Home / Insights / Blog / What is Application Development and Maintenance?
April 12, 2021 - by Synoptek
Leveraging software applications to drive business growth is quickly becoming a game-changer for organizations around the world. From transforming end-user experience, creating new revenue channels, and making business innovation-ready to targeting a wider customer base – IT software is one of the single most important elements within an organization. This has made application development and maintenance a strategic requirement for all of those looking to add value and improve business outcomes.
To gain more insight into application development and maintenance, we spoke to Synoptek’s Director – .Net Development, BSSG – App Development, Brijmohan Bhavsar. Keep reading as we get a deeper understanding of what application development and maintenance is all about, its benefits, best practices, and what the future holds.
Application development goes through a process of planning, creating, testing, and deploying an information system, also known as the software development lifecycle. Applications are also often developed to automate some type of internal business process or processes, build a product to address common business challenges, or drive innovation. Today, a majority of organizations are looking for custom solutions to support their individual business needs, and to be on par with cutting-edge technologies by developing robust applications that are scalable, secure, and easily maintainable.
For many software development projects, getting the product in the market quickly, ahead of the competition is key. This is no easy task, considering that skilled domestic software developers come with a high price tag, and the demand for their talents is high. Outsourcing software application development is a smart strategy for many businesses, as it enables companies to reduce development and production time without draining budgets.
Application maintenance is the continuous updating, analyzing, modifying, and re-evaluating of your existing software applications. Application maintenance must be an ongoing task to ensure your applications are always running to the best of their abilities. Due to evolving customer expectations, the fight to survive in an existing market, and technological advancements, modifying and implementing new strategies is critical in maintaining sustainability and staying competitive. Every competitive business needs to constantly enhance and manage the IT solutions that have been developed in order to stay relevant and meet the wavering needs of users. This is where application maintenance and support come into the picture.
Contrary to popular belief, application maintenance is not just about fixing defects, but modifying a software product after delivery to correct faults, as well as to improve performance. Application maintenance and enhancement to existing applications begin with a thorough study of existing applications to identify areas of improvement.
Robust application development and maintenance enables companies to effectively manage their application portfolio through customized solutions. Let’s look at four of the major advantages application development and maintenance provide:
Developing and maintaining applications is not always easy, but, by following these application development best practices, businesses can ensure quick time-to-market and ongoing success.
An application development partner can be an invaluable tool when it comes to creating and maintaining high-quality applications. For best results, select a partner who is experienced, communicative, and offers ongoing support.
Your internal team needs to be well-versed with your applications to deliver the best results, so prioritize team training around new applications or existing application updates.
Ensure all involved parties are on the same page about application development and maintenance strategies by documenting and distributing fully.
User experience is key to a successful application. Test from an end-user perspective to find and work out any possible kinks.
Keep up to date on application regulations, policies, and practices to keep your applications compliant and avoid penalties.
Communication is vital, especially if you’re using an external application partner. Communicate frequently with all involved internal and external teams so you can work together as seamlessly as possible.
Your applications should fit your current organizational structure, market, and finances, but be adaptable and flexible should these change.
These application development and maintenance best practices ensure that applications are of high quality and are vulnerable to minimal bug interruptions.
Flexible and scalable architecture and intuitive user interface have become prime requirements when developing applications as user expectations become more intensified. Gone are the days when application development and maintenance was restricted to just mobile and web apps; today they cover a host of enterprise systems ranging from marketing technology software, cloud-based mobile apps using IoT, data management solutions, and more.
Successful application development companies today make use of the latest tools like Visual Studio, TFS, VSTS, and SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and technologies like .Net 4.5, MVC, jQuery, MVVM, C#, VB.Net, and SQL Server to develop robust applications that have a direct impact on process efficiency, quality control, and also improve workflow handling. A well-developed and maintained application enables organizations to experience a substantial improvement in throughput, with a sizable reduction in time, resources, and overhead costs.
Great user experience to end customers through the development and maintenance of modern apps is a must-have. Today, applications (web or mobile) are the most cost-effective and powerful ways to reach out to a vast market and generate revenues. With millions of applications being rolled out every day, it’s a good idea to keep in mind a few tips:
Trends in IT emerge and fizzle with the blink of an eye. As we move forward, we will see a host of trends in the application development and maintenance landscape, such as:
The latest applications enable business organizations to automate a plethora of everyday processes, in order to drive business value. With businesses typically using a combination of commercial, off-the-shelf software, and proprietary software, dealing with changes in hardware platforms, software operating systems, and commercial and regulatory requirements, as well as changing user needs is an everyday challenge.
Application development services enable organizations to manage all aspects of the software product development from start to finish – from the design, and coding, to testing, ongoing improvements, and debugging of software – in an effective manner. Maintain and modernize business-critical applications, enhance their stability, eliminate downtime, reduce support costs, and get maximum value from your applications, around the clock.
Contact Synoptek to discuss how your business can benefit from application development and maintenance services.
