Best AI Cross-platform Development Frameworks

It’s a lot more than task automation with AI in cross-platform development. For the frameworks that leverage it, developers can develop versatile - efficient applications. The popularity of cross-platform app development stems from its unique advantages. As its influence grows, so do tools and frameworks for cross-platform development in the market. This surge initially happened gradually and then suddenly, tons of mobile app development companies became eager to explore what it could do for them. 

The Trajectory of Cross-Platform Apps

Internet service started in the 1980s. Back then, you needed a PC to access the web. But as technology developed, mobility became one of the most important aspects of the user experience. Users started to experience the temptation to use the internet while on the go. This impulse was increased by the introduction of smartphones and tablets in 2012. Today, your phone provides 100x the experience a PC would have back then.

According to Statista's analysis of internet accessibility, mobile users account for more than 55% of all online traffic. This information was sufficient to support a change in the way native mobile apps are developed. Mobile app development and mobile apps started to take precedence over other factors. The original response was to create distinct desktop and mobile applications. However, it didn't take long for developers to realize that this approach was not only lengthy but also expensive. As a result, cross-platform app development gained momentum.

Enter AI

AI’s role in cross-platform development frameworks is consistent when it comes to developing apps and optimizing their performance. But the true potential of AI becomes most apparent when it's integrated into the development cycle. AI in cross-platform development isn't just about keeping up with the trend; it's about pushing the boundaries of what's achievable. In the development cycle, AI does a few things; fine-tunes algorithms, automates coding tasks, predicts user behavior, analyzes data, and personalizes the user experience.

To get the most out of these features, developers need the right framework and AI/ML expertise. With that said, here are some ideal options:

For integrating AI:

TensorFlow: Best suited for tasks like image or speech recognition, natural language processing, and more complex AI tasks.

PyTorch: Ideal for developing AI-driven features within cross-platform apps. Its got a dynamic computation graph and user-friendly interface which is best for tasks demanding neural network implementation.

Keras: A high-level neural networks API that simplifies AI model integration. Great for tasks like image classification, text generation, and recommendation systems.

For Cross-Platform Development with AI:

React Native: Excellent for delivering consistent, AI-enhanced user experiences across iOS, Android, and the web.

Flutter: Offers a single codebase approach and customizable UI components, which is ideal for creating visually appealing, AI-powered cross-platform apps that prioritize performance.

Xamarin: Focuses on code reusability and allows AI functionalities in cross-platform apps. Good for developers with C# skills aiming for a smooth development experience.

For User-Friendly AI Integration:

Ionic: Great for creating aesthetic mobile apps with integrated AI features for iOS and Android.

Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile: Facilitates code sharing across iOS and Android platforms, great for tasks requiring consistent AI features across devices with native-like performance.

The Age of Personalization

Many brands struggle with personalized customer experiences, which was evident in a Gartner report that revealed the struggle in 63% of digital marketing teams. Interestingly enough, less than 20% of them have used AI or ML throughout their operations.

What machine learning does in the context of cross-platform development is make software that not only accommodates user choices but also adapts to and picks up on user behaviour. Machine learning makes judgements based on data analysis. It anticipates user behaviour and fine-tunes algorithms to maintain a customized user experience. 

Again, tools like TensorFlow, PyTorch, and Keras are great because they enable features like natural language processing and predictive analytics. These technologies allow programmers to produce dynamic and adaptable applications that take into account user preferences and actions, ushering in a new era in which software not only meets user demands but also develops along with them. Machine learning is the future of cross-platform development, its ability to completely change the user experience is enough to lock that claim in for most developers.

Moving Forward

This year, mobile apps are projected to do almost a trillion dollars in revenue. With that in mind, it begs the question; What frameworks should you choose? The simple reply is that it depends on the company and the functional specifications of the app. If you want the best advice, reach out to a qualified and reputable provider who will not only put you on a path to success but also limit the headaches of getting started.

Written By Ben Brown

—

ISU Corp is an award-winning software development company, with over 17 years of experience in multiple industries, providing cost-effective custom software development, technology management, and IT outsourcing.

