Platforms: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Windows Mobile
License: Free

2.    Appcelerator is a free and open source application development platform. Appcelerator Titanium lets you create native mobile, tablet and desktop application experiences using existing web skills like Javascript, HTML, CSS, Python, Ruby, and PHP. It comes with an in built language-OS bridge and a runtime shell that compiles and packages your applications for cross platform distribution.

Platforms: iOS, Android based mobiles and tablets and windows/linux/mac desktop based apps
License: Free

3.    PhoneGap is a HTML5 app platform that allows you to author native applications with web technologies and get access to api’s and appstore. Allows to develop applications for iPhone, iTouch, iPAD, Android, Blackberry, Symbian and Palm becoming one of the few products that supports almost all major platforms. The company offers a cross-platform simulator (an Adobe AIR app), as well as online training sessions to help you access native APIs and build functioning mobile apps on the PhoneGap platform.

Platforms: iPhone, Blackberry, Android, Symbian and Palm
License: Free (Open Source)

The first release consisted of the core presentation framework, responsible for generation of the rich user interfaces, interactivity, user inputs and basic user interface controls, graphics, animation and media playback, DRM support, with DOM API integration. It has inherent support for MP3/WMA audio as well as VC-1/WMV video formats and optionally supports built-in media streaming. It has the ability to download and play audio-visual media content from any web server, progressively. It not only provides for blending of vector graphics and HTML to create persuasive content experiences but also assists in throwing up gorgeous user interfaces, animation and rich interactive video player experiences. 

The version 2.0 takes the experience a few notches up. Much to delight of the Silverlight developers this version comes with the complete CLR (.NET Framework 3.0), with the facility to host multiple instances of the CLR in a single process, and has this uncanny ability, built-in, to execute any of the .NET languages including C# and VB.NET. With these benefits, the associated XAML files, containing the programming logic, could easily be augmented by code-behind code, written in a choice of .NET languages. The super-strong CLR engine drives high-performance execution on browsers. This version comes with a plethora of user interface controls including CheckBox, TextBox, ScrollViewer, Slider, DataGrid, ListBox, StackPanel, grid, etc. – not less than atleast thirty of various UI, data-binding support, layout management and data management skinnable, encapsulated, template-driven controls. The rich library of built-in classes associated with the framework, with its support for Windows Phone Foundation user interface programming model, makes it one of the most potent technologies for developing superior web browser-based and SmartPhone applications. The Deep Zoom feature on the latest version allows smooth zooming in-and-out of images using the user’s mouse wheel. The amazing scaling up-and-down range, from megapixels to a few gigapixels, is optimised and managed efficiently by the technology feature. The Version 2.0 allows limited ‘filesystem’ access, using the operating systems’ native file dialogue box. In fact it does not mandatorily require ASP.NET to be deployed and utlised on the web-server and can easily leverage Linux or even PHP, if Silverlight programmers intended or required it to. 

Microsoft Silverlight 2.0, in association with Visual Studio 8.0 empowers programmers to produce striking applications on any browser or operating system. Developers can finally focus on the back-end application core without bothering about the visuals those could simultaneously be taken care of by the graphic designers using the power of XAML. Licensing is pretty simple while developers can pull weight of the powerful CLR to use Ruby, Python or even EcmaScript, etc., leveraging the .NET Framework! Dramatic improvement in browsing and operational speed on AJAX-enabled websites makes Silverlight development such a craze amongst the global developer community. No wonder this emerging cross-platform / cross-browser technology promises to throw-up tons of promises and opportunities ensuring enriching client experiences.      

Windows SharePoint Services or WSS, the free version, is bundled into Windows Server and enables individuals and teams to remain connected, agile and productive. MOSS relies on WSS, e.g. the 2007 version relies on WSS 3.0 technology for a seamless, consistent and accustomed framework of lists and libraries, for effective site generation, customisation and administration. However, the MS Office SharePoint Server offers far more evolved and enhanced feature-sets unavailable with the free WSS. For example it includes plenty of additional enterprise scenario site templates, associated with advanced content publishing needs. Even the search technology as well as utilities derived by integrating with enterprise resource management systems is far more enhanced.

 Microsoft Office SharePoint Server could be utilised to streamline a plethora of business processes and achieve a whole gamut of organisational requirements, like:

• The site templates could be utlised to set-up, manage, moderate meetings and collaborate on files and documents. Site templates in collaboration (e.g. document workspace) and meeting groups serve the purposes.

• One can easily synchronise the portal calendar with the one in MS Outlook. Entry, management, tracking, reporting and analysis of events, projects, tasks, activities and schedules are achieved easily.

• Blogging comes easy – creation of blogs, posting or subscribing for sharing of corporate data/thoughts/ideas is achieved at ease. So are brainstorming, creative collaboration and brainwave generation through wiki sites built on the portal framework. RSS feeds could be set up to keep groups and team members updated with news, web logs, developments or changes in schedule, etc.

• Establish effective project management – to set up, manage, monitor, review and modify project components, tasks, members, etc., with the help of statistical and graphical tools.

• To stay connected, informed and in control ‘on-the-move’ on mobile devices over enterprise information, projects, people and decision support systems, etc.

• To have mail connectivity – to be able to send and receive instruction, information and alerts to and from people, groups or even lists and libraries, to manage projects or scheduled tasks, etc.

• To manage work off-line – one can take tasks offline and work on files, as well as items like contacts, calendars, tasks, discussions, etc. and update them back online, at a later time.

