Using cross-platform development tools to build apps can reduce development time by up to 50 per cent, according to a new report from research2guidance.
The analyst firm’s Global Cross-Platform Tool Benchmarking Survey found that more than half of developers using cross platform tools — such as Marmalade and Titanium — reported time savings of more than 30 per cent compared native development tools, while a third said they had reduced development time by 50 per cent. 
However, the survey also found that there is a limited awareness of cross-platform tools and some developers are reluctant to use them due to limited development capabilities compared to native development.
Critics of cross-platform development environments also say that initial development time savings are lost during the debugging stage.
Due to the different capabilities of cross-platform tools, research2guidance recommends that when choosing a tool, developers should consider the number of supported operating systems, accessible device hardware features, available API services, and access to pre-installed apps.
App development efficiency, developer experience and the quality of the resulting app (performance, design, usability) are also important considerations.
By Mobileworld