Our unique owners’ mindset reduces development costs and fast-tracks timelines. We help craft the specifications of your project based on your company's needs, to produce the best ROI. Find out why startups, all the way to Fortune 500 companies like General Electric, Heinz, and many others have trusted us with their projects. Contact us here.

8 Trends in .NET Development in 2023

There’s so much opportunity for .NET developers in 2023 when it comes to growth and innovation. With that said, as user demands grow, so too does the pressure to enhance .NET applications. Of course, we’re seeing Microsoft consistently innovate the framework to empower .NET developers. However, gaps in updates can be big setbacks for companies and stakeholders, leading to a chain of functional setbacks and unmet expectations. To avoid this, grasping the latest .NET trends is crucial. 

Commonly, the gaps disrupt 5 key areas; performance, compatibility, documentation, security, and third-party dependencies. These missing pieces can expose security vulnerabilities in applications. Given the prevalence of cyber attacks, this is typically enough for companies to reevaluate their applications. 

How Relevant is .NET in 2023?

The Stack Overflow Developer Survey from last year unveiled that ASP.NET Core & ASP.NET are the favoured web frameworks. 

With that said, here’s a look at some of the hottest trends in .NET development right now that are shaping the way developers enhance applications to mitigate these risks:

1) ML.NET

Machine learning has taken center stage, and Microsoft's ML.NET framework is at the forefront of this transformation. By integrating machine learning in the .NET ecosystem, developers can infuse their applications with AI-driven insights and access pre-built models that span across applications, everything from natural language processing to image recognition.

Additionally, ML.NET is open-source, which means the framework is continuously evolving and benefitting from the collective expertise of the development community. The last thing that should be noted is just how user-friendly this platform is for developers of all skill levels. That aspect comes from its graphical user interface (GUI) called Model Builder, which is a tool that integrates into Visual Studio. The GUI allows developers to build, train, and ship custom machine learning models in their .NET applications.

2) Cloud-native Development

Leveraging cloud computing in app development is an approach born out of the reliance, we could even say “attractiveness”, of cloud computing environments. Creating and managing applications in this environment is a developer's paradise. It’s scalable, it’s flexible, and it provides resources on demand.

Cloud-native development breaks applications down into microservices that scale on their own which in turn makes the application more adaptable and responsive to user demand. 

3) .NET MAUI for Native Apps

Creating native applications for different platforms is very intense as every developer knows. .NET MAUI lets you create native mobile and desktop apps with C# and XAML. It’s beating out Xamarin. Forms and is meant to build apps that run on Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows from a single shared codebase.

MAUI uses .NET 6 as a foundation, offering a consistent runtime and framework for crafting applications from a range of platforms. This integration utilizes contemporary capabilities like hot reload, which enables real-time code adjustments without necessitating a complete app rebuild. MAUI lets developers create apps on either PCs or Macs and upon compilation, then turns them into native app packages. 

For instance, MAUI constructs Android apps using C#, which is subsequently converted into an intermediate language (IL), then just-in-time (JIT) compiled into a native assembly upon app launch.

4) ASP.NET Core

Originally introduced in 2016, ASP.NET Core is a far more advanced version of .NET where developers can build websites and web applications using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It stands as an open-source framework tailored for crafting cloud-based applications. This framework is a reimagined edition of ASP.NET, and it features architectural enhancements to build a modular structure.

Unlike ASP.NET, the Core version has cross-platform adaptability and the development process is a lot more streamlined. Its framework integrates MVC and Web API, alongside the inclusion of Razor Pages for simplified creation of page-centric applications. Additionally, it offers a lightweight and efficient HTTP request pipeline and is compatible with hosting on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

5) Blazor

Microsoft created Blazor as a means to build web apps using .NET and C#. The idea is that developers can write client-side web UI experiences using HTML, CSS, and C# instead of relying heavily on JavaScript.

Blazor presents two methods of hosting: Blazor WebAssembly and Blazor Server.

Blazor WebAssembly: In this approach, the entire application operates within the user's browser. The application is fetched as a WebAssembly binary and executed within the confines of the browser. This facilitates a dynamic user interface, akin to conventional single-page applications built using JavaScript.