• To have plenty of personalisations – one can present personal profile, keep contacts and lists and store content of interest in his very own My Site, available for every user. One can categorically manage ‘view and access’ of personal information by other users, with stringent privacy control mechanisms, or can even target specific users or groups with displays of library items, links and content, etc.

• To initiate effective searches – people, groups, files, documents, projects, resources, content, enterprise data, etc.

• Content collaboration – creation and authoring, storage, modification, conversion, version control, viewing, creating mark-ups, collaborating, auditing, incorporating workflows, publishing, records management, integration, policy implementation, mail management, etc.

• Web content management – enhanced design consistency for enterprise sites, intranet and internet portals. Standard templates ensure rapid generation, systematic publishing, editing and customisation of multiple sites, reducing costs, significantly. Comfortable site navigation with ease in building flavours and variations of design.

• Streamlined business processes, forms, workflows, distribution, collation, feedback, validation and approval systems 

• Providing a stable and structured object oriented environment across applications, over devices and technology environments.

• Minimising version conflicts typical of COM development.

• Simplifying code management – distribution, deployment and execution.

• Ensuring environment portability and language interoperability.

• Housing a library that is usable virtually by all programming languages those are supported by the .Net facilities and for all applications created for the Windows platform.

• Providing a development environment where program verification and validation processes are easy and secure.

   

  

  
  

  The following aspects define and lend character to the .Net Framework Architecture:

  The Common Language Runtime (CLR) Engine, the principal design feature, is essentially a virtual machine component that drives and regulates all programs and houses many in-built functions those serve many purposes including interoperability (by allowing access of COM components in the system, etc.), stress-free memory management, exception handling, garbage disposal, security, etc. The CLR infrastructure is built on .Net assemblies those are in the PE format, which is common across the Windows platform for all .exe and .dll files. The CLR checks with the metadata (those consists of assembly details and also assists in reflective programming) to ensure that the right methods are called. Although language compilers generate the metadata, developers can use custom attributes to generate their own set of metadata. The CLR feature makes the framework platform agnostic and widely compatible, allowing third-party developers to program and collaborate seamlessly with the platform. 

  A set of standard and base class libraries, arranged in a hierarchy of namespace is what constitutes the Base Class Library which essentially is a library of functions, is a component of the Framework Class Library, and is meant to be utilised by all languages using the Framework. The BCL comes to use to serve a multitude of common functions including access, reading and writing of files, database interfacing and interaction, graphic rendering, XML document management, etc. 

  The Framework allows a common and extensive security model cutting across all applications. It effectively deals with many freaky development susceptibilities including the likes of malicious software those exploit buffer overflows. Features like Code Access Security (CAS) and Validation and Verification lends .Net its strong and secure orientation. To run through the ‘execution’ process in the framework – an appropriate compiler compiles the code written in any supported language into an Intermediate Language or Managed Code. This compiled set of managed code is then run through the CLR, wherein it is further compiled and transformed to Object or Native Code by the just-in-time (JIT) compiler. This native code is then passed onto the OS or any associated hardware for execution.

   Though popularly considered to be a web development tool, ASP.NET is actually a part of the core Microsoft .NET Framework. Plenty of HTML elements are encapsulated in the ASP.NET controls those run on the web server and relieve the developers from redundancy who do not need to program or develop HTML elements from scratch. The technology’s consistent object oriented programming model and features and facilities like session management significantly reduces development efforts for the web or otherwise. Hence, command over not only the languages compatible with the .NET Framework but also an overall understanding and knowledge of the nuances of the framework lend credence to developers’ efforts, and is a must for Microsoft .Net programming.

As business models evolve with time, so does the need and magnitude of IT enablement. Flexibility and scalability are two very important factors influencing technology investments. Hence we offer our .NET Developer Services to our client organisations via completely flexible association models. Whether on a project-to-project basis, fixed-time-fixed-price, or in terms of remote application support and enhancement engagement, or for testing, validation and verification services, milestone-based, dedicated periodic hiring, skill-based hiring, or purely on Time & Material basis – we offer a fantastic range of flexible client engagement models – those could be set forth at the shortest notice, ramped up or down or adjusted quickly to changing business scenarios, fluctuating task load, priorities, change in scope and sensible business economics.

Benefits enjoyed by clients who have hired Verve System’s .Net Developer Services:

• Hassle-free Contracts. Transparent communication, processes, allocation, execution and service billing.
• Guaranteed protection of your Intellectual Property & Data.
• Quality of the highest order.
• Access to the best of breed, experienced Microsoft Technology, .NET Framework, Microsoft SharePoint, Silverlight, Ajax, Windows Phone application development Project Managers, GUI Designers, Programmers, Database Specialists, Testers, Technical Support associates, etc .
• Flexibility to choose an association model as per client’s comfort and business need – Fixed-price Project / Dedicated Hiring / Risk & Reward / Time & Material Basis / Hybrid.
• Flexibility to choose, select, hire and manage the resources/team of choice.
• Complete flexibility in defining the duration of association/hiring – hourly, monthly, milestone-based, for the entire length of the project cycle, under annual support contract, need –based, etc.
• Flexibility to adjust the scale of association based on demand / project-load (scale-up/down) / scope enhancement & evolution.
• Quicker project initiation with flexible, round-the-clock work hours, whenever necessary.
• Client’s complete control over project management, progress, delivery milestones and timelines.
• Effective, seamless and easy project communication.
• Better ROI on technology investