The Basics of Mobile App Virtualization

Mobile apps no longer need to be downloaded to a person’s mobile device to work. Mobile app virtualization allows you to offer your app to anyone using a mobile device without them having to download your app first. While there are some very obvious reasons why your users will enjoy your app being virtualized (particularly as it won’t be taking up space on their device), there are several benefits for you as well.

If you are interested in seeing if app virtualization is right for you – or you are just curious as to what it is – keep reading.

A Quick Definition

To your users, the app appears to work as any other app would – they won’t’ see any changes in the way the app works. They will be able to open it, minimize it, and use it as they would any app they’ve downloaded.

For you, the app will be a lot easier to manage. The apps will need to be able to work with the different operating systems, but you won’t have to create files that deploy to two or more operating systems. This can both help save time during the development process, and makes it easy to maintain the app and release changes simultaneously.

It does require an additional layer for the virtualization though. This layer interacts between the user’s operating system and the app. By using this virtual layer, the app will work with the operating system remotely with the use of one executable file. This is why virtual apps can work with any operating system, giving your users a way to use the app regardless of the device they are using.

Comparing Application and Desktop Virtualization

App virtualization is similar to a virtual desktop, but they are definitely not the same thing. When someone accesses a virtual desktop, that includes everything that the person would access from a computer. That means that they have all of the apps that they need and the operating system that they need. This is how they are able to access a different operating system regardless of the computer they are using. You can use a Mac to access a virtual PC desktop, and vice versa.

Application virtualization is far less flexible. Just like accessing an app on a PC is different than using the same app from a Mac, your app will act somewhat differently based on the mobile device’s operating system. It provides an easy way of allowing access that minimizes data transfer. It is much easier to establish security for a virtualized app than a virtualized desktop.

What you should keep in mind is that both are accessed by the user from a virtual setting. However, what they offer is significantly different since one provides a single app while the other is essentially a full computer experience.

The Pro and Cons of App Virtualization

The benefits of offering a virtualized app are as significant for you as for your users. Here is a quick summary of the pros.

• It is very easy to deploy and to install, so you won’t have to worry as much about providing customer support. Installation questions are common, so this can provide a much less frustrating experience for you, and over time, your customer support staff.
• They are easy to remove.
• Releasing updates is much simpler, and if you need to rollback a released version, this is also very easy to do.
• There are fewer conflicts between your app and other apps that it accesses.
• Security is much simple,

While there are many reasons to go with a virtual app, there are some notable drawbacks to it as well.

• Some apps do not lend themselves to being virtualized. Anything that requires a large amount of space to work properly, such as an app that is graphic intensive, will have severe lag when accessed virtually.
• The app needs to be able to work well offline in case the user does not have a strong connection.
• If your app has a requirement that includes a device driver and accessing memory, it won’t work well in a virtual setting.
• If the app accesses personal information on the phone or peripheral devices (particularly printers), it will be a lot more complicated to develop than if the app is just directly downloaded to the device.

In most instances, a virtual app will be easier and more cost efficient, but that isn’t true for all apps. If any of the drawbacks may apply to your app, make sure to spend time researching how your specific needs to make sure virtualization won’t ruin the end user experience.