Blazor Server: In this alternative, the application's visual elements are generated on the server side and then conveyed to the client through a live connection. User interactions are managed by the client-side code, which then relays them back to the server for processing. This model does streamline the client-side experience which makes it ideal for scenarios demanding real-time updates or when client-side resources are more limited.

6) Xamarin for Mobile Development

Xamarin is a cross-platform mobile development framework that developers can use to build native iOS, Windows, and Android apps using C#. It uses a single codebase for building apps across multiple platforms, which can save time and resources. This trend is you’ll see continue to grow as more businesses look to build mobile apps for multiple platforms.

7) Movement Towards Open-Source

What you’ll find with most tools nowadays is that they’re open-source models, which are primarily driven by Microsoft's efforts and the desire for flexibility and community-driven improvement. Also, many businesses are using open-source software internally and contributing to open-source projects which has been a big driver in the adoption of open-source in .NET development. 

8) .NET in IoT

Given the proliferation of IoT networks for security and automation in various enterprises, the demand for compatible applications has surged. In response, .NET enables the construction of applications specifically for IoT devices and sensors. It also provides a specialized framework, known as the Nano framework, created for crafting applications for embedded devices.

The libraries .NET offers are good for interactions between applications and a range of IoT input devices, sensors, System-On-Chip components, RFID elements, GPIO, I2C, and port interfaces.

Moving Forward as a .NET Developer

C# and .NET programmers are highly sought after by both startups and major tech corporations. For large-scale applications, these technologies are very commonly used which makes being proficient in them a superpower for developers in 2023.

Written By Ben Brown

—

ISU Corp is an award-winning software development company, with over 17 years of experience in multiple industries, providing cost-effective custom software development, technology management, and IT outsourcing.

Our unique owners’ mindset reduces development costs and fast-tracks timelines. We help craft the specifications of your project based on your company's needs, to produce the best ROI. Find out why startups, all the way to Fortune 500 companies like General Electric, Heinz, and many others have trusted us with their projects. Contact us here.

The Modern Take on Cross-Platform App Framework

Apple’s mobile App Store was developed and launched on all of their mobile devices back in 2008, and a few months later we were introduced to Google Play, Google’s equivalent to the App Store. Ever since these two mobile app stores were released, app development soared through the roof and has continued to grow up until 2021. 

Originally, all apps being released were native, meaning they could only be installed through their specific application store (IOS or Google). However, in recent years, many mobile apps have been developed as cross-platform, meaning their applications are designed to be compatible with more than one operating system. Take Spotify for example, their application is cross-platform across Google, Apple’s App Store, Playstation, and XBOX. 

The Difference Between Native and Cross-Platform Applications

Developing a native app does have its benefits. A native app is more tailored to its specific operating system, allowing app developers to produce a fluent application. There are a few experts who still believe that native apps are superior. However, budgeting is usually the driving force behind the shift towards cross-platform development. 

Ben Sandofsky, a professional app developer, said in a tweet “At this point, everyone knows that apps built with cross-platform frameworks only ship if you compromise quality. But nobody has measured whether they save time over just half-assing two native apps”. 

It is, however,  important to remember that the technology available for app developers is constantly changing, indicating that it is worth revisiting this topic from time to time to double-check which development option is the way to go.

Pros and Cons of Native VS Cross-Platform Apps

Cost

Native apps have a high cost of development compared to the significantly lower cost of developing a cross-platform application. 

Usability

Native apps only function on a single platform, whereas the cross-platform app codes can be used on multiple and have easy portability. 

Device Access

Native apps are tailor-fit to the specific operating service on which they will be built, allowing for the app to access the device’s full API without any issues. Cross-platform does not usually allow this same functionality. 

Performance

Native apps are known for their seamless performance because they have been developed specifically for their OS. Modern cross-platform apps are also high performance; however, they may experience frequent lags and compatibility issues. 

There are a variety of reasons as to why developers would choose either one of the application types. The choice must be made as to which application best suits your companies business model and operational goals.

For more information on app development, contact us.