view port to a significant extent, it is always better to ensure that the columns in the tabular layout look impressive. This would also keep the initial investment to be made by the enterprise pretty low.

Make Efficient Use of CSS
The detailed pages for the varying entities in the form of matters and clients comprise a table at the top along with a set of tabs at the bottom, displaying related data. It is the entity as well as the data that work together in determining the number of columns in the header. On the other hand, for the clients, the columns denoting the phone numbers, address and notes are hidden especially, in cases where there is no data.

Now, these tables pose challenge because of the fact that both the width of the browser as well as the one that is required to display particular data within the table vary. The solution lies in using the base of 980 pixels, which renders a lower bound. Also, with a vertical alignment at the top, padding is explicit while word-break is natural.

Derive Benefits Out of the 'Focus on Content' Button
The 'Focus on Content' button appears at the upper right hand corner of the page. This is quite a beneficial feature and using it optimally can actually lead to an effective designing of SP 2013 applications for tabs.

Not Putting any Options in the Quick Launch Section
The pre-dominant belief is that while using a tablet, focus should always be laid on the content. However, it is better not to put any important option in the 'Quick Launch' section for this section can not be viewed by the tablet users and hence, the app will be of little significance for them.

Avoid Adopting the Minimal Download Strategy
The minimal download strategy is fine for those in any app web. However, this feature calls for some serious compatibility issues in certain browsers. The minimal download strategy can be disabled using the CSOM.

Prefer a Dynamic Sizing of Dialogs
While much of the discussions so far have been done with, height is also a matter of concern when it comes to using a dialog framework. It is always essential to go for dynamic alignment and setting the options depending on the natural height of the page.

With the above-mentioned tips and strategies, one can certainly develop suitable SharePoint 2013 apps for tablets. And while looking for SharePoint services India, make sure you are reaching out to companies who have solid credentials and have proven expertise in application development in SharePoint and have equally strong domain expertise as well.

We provide Sharepoint migration services. If you would like to know more about the expertise of our SharePoint site branding experts, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.