Apple’s iOS has been making waves for over a decade now, and it’s always impressed. iOS 12 – the latest evolution of the dominant mobile operating system is no different. Apple’s App Store presently generates over $130 billion in revenue and has over 2 million apps emphasizing why iOS is the top-ranked amongst the most widely used mobile technologies in the world. With iOS 12, Apple expects to offer a far superior experience to mobile users and more benefits to enterprises compared to the previous versions of the OS.

Enterprise mobile apps are already being considered vital in every form of digital business growth strategy. Every evolution of iOS & Android triggers major changes in the Enterprise Application Services sector. In this blog, we will be looking at the key features of iOS 12 and their impact in application development.
 

A more proactive Siri

 
With voice technologies becoming more popular and more adopted now more than ever, Apple’s Siri is expected to meet the changing expectations of mobile users and deliver a fresher voice-assistance experience. And it seems they delivered just that with iOS 12.

Siri in iOS 12 is more proactive, and features what many calls Siri Shortcuts. The Siri Shortcuts make it more convenient and easier for users to accomplish everyday tasks with Siri’s assistance. The voice assistant can now efficiently pair users’ routines with app functionality, while also allowing users to access certain functionality or complete certain tasks from the lock screen or from search without having to launch the app. This feature, however, doesn’t apply to scenarios where shortcuts are not technically possible.
 

Core ML 2 for ‘smarter’ apps

 
As it hasn’t been long since Core ML came out, iOS 12’s support for Core ML 2 may seem surprising. The toolkit powers Siri, camera functions, and QuickType. With Core ML, developers can integrate machine learning models and various intuitive functionality into apps. As ML gained momentum, Core ML became much valuable for iOS developers trying to stay ahead of the curve.

The Core ML 2 is a bit more advanced with over 30 layer types. iOS 12 enables developers to integrate Core ML 2 into apps much faster without needing extensive technical expertise.
 

ARKit 2 for even better AR experiences

 
The ARKit toolkit was Apple’s response to the Augmented Reality hype. With the toolkit, developers were able to make their apps capable of delivering immersive AR experiences. The ARKit 2 for iOS 12 comes with extended capabilities allowing multiple users to simultaneously experience AR apps. The newest version of the toolkit also allows developers to include real-world objects into AR experiences.
 

Greater control over push notifications

 
iOS 12 gives users greater control over the type of push notifications they agreed to receive and also over how they receive such notifications. It’s now possible to access message settings directly from the push notification interface. This way, they will be able to opt out of push notifications from the lock screen itself.

Such a functionality poses a new challenge to app developers. They will no longer be able to rely on push notifications to entice a user to download an app or launch an installed app. A workaround would be to focus on personalizing push notifications and making them more appealing with interactive options like buttons.
 

Conclusion

 
These aren’t the only new things iOS 12 is bringing to the table. We have only mentioned a few key features that would have the biggest impact in iOS app development. To build the next generation iOS app, you will need assistance from a competent mobile app development company with expertise in building cutting-edge apps that leverage the latest trends and technologies to grant considerable enterprise benefits.

After its release, it didn’t take long for PHP to be considered as one of the most reliable open source technologies in the world. As a matter of fact, PHP stands at the forefront among companies offering open source development services. With great overall reliability and a huge community backing it, PHP is now a widely used server-side scripting language.

Complementing its many benefits is the presence of a broad range of tools – both free and premium that enable developers to get creative with the language.

In this blog, we present to you a list of a few great PHP tools that web developers would never regret using.
 

PhpStorm

 
PhpStorm is a widely popular commercial IDE for PHP that can help streamline application development considerably. It offers integration with various popular PHP tools as well as relational databases, and supports widely used PHP frameworks and CMS solutions including but not limited to WordPress, Drupal, and Magento.
 

NetBeans Bundle for PHP

 
The PHP developer community welcomed the NetBeans Bundle for PHP with open arms. The bundle includes a plethora of great features – from semantic analysis with parameter highlighting to Symfony, Zend, and Yii framework support. In addition, it also supports code debugging with xdebug and unit testing with Selenium.
 

