The Ultimate Native Cloud App Development Guide

Do you know that over 99.5% of apps fail?

What’s the reason?

Statistics show that 25% of customers uninstall an app after first use. The primary reasons for customers to abandon an app are:

1. low performance
2. unresponsiveness
3. outdated features
4. complex interface

Moreover, for businesses, it has become expensive to maintain the software and hardware requirements of the app. 

However, there’s a solution.

Cloud computing has come out as an advanced technology. Cloud native app development enables you to build apps that are cost-effective, scalable and high performing. 

The best thing about native cloud apps is that they are flexible and portable. Due to microservices, it is quick to build and update the app. This keeps your business future-ready for any market trend. Further cloud powered apps work smoothly on all platforms and require less coding. So, you don’t need to code apps for different platforms separately.

If these are what you are looking for in your app, then this guide is for you.

What is native cloud app development?

Native cloud app development is the process of building an app using the cloud infrastructure. 

In a cloud app, the user device only acts as an input device. The entire app data storage and processing takes place on the remote server. These are maintained with APIs. 

However, some data is stored on the user's device as cached. 

How does this help in enhancing app efficiency?

1. Due to cached data, the app has minimum device requirements to run.
2. This allows the app to function seamlessly on major devices and platforms.
3. Cloud apps frees the user from browser capacity as these apps can run on all devices. The only thing it needs is an internet connection.
4. Another good thing about cloud apps is that you can access them offline. Once the device is connected to the internet the offline data is uploaded to the server and the app is updated.
5. With cloud apps, you don’t need to worry about data backups, optimizations and encryptions. You can schedule it as and when you require it without any hassle.

Often businesses confuse native cloud apps with app migration. Here you need to understand that a native cloud app is built from scratch using the cloud architecture. These apps are developed to utilize the full potential of cloud features. 

On the other hand cloud migration or app migration often works as a "lift and shift" philosophy. Though app migration will benefit you in several ways, it won’t be as effective as native cloud apps.

There is a reason cloud computing has become a popular choice for businesses. Every business is unique with specific requirements. Cloud offers a wide array of computing models to cater for your needs. You can choose from a variety of models as per your business goals.

There are two types of cloud computing models. They are:

1. Deployment models
2. Service models

In the deployment model, you can choose the type of cloud you want. You have the option to select a public, private or hybrid cloud.

Whereas in the service model, you can select the service type. For this, you need to analyze the software and hardware requirements of your application. Then as per your technical needs, you can choose IaaS, SaaS or PaaS.

How does native cloud app development benefit your business?

Thanks to microservices, containers, CD, DevOps and other cloud architecture, these apps drive business growth and innovation.

Here are some of the notable benefits of native cloud applications.

Scalability

You cannot ignore scalability in today’s business landscape. As per the changing customer preferences and market trends you will have to scale up or down your app.

With on-premises infrastructure, scaling becomes expensive. You will have to invest in additional IT infrastructure including data storage and security. Further, you will need to hire IT experts to maintain your app.

All these become a huge financial burden on your business. Not to forget the complexities that come with managing on-premises IT infrastructure.

Cloud gives you the flexibility to scale up or down whenever required. All you need to do is to pay additional costs for the extra services used. 

Here what you will pay will be a fraction of what you will need to expand your on-premises IT resources.

Efficiency

Cloud apps are way more efficient than web based applications. All thanks to the microservices and containers. 

App components are divided into microservices that include containers. Each microservice has its own function and does not interfere with others. 

The independent nature of the microservices makes it easier to modify and upgrade the app. 

It is because if one component of the app is faulty or requires an update, it won’t disturb other components. So, while the users smoothly enjoy other functions of the app, you can resolve or upgrade the faulty component.

Therefore enabling uninterrupted app functioning and enhancing user experience.

Speedy Development

Native cloud app development allows developers to quickly build, modify and deploy applications.

Two factors contribute to the speedy app development.

1. Containers application architecture
2. CD and DevOps

The container architecture helps developers quickly build and deploy components without the need for complex coding. This simplifies the app development. 

The CD and DevOps streamline and automate the app development process. Your team can follow the DevOps practices to quickly build and release software products. This reduces your time to market and increases your app development efficiency.

Cost-effectiveness

Cloud development offers several cost benefits over on-premises infrastructure. In the latter, you will have to spend a hefty amount to run and host software applications.

Not to forget the complications in managing the on-premises infrastructure. Compared to that, the cloud provider relieves the burden of managing the software and hardware infrastructure.

While cloud services are based on a "pay as you use" model. You will have to pay a much lower amount to build and manage your applications on the cloud. 

Further, the cloud pricing model only charges you for the services your app uses. For example, if your app witnesses a traffic spike for a specific time, you will have to pay for additional resources for that time period only.

