Mobile development products are springing up forming a new industry. These are called mobile frameworks, development tools and mobile kits for example. Some embrace an enterprise level and some just client side. The products are aimed at the need to leverage skills of developers to build applications for devices cheaper and quicker.
To help you keep up, I am maintaining this list as the industry unfolds and will update as I find new products. There are links to the web site and to product overview videos or demo videos.
There is no particular ranking to the list. However those vendors that have clear links to overview videos and have a good hello world or the like video are listed first. It shows enthusiasm to communicate and is a criteria for any comparisons. Other than that the list is somewhat in the order I discovered the vendor. It is important for all vendors to know that ease of use depends on the simple atomic how to videos to win minds of developers. The faster you get into the mind of a developer the more likely you win that mind.
The List
- WireNode is a mobile website management platform. It boasts delivery to any device with their mobile core called Anypage ©. They claim it supports: Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Siemens, LG, Motorola, Apple (iPhone), Palm (Treo), RIM (BlackBerry) and many Windows CE devices with outputs in the WAP (WLM), XHTML mobile profile, XHTML basic, cHTML and standard HTML formats. There is a mobile page editor which allows integration with PostgreSQL, Struts (for page flow), Red Hat, Apache, and Hibernate (as database framework). Current customer listing examples are not impressive and lack the polish of a JQuery Mobile UI. However this is an example of offering trends where a CMS, or at least back end, plus multiple front end delivery with same content. Web site was not clear about tablets.
- Cabana This is built in HTML5 and provides a drag and drop wireframe type of app development tool. This visual approach also include RESTful JSON and XML APIs, and you can bind them to your user interface. It appears Cabana handles store distribution and updates are automatic which may indicate you are really creating a web app. Also they have a Fan Page Mobilizer tool that lets you take your Facebook Fan Page and convert it to an app.
- Marmalde Not only promising a cross deployment solution but includes converting IOS apps to Andriod and covers Kindle Fire. Here is their line: “Marmalade is the world’s most powerful SDK for the creation of richer apps and games on iOS, Android and other platforms. Marmalade’s unique technical architecture offers maximum performance through true native code. “
- AMPchroma from Antenna Software. AMPchroma is the first cloud platform for managing the entire mobile lifecycle. All design, development, management, and analytics functionality are presented as a suite of software modules accessible from a user-friendly web interface.
- Kendo UI | Demo | Kendo UI Mobile helps developers build apps and sites for mobile devices that always look native. On iOS, Kendo UI Mobile widgets look native to iOS. On Android, Kendo UI Mobile widgets look native to Android. Automatically. Kendo UI Mobile detects the device and applies the proper styling.
- Appcelerator Titanium | Video Demo | A free and open source application development platform, Titanium lets you create native mobile, tablet and desktop application experiences using existing web skills like Javascript, HTML, CSS, Python, Ruby, and PHP.
- Red Foundry | Video Demo | Creating, developing mobile IPhone app is free as is publishing yourself for apps started withing a limited time offering. Publishing the app through Redfoundry has a monthly cost but they handle all the details. Android expected Q2 2011.
- RhoMobile | Video Demo | Rhodes is Ruby-based framework that enables the creation of native apps for major smartphone operating systems (iPhone, Windows Mobile, RIM, Symbian and Android). Developers can create native iPhone and iPad apps from a Windows-based PC using in HTML, Javascript and Ruby.
- appMobi | Video Overview | Video Demo. HTML5, CSS and JavaScript to create mobile apps using their cloud. Uses WebKit based MobiUs browser to access native phone functionality.
- jQ.Mobil JQuery written from the ground up for mobile, HTML5 on IOS and Andriod device. In beta as of 1/18/12.
- Trigger.IO/ HTML5, CSS and JavaScript to create mobile apps free while in beta. Write once, submit to PhoneGap and download all the supported platforms ready for submission. Supported platforms currently IPhone Andriod, Symbian and Palm.
- PhoneGap HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript to create mobile apps and the Trigger.IO service converts to native apps while retaining deployment to web browsers. Free conversion service has Trigger.IO branding on splash screen and in the description; and free conversion serviceis limited to free apps. Monthly fee service extends to paid apps and drops the in app Trigger.IO branding.
- Mobile Nation | Video Overview | Video Demos. Design, build and publish mobile apps for iPhone and Android devices using their web based environment. Use a QR code, their installed app and your device camera to load to your testing phone. Looks like a corker.
- MoSync | Video Demo | Open source SDK using C++ and a set of powerful APIs, you can harness the full power of modern smartphone platforms while still supporting Java ME devices using a single codebase. MoSync produces real native IPhone and Android applications, packaged and ready for distribution in each platforms’ native installation format.
- OpenPlug | Video Demo — Actionscript interestingly
- QT Nokia | Video Overview
- Adobe CS 5.5 | Video Demo with PhoneGap
- Jo HTML Mobile App Framework | Video Demo | JavaScript framework for HTML5 capable browsers and devices. It was originally designed to work on mobile platforms as a GUI and light data layer on top of PhoneGap. Since its creation, Jo has also been tested successfully as a lightweight framework for mobile browsers, newer desktop browsers, and even Dashboard widgets.
- LiveCode | Video Demo is on Home Page
- Whoop
- Corona
- BuzzTouch
- Appshed
- Senica Touch This is a Javascript library that produces the native look and feel of mobile devices. You would integrate with PhoneGap for device features like Accelerometer
- Kony Solutions
- Nimble Kit
- Service2Media
- AppMakr No Coding Required. Use the templates for loading data feeds such as blogs, video and photos. Customize with PhoneGap. Look and feel all customized from menu systems. Handles push notification service. Will publish using your developer account. Has a portfolio of accounts that have used this to publish apps.
- Tiggr This is a cloud based development tool with a software subscription service.
- StackMob Offers a mobile development sandbox environment with backend api for mobile apps remote data and remote services.
- JQTouch A JQuery plugin for mobile web development.
- JQuery Mobile HTML5-based user interface system for all popular mobile device platforms and built on the JQuery platform.
- IUI Video and demo.
- XUI A super micro tiny dom library for authoring html5 mobile web applications. Targeted builds for webkit, ie mobile, and blackberry
- Local Mobile Geared towards businesses needing to reach customers versus towards developers such as with SMS, QR and Ecommerce. They do all the work for hosting, at a fee, the app.
- AppFurnance is a set of online tools that help you to create all kinds of apps without having to be a programming genius. It gives you control to design interfaces, create location-aware experiences and, if you want to take it further, add your own JavaScript and produce exactly what experience you want.
- Codiqa Drag and drop approach to prototype, build, and manage fully functional mobile web apps with jQuery Mobile.
- Tiggzi HTML5 CSS PhoneGap cloud-based mobile app builder.
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