Will HTML5 make apps superfluous?

Even before online advertising on mobile devices became an issue, this area with its numerous forms of advertising was a complicated matter. And it soon became clear that what worked on desktop screens could not simply be transferred to mobile devices. So special solutions and apps were created to load optimized programs onto smartphones and tablet PCs. But the apps fever of recent months is only a success story at first glance. Anyone who wanted to launch an app had to have it developed (often in-house) and then wait for it to be released in Apple's App Store. Anyone who wanted to be present not only on Apple devices but also on Android devices (and Windows Mobile, Blackberries etc.) had to repeat this procedure several times. Even if it only involved minor changes - which were then often pragmatically dispensed with. It became even more tedious and time-consuming when rich media solutions were to be used on mobile devices. This is because Apple banned Flash plug-ins for web browsers from its mobile devices, not least because they put the computers under too much pressure, which would have led to poor battery life.

A miracle cure?

HTML5 has long been touted in technical circles as a miracle cure for such calamities. This new version of the web language is regarded by developers as the "living standard" and will therefore not be officially adopted in the near future, but will be continuously developed further. The development teams of the various web browsers are therefore in a race to see who has already implemented the most of the numerous new features. Google and Apple are in the lead, as they have not only implemented HTML5 on their desktop browsers (Chrome and Safari respectively), but also on their mobile platforms (Android and iOS respectively). Many of the features that were previously only available with apps in collaboration with software developers are now accessible to web developers, making it quicker and easier to proceed. This is not the first time that the promise of "write once, run anywhere" has been bandied about in IT. And because quite a few people believe this with HTML5, the end of apps is often predicted. A year ago, for example, an American market research institute predicted that the peak of the apps wave would be in 2013. And the consulting firm McKinsey&Company predicted in a recently published report that half of all mobile applications would have switched to HTML5 within the next three to five years.

HTML5 does not only bring advantages

The new web standard not only offers advantages, the devil is in the detail. Not all features are implemented equally and completely in every browser. These features therefore deserve special attention: Video and audio: just like images today, these two media forms can be easily displayed in the browser. There is no longer any need to install and maintain separate plug-ins. However, there is currently no defined video format that must be supported by all browsers. Formats that can be implemented license-free have been discussed as a minimum standard. However, not all of the features demanded by the market can be implemented in this way (e.g. legal protection), which is why there will probably continue to be various solutions in the future, including proprietary and license-based solutions. Also because online video advertising, for example with pre- and post-rolls, is currently based on Flash, it will continue to be necessary to support several video formats. Design: Where today Flash from Adobe has to be used for 3D presentations and animations, for example, many design variants can be implemented directly in the browser with the new web standard. Online games can thus run directly in the web browser and be easily distributed - especially on mobile devices. Forms: It becomes easier to use forms to enter complex data, which are simpler and more fluid to use. Local data storage: With HTML5, web browsers can also store data locally in their own databases. Just like apps today, web applications such as price lists or timetables can simply be stored in the browser and can then be used without a connection to the network. Data protectionists fear that this option could be used to store far more user-specific data than can be achieved with the cookies available today. It is becoming clear that new web standards, which are summarized under the abbreviation HTML5, can boost the content business and online advertising on mobile devices. At the same time, related industries such as telecoms and devices will benefit as it becomes easier and more attractive to use data communication services on the move. For strategic and tactical planning, it is therefore advisable to monitor the development of HTML5 and take it into account accordingly. In future decisions on the launch of apps, the question will have to be asked as to whether the current expense is still justified or whether a solution with HTML5 can already be used. To ensure that such decisions can be approached competently and then implemented, the order of the day is to build up the relevant expertise. Once the relevant skills are in place, applications with HTML5 can be implemented and brought to market more easily and quickly. And because such applications are output in the same way as other web content, it is easy, for example, to test new variants with specific target groups in real time using A/B testing. Another important advantage is that there is uniform analytics data and it is no longer necessary to add up usage figures from different app platforms as sensibly as possible. If you want to have quick access to such an HTML5 application on your cell phone, simply save an icon with the corresponding link.

The spoilsport factors

But it wouldn't be the first time that technicians have come up with a new wonderland that fails on the market. There are a number of potential spoilsport factors to consider: Where it says HTML5 on it, it doesn't necessarily have to be HTML5 in it. Although all new browser versions currently emphasize their HTML5 capabilities, the same features are not always implemented identically and completely everywhere. If HTML5-capable browsers are available, this does not necessarily mean that they are in use everywhere. This is likely to be a significant obstacle, especially in the desktop sector, as many people seem to be as afraid of software updates as the devil is of holy water. On mobile devices, software updates often take place OTA (over the air) and are therefore largely painless. On mobile devices, there are still arguments in favor of apps: they can be easily sold via the app stores. They are less dependent on good data connections than is often the case with HTML5, where network access is often required for data storage and calculations (so-called cloud computing). And apps can easily access device components such as the camera, microphone or tilt and acceleration sensors, which is not provided for in the HTML5 standard and for which additional software packages are required. However, there is hardly any way around HTML5: This is the only way to display video content on Apple's widespread mobile devices - a user segment that hardly anyone will want to do without. The New York Times, for example, embeds video clips on its websites without using Flash. And YouTube has been offering videos for mobile devices with an HTML5-capable browser since last summer. Although apps are currently en vogue among companies and agencies alike, in future what will be needed above all is a good website that is designed and optimized for mobile use in accordance with the latest web standards. Christoph J. Walther