What current trends say about the future of mobile application development

From e-commerce and formulating travel plans, to monitoring heartbeat and starting vehicles remotely, there is very little that today's mobile apps can't do. | Soon, there might be an app to cater to every human need. What will the apps of tomorrow look like? Which factors will guide mobile application development the most?

1.Security: Wrap your heads around this mind-boggling fact: an incredible 75 percent of all mobile apps fall short of existing security standards. This has serious implications, especially since apps are handling more data than ever before. Apps with a known history of being susceptible to breaches are unlikely to be well-received. Thus, the designing of secure apps is likely to be an important factor in mobile app development in the near future. The use of water-tight source-code, database and file-level encryption techniques will become widespread. Tomorrow's successful apps will also have to iron out common security flaws such as Cross-site scripting and access control issues. 2. .Enterprise app development: Today's enterprises are mired in a cut-throat world, and are willing to pay significant sums of money for useful, innovative apps aimed at providing a business edge. Thus, apps designed specifically for enterprises are relatively easy to monetize. On the other hand, the average Joe or Jane will not shell out as much for apps, even if they are innovative and secure. This may cause niche developers to focus solely on enterprise app creation in the near future. 3. .Citizen developers: Businesses frequently outsource mobile app development to third-party entities or to their own IT departments. However, there are many small and micro enterprises (SMEs) which cannot afford the costs of outsourcing. At the same time, like all enterprises, they too need apps and enterprise solutions. How does one solve this tricky problem? Enter the citizen developer-a senior operational executive who usually has little professional experience of coding. Thanks to the latest developments in the world of app development, however, he can quickly generate useful products using company-specific standards. In the coming years, citizen developers are likely to play an even more prominent role in mobile application development, making apps cheaper and more easily available. 4. .Internet of Things(IoT): IoT is used to refer to the interconnected nature of diverse devices. The number of gadgets per user has been rising for some time. Apps allowing for the sharing of information across diverse devices are thus likely to become extremely popular in the near future. The scale of this network will also increase in proportion to the demand. 5. .Cloud compatibility: In 2016, an app which doesn't make use of the cloud probably doesn't deserve to exist. The flexibility and range of devices on which cloud-based apps operate is likely to only increase in coming years. Furthermore, compatibility with wearable devices, Pcs and tablets will also become a must in a world where every person owns dozens of gadgets with varying operating systems. 6. .M-commerce and mobile payment platforms: Almost a fifth of e-commerce revenues is currently derived from direct smartphone payments. The era of credit and debit cards seems to be over. This is particularly true in developing countries like India, where tardiness in bank operations leads to low availability of credit/debit cards. On the other hand, smartphones are becoming increasingly cheaper, setting the scene for the rise of mobile payment solutions such as PayTM, Mobikwik and Oxigen. Naturally, this is great news for e-commerce platforms, as virtual wallets are reducing the need for lengthy and complicated validation procedures.