DebugBar

 
DebugBar is a PHP testing tool capable of identifying both HTML and JavaScript bugs. In addition, the tool is also capable of monitoring network traffic, evaluating JavaScript code, and inspecting CSS elements.
 

phpDox

 
phpDox is a great solution for developers who require quick API documentation for a PHP application. The tool comes with a search feature and also offers information on code complexity and code coverage. In addition, developers can augment its functionality by adding more plugins.
 

RIPS

 
RIPS originated as an open source tool but now is one of the leading security analysis solution for PHP. It’s a premium tool that offers consistently better threat analysis without false positives. RIPS code analysis is preferred by many developers to detect unknown security issues.
 

New Relic

 
New Relic is a great alternative to the already popular Retrace. It comes with thorough applied intelligence-powered performance monitoring capabilities in addition to infrastructure monitoring and user data analysis. Developers can use it to understand app performance dependencies and bottlenecks.
 

Aptana Studio

 
Aptana Studio claims to be the world’s most powerful open source web development IDE, and it has loads of features to back that claim. What’s so great about Aptana Studio is that it runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux. It has a built-in PHP server and debugging tool to build and test apps in one environment.
 

Sublime Text

 
Unlike most other tools in this list, Sublime Text is just a text editor. But a good one at that. The go-to-anything feature is what makes Sublime Text a winner for our developers. The text editor lets developers quickly locate lines of code, and allows simultaneous editing – change multiple code instances at once. It’s not a free tool though. But a one-time fee of $80 makes it a wallet-friendly tool for developers.
 

Selenium

 
There aren’t many developers out there who haven’t heard about Selenium. It’s a lightweight, open source testing framework compatible with the most popular browsers. Selenium allows users to create their own custom UI tests in any language and can also automate certain web-based administration tasks. It’s also a favorite for many companies offering Agile software development services.
 

Conclusion

 
There seems to be an abundance of open source PHP solutions that developers can choose from. We know that this list above is not complete, and requires quite a few other mentions. We simply wanted to keep things short and mention the ones that we personally know are worthwhile. We are sure the tools mentioned in this blog can aid any software development company specializing in PHP development.

Image created by GraphiqaStock – www.freepik.com

Even SMBs have started realizing the benefits of test automation while myths and misconceptions surrounding the core concept of test automation keeps increasing. Contrary to popular beliefs, the advent of test automation techniques didn’t affect the demand for manual software testing. Organizations simply realized that a combined Manual – Automated testing practice grant greater benefits provided it’s implemented thoughtfully and effectively.

Though test automation essentially reduces the time to deliver high-quality products, it doesn’t always lead to quality success. Many organizations that are interested in test automation or are planning to invest in the practice may not be fully aware of its limitations.  There are hidden costs in implementing a complete test automation strategy.

From hiring QA professionals/Quality Engineers to test management and automation environment maintenance, it may overwhelm businesses that aren’t prepared to completely invest in the technology without preparing for it beforehand. This blog is for those organizations that are planning to jump on the test automation bandwagon, and discusses the various limitations of test automation.
 

Test cases should be designed for repeatability

 
Many organizations tend to implement test automation whenever they feel like accelerating quality feedback. This is possible only if the test cases are created for repeated use. Test automation is not very easy to set up either, demanding the technical team to invest hours in setting up, troubleshooting, and maintaining it.

If the test cases can’t run repeatedly even after exhausting a lot of resources setting up automation, leveraging test automation won’t grant much benefits at all. The key is to prioritize repeatability for maximum ROI from your test automation strategy.
 

Relying too much on test automation can do more harm than good

 
You may have read about organizations relying on test automation to scale product quality processes. This is more common in companies offering Agile software development services, and it works. You can get streamlined, much more efficient development cycles.

