San Mateo-based cloud company Appirio has announced a new mobile application framework that is custom engineered for public cloud platform deployments.
Leveraging the Force.com cloud platform, the new framework allows developers to build custom, native mobile apps without writing native iOS device code. It helps manage mobile apps in real-time without requiring any redeployment.
"Unlike web apps that just 'happen' to run on mobile devices, mobile cloud apps give companies a better way to centralize the control and the maintenance of apps while taking advantage of the cool features, performance, and offline capabilities that only native apps offer," said Narinder Singh, chief strategy officer at Appirio.
Appirio says that its "mobile-specific technology-enabled" service offerings allow developers with little or no iOS experience to create solutions that combine the speed and usability of a native mobile app with the flexibility and manageability of the cloud.
The company also asserts that its new offering enables iOS apps to be updated in real-time, in the field without needing to redeploy. Appirio says it has already built templates for field surveys and location-based services, as well as time and activity tracking functions.
In line with this week's announcement, Appirio is also lauding CloudSpokes, a 10,000-member strong crowdsourcing community for cloud development founded by the company itself in February of this year. The CloudSpokes community has already produced a native iPad app that allows users to "find" and "check-in" to nearby salesforce.com accounts.
