Scott Michaels interviewed by ComputerWorld Canada on challenges faced by companies getting into the mobile space

ComputerWorld Canada released an in-depth article yesterday about how companies should approach mobile apps and some of the issues they may encounter along the way. ComputerWorld interviewed Atimi Software Vice President, Scott Michaels, for his insights on this.

The article advises companies not to rush into developing an app, but instead to clearly decide on a business objective that the app will satisfy. Although it is important not to overload the app with unnecessary features, Michaels says that the first release should be substantial and represent your brand accurately. An app only gets one first impression on a user and if the app looses its audience early on, chances are that people won’t download later versions.

Scott also advises companies not to try “feature matching” their competitors, stating that it is a losing strategy. Instead companies should figure out what their “crown jewel” is or too look at what the competing apps aren’t doing. This is the best strategy to take in becoming your audience's app of choice.

The article looks at many aspects of app development including how to choose a third-party developer and determining what can realistically be done by in-house IT versus what should be contracted out.

Check out the full article