However, relying on test automation too much can end up causing a lot of issues, primarily due to the fact that test automation simply doesn’t apply to all kinds of test cases especially when scaling QA processes in an Agile ecosystem. A more balanced approach combining both test automation and manual testing offers better chances of scaling success. There is also the fact that a product that’s constantly evolving with each sprint will need you to allocate more resources just to maintain automation test scripts.
 

Test automation demands serious expertise & technical skills

 
Just because you have automated test scripts and a team with basic knowledge of automated testing doesn’t mean you can implement test automation and reap the best of its benefits. It requires a high level of expertise and technical skills to write test scripts. As a matter of fact, the technical skill requirement is one of the biggest limitations of test automation. You won’t easily find an expert automated tester like you would find an expert in software development.
 

Conclusion

 
With all the limitations we have discussed right now, we still can’t conclude that test automation isn’t a worthy investment. It is a big move that demands big investments and total dedication for a medium-sized business with limited resources. Nevertheless, if the business has the right talent and a great strategy, they won’t ever regret investing in test automation.

Not all enterprises have chosen the cloud. Many still make do with on-premises systems. Nevertheless, it’s a fact that Microsoft is a major player when it comes to cloud-based services and on-premises enterprise platforms. In this blog, we will be taking a look at one of the most widely used microsoft technology solutions in the World – SharePoint.

In 2019, we will likely witness a whole new generation of Office servers such as SharePoint, Exchange, and Skype for Business etc. hit the market with innovative features that reflect the cloud-dominated future that’s in the making – enough to upgrade modern data centers hopefully.

But let’s focus on SharePoint 2019 and its best features for now.

The most recent evolutions of SharePoint made it an on-premises platform offering a number of benefits for enterprises in the form of Modern SharePoint Experiences.
 

Modern SharePoint Team Sites

 
Modern SharePoint Team Sites are responsive and comes with an out-of-the-box engine to publish news. Users will be able to share news with the team further enhancing the already improved collaboration that SharePoint facilitates. Unlike most modern Team Sites that are connected to an Office 365 group, Modern on-premises Team Sites don’t require integration with Exchange to function properly.
 

Modern SharePoint Communication Sites

 
As the name suggests, Communication Sites primarily serve the purpose of facilitating information sharing across teams. It’s one of the major pillars of collaboration that SharePoint is known for. Communication Sites in SharePoint 2019 now feature three new templates – Blank, Topic, and Showcase. Included users will be able to share news, policies, and information with each other on an elegant interface.
 

Modern Search Experience

 
The Modern Search Experience feature completes SharePoint’s transition to on-premises. Modern Search Experience in SharePoint 2019 enables users to easily find documents, list items and people inside the SharePoint environment.
 

SharePoint Home

 
Possibly one of the best features in SharePoint on-premises, the SharePoint Home shows news from both Team Sites and Communication Sites in a single location. Additionally, the sites that you follow and the activities from each site are brought together thanks to the feature. Easier access to your favorite sites is the icing on the cake.
 

OneDrive Synchronization

 
SharePoint Server 2019 enables on-premises SharePoint to benefit from the most recent improvements in Windows 10 and OneDrive. As a matter of fact, SharePoint 2019 features the latest version of OneDrive which also goes by the name Next Generation Sync Client (NGSC).

Considering the fact that the introduction of OneDrive positively influenced the demand for SharePoint development services, it’s safe to assume that the latest OneDrive version will increase SharePoint adoption rate even further in the coming years.
 

Power BI Report Server Integration

 
SharePoint 2019 also removed or deprecated a few Business Intelligence features but integrated Power BI Report Server in return. With the Power BI Report Server, users will be able to create sensational reports that can be easily displayed in SharePoint Server 2019.
 

 Conclusion

 
SharePoint is already a favorite for companies offering agile software development services. Now that a number of great features that made the community embrace SharePoint Online also made their way to on-premises in SharePoint Server 2019, business users will most certainly find all the aforementioned features exciting enough to migrate to SharePoint 2019 to leverage the popular platform in their on-premises environments.

