The strong emergence of tablets and new generation smartphones and the acceleration of new apps being launched is causing a revolution in publishing companies, which have become multi-device information providers.
Due to the high number of apps that exist in the Apple Store or the Android Market, with hundreds of thousands of downloads every day, editors are tempted to develop their own applications to publish and monetize most of their content in order to enable a user to comfortably read it on an iPad or Samsung Galaxy Tablet.
Previously, having an accessible app on all devices, required having to make a platform-specific development (Apple iOS, Android, Windows, Blackberry …), because each one uses a different native language. This is called a native app and has many advantages.
Native Apps
Native apps are downloaded from a marketplace and therefore they have broad visibility, especially if the perception by customers is successful. Also, by using a native language, customers can benefit from all the graphic power and functionalities embedded in the mobile device. The apps are distributed through each specific store. A 30% commission is charged on publishers’ revenues but no back-office development is required. Finally, and in the case of content, the size limits for downloading via 3G (50MB in Apple) need to be considered.
Web Apps
A new kind of app which is called the web app is emerging together with native apps. These are basically mobile websites tailored to these devices. The creation of these web apps is based on HTML5. The main advantage is that with a single development, the application is visible on any platform or operating system, using the browser itself, but with an interface adapted to the user experience on a tablet or smartphone. Web Apps are not downloaded from a store and therefore are not subject to the control and approval of each marketplace. They are published and updated automatically, as a result of a decision of the company launching the app. This line of editorial development has been initiated by some companies, such as Amazon Kindle Cloud Reader, The Financial Times, Nature Publishing or Hearst Magazines.
HTML5
Despite its constant evolution, which will continue until 2014, HTML5 is already configured as a cutting-edge technology, with multiple new features, many of which are already supported by the latest versions of web browsers, and even allows downloading certain volumes of content to be read when there is no internet connection available or taking the advantage of cloud computing services.
Accordingly, publishers should analyze the pros and cons of each solution and assess in what circumstances and for what content a native app or a web app, or even a hybrid solution, is interesting to them and their customers and assume the editorial decision most beneficial and profitable for their business.