Portability

The container architecture makes native cloud apps portable and widely adaptable. 

Containerized applications can run on any platform smoothly without changing the code. Moreover, you can always shift your app to any platform or cloud provider.

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How To Build A Native Cloud App?

Native cloud app development might be the best business decision you take. But if you don’t outline your requirements and goals, you won’t get the results you intended.

So before starting to build a native cloud app, you should be clear about:

1. App features and functionalities
2. Cloud architecture
3. Cloud app development tech stack
4. Service model types
5. Business requirements and goals
6. Budget
7. App testing 
8. Technical maintenance 

In addition to these, you should also do a prior research on:

1. Current market trends
2. Customer demands
3. Target audience
4. Customer pain points
5. Potential competitors

By the time you are done with the above points, you will have a clear idea of the type of app you want and how to develop it.

Here are the steps you need to follow for native cloud app development.

Assess Your Requirements

The first step to building your cloud app starts with assessing your requirements.

1. Evaluate the type of app you want to build.
2. Also, decide the features, functions and customizations you want in your app.
3. Some businesses consider app migration to leverage the benefits of cloud.
4. However, app migration is very different from native cloud apps.
5. Though app migration will cut down your IT infrastructure cost and enhance app efficiency, it won’t be native to the cloud.
6. To fully harness the cloud benefits you need to build an app with microservices architecture.

Hire Native Cloud App Development Company

Hiring a professional cloud app development company is the most crucial step of your app’s success journey. 

1. The right cloud app development company will have the technical expertise and experience. They will help you refine and turn your vision into a viable product.
2. The company will assist you in analysing your business requirements and suggest app development accordingly.
3. From app ideation, market research, workflow, and design, to choosing MVP features, a reliable company will be with you at every step.
4. Choose a company with a rich portfolio of successfully delivered projects.
5. Assess the technical expertise and knowledge of the latest technologies of the team.
6. Review the development process and the company’s approach to security, privacy and testing.
7. Do not forget to discuss the NDA and contract’s terms and conditions before proceeding.

Architecture

You need an app that is flexible, scalable and functions efficiently. For this, you will have to evaluate your app choices very carefully.

1. Analyze which cloud type you require.
2. Compare cloud providers like AWS and Azure to see which one suits you better.
3. Also, review the cloud computing service models to select the one that fits your requirements.

Defining Tech Stack

The tech stack is the core component of your app development. That is why it's crucial that you select the right tech stack for your app. 

Some of the common tech stacks used in native cloud app development are:

For data and app: 

1. ClearDB 
2. Cloudant 
3. Akamai

For DevOps

1. DataDog 
2. Jenkins
3. New Relic 
4. Sauce Labs 
5. Bitbucket 
6. Cloud9 IDE

For Business tools: 

1. G Suite 
2. Jira 
3. DocuSign 
4. UXPin 
5. Balsamiq
6. InVision

Cloud App Development & Testing

Native cloud app development usually follows two methodologies:

1. Scrum development
2. Agile development

The team you hire should be proficient in both methodologies. This will ensure that you build a robust app.

Another factor that you should focus on is app testing. The team's Q&A engineers should minutely test the app for bugs. A rigorous testing process helps to resolve issues and avoid unintentional disruptions.

App Launch & Maintenance

Once your app is ready, you can launch it on Google Play and App Store. 

Google Play has an automated testing process for approval. So, you can expect the approval result in a few days. However, if your app is rejected, they won't tell you the reason.

On the contrary, the App Store delegates the testing to its team. So, the approval might take longer than you expect. Further, you will have to pay $299 a year to join the Apple Developer Enterprise program. 

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What Is The Cost Of Native Cloud App Development?

Usually, a basic cloud app development that takes around 200-300 hours costs $15000. 

While a complex cloud app development requires 600-800 hours. This type of app will cost you around $50000. 

Moreover, a SaaS cloud development service falls in the price range of $1000 to $1,000,000. 

These are just average price estimations for native cloud app development. The cost of building a cloud app depends on various factors:

1. App design, features and functions
2. Project complexity
3. Team location
4. Cloud service provider
5. Tech stack used
6. Timeframe

Note: The above prices do not include the cost of cloud service providers. Depending on the hosting platform you choose, the provider will give a rough estimate of the cost.

How Can Ampcome Help You Build a Native Cloud App?

Ampcome has over a decade of experience in cloud computing and app development services. We have best-in-class developers who are equipped with the latest technologies enabling them to build robust and feature-rich apps. 

Our commitment to excellence and quality makes us stand out from others. We go a step further to understand your business needs and suggest cloud development solutions driving your digital transformation.

Get on a call with our experts to accelerate your digital transformation with advanced cloud computing services.