Many businesses thinking of getting a mobile app developed for their brand often tend to enquire about the success potential of mobile apps. There are several factors that influence an app’s success in app stores. But to keep things simple, many mobile app development companies suggest measuring app downloads and its rankings in order to determine the success of the app.

The more the downloads, the more the revenue. The number of downloads also influences the app’s ranking and vice versa. It’s a simple concept. However, accomplishing it is a big challenge.

That said, here are a few things you should know to get more downloads for your app and improve its rankings subsequently.
 

Invest in ASO (App Store Optimization)

 
The concept is quite similar to search engine optimization (SEO) for websites. A good majority of mobile users discover certain apps by browsing the app store. App Store Optimization is how your app’s visibility in app store can be boosted so it will be discovered and, hopefully, downloaded more. The app showing up at the top of app search results in stores also emphasizes the app’s credibility.

Factors contributing to ASO varies depending on the app store. So it’s a good idea to educate yourself on ASO factors that are exclusive to popular platform-specific app stores.
 

Naming the app

 
If you’ve already launched your app, your window for getting the name right is gone. For those with apps ready for launch, naming should be the primary focus. There will be a set of guidelines app owners should follow depending on the app store. For example, Google Play Store allows up to 50 characters in your title for listing the app. Apple App Store on the other hand allows only 30 characters.

It’s important to understand all parameters of the app store before getting the app listed in it. Repetitively using keywords in the app’s title to improve ASO is not encouraged by Google, and may result in the app getting suspended from the store. There are little things like this the app owner should be aware of before naming an app in an app store.
 

Keywords

 
Keywords are still relevant for ASO. However, using keywords liberally without referring the guidelines of the app store can have dire consequences. Keywords aren’t something that should be included in the app’s title in some way. You can still optimize your app for the store by including keywords in the app’s description.

The description should cover keywords that relate to the app’s purpose and features. However, when users browse the store, they won’t be seeing the full description of an app. It will just be the first few sentences. This is why it’s important to focus on the first few lines of the description where you should include keywords and develop an enticing introduction that will encourage users to read the rest of the description and possibly download the app.
 

Icons & screenshots

 
The app icon doesn’t directly contribute to app store optimization but it nevertheless is a very important factor app owners shouldn’t neglect. The icon could be the factor that entices people browsing the store to download and check out an app. The best icons are appealing with the right color combinations to catch users’ eyes. It should stand out from other apps’ icons when a user scrolls through the list. The icon should not lose its appeal in dark and light backgrounds.

If the icon attracts users, they will be tapping it to go into the app’s page in the store. This is where they can see the app’s description and is also where they can get their first glimpse of the app in the form of screenshots. Make this first impression count by going for the best quality screenshots that cover the most important aspects of the app.

For instance, using a login screen’s screenshot is not a good idea as it doesn’t present any value to users other than letting them know that the app requires users to login. You will want to showcase what the user can do with the app and the kind of value the app can give them. That should be what the screenshots should convey. Mind you that users also don’t see all the screenshots in the main app page. They will most likely go through only the first couple of screenshots to get an idea of how the app would look and how it functions.
 

Video demonstration

 
Preparing videos that demonstrate the app takes a lot more effort than taking screenshots obviously. But unlike screenshots, videos convert. Adding videos can increase app download rates by over 25%. Just check out the most downloaded apps in an app store. They are most likely to have video demonstrations of the app. With videos, you keep things to the point. Stuffing every feature of the app into one single demonstration video is not a good idea, however. The objective is to get the users interested in the app so they will most likely tap on the call-to-action prompt that you can include at the end of your app’s video.
 

Conclusion

 
Without proper App Store Optimization, chances are that your app will be overshadowed by its rivals. That’s one major challenge every enterprise-grade mobile app and enterprise mobile technologies have to overcome in today’s market to become successful. If you are willing to invest in optimizing for the app store, your app will end up getting ranked higher. Higher rank means bigger chances of the app getting downloaded i.e. more downloads.

It can also go another way where your app becomes easily discoverable in the app store leading to more downloads and subsequently higher app rankings.

Let us know what you think.

Image Designed by Freepik