If your company has already adopted Microsoft Teams, Whatsapp or any other communication software, then you’ll be familiar with this employer indulgence; we’re all a lot more contactable than we used to be in the days of email alone. The most common problem now is which of the many possible applications to set up a meeting or send a file through. 

In fact, one report from Saas agency Productiv shows that, in a large-sized company, departments use between 40-60 different applications, with over 200 applications used company-wide. 

Within this incredibly competitive jungle-space, PWA’s (Progressive Web Apps) are proving to be some of the most effective on the market. Using standard web technologies such as HTML, CSS and JavaScript, PWA’s are multiplatform software, working across desktop and mobile, without requiring separate bundling or distribution. Which means they’re incredibly easy to use and distribute. 

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The app that goes anywhere.

The benefit of having an app is that it's there on our home screens or pinned to our taskbars, something we can easily open and close a hundred times a day without frustration. The most accommodating app then is one that doesn’t rely on an internet connection or care whether you use an iOS or Android. It soldiers on with near-perfect functionality until it finds a wi-fi connection, allowing it to share all its work privately within the cloud.

That at least appears to be a key concern for many industries that rely heavily on fieldwork and data gathering, where reception is questionable, and where everyone brings their own devices to work on. 

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One complete seamless system.

Based on our own experience creating Datanest, this was one of the key concerns. We started by creating a completely seamless app that allows for data collection and individual app creation so that any information could be easily gathered. The same application would also have to enable information storage, management, analysis, mapping, graph and report creation, effectively replacing a whole fleet of individual applications.

To be completely seamless, however, Datanest not only had to mimic the tasks of multiple departments, but it also had to work as a complete system for the multiple department roles involved. This meant using a PWA approach rather than maintaining the same code across native applications or cloud-based solutions. The result is that someone can gather data onsite from their phone without a service network and then automatically send the information off when in range. 

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Towards the future.

Many companies have already started investing in developing their own PWA’s to secure users and increase conversions. Businesses like AliExpress, Alibaba, the Financial Times, Forbes, Medium, Twitter, Pinterest, Trivago, Spotify and Uber have developed their software approaches to reach the widest possible audience. By gaining the most amount of leverage, these apps have slowly carved their own places in the tech world, bridging gaps in mobile usage while remaining desktop friendly and playing both sides of the great tech divide. 

PWA’s will also need to keep up with the increasing demand for greater functionality and push notifications. Users will continue to want more input in their web apps, deciding on the look, feel and customisable features. Already, many PWA’s target businesses with easily-used templates, graphics and business analysis dashboards that traditionally required individuals or whole departments to run. 

And, if there’s one yardstick to measure by, it's that ease of use and adaptability will eventually trump the market every time. 

If you want to learn more about how Datanest works as a PWA get in touch or trial it yourself for free. 

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Sources cited: 

• “Progressive Web Apps: Is PWA the Future of Web Design?” on Brainhub. Date Accessed: 16th June, 2022. Site Link: https://bit.ly/3b4Ha91. 
• Grzybowska, Kaja. “20+ companies that use PWA and how it works for them” on divante. Date Published: 5th August, 2020. Site Link: https://bit.ly/3xQNYQF. 
• Torres, Roberto. “Enterprise app sprawl swells, with most apps outside of IT control” on CIO Drive. Date Published: 20th September, 2021. Site Link: https://bit.ly/3Qi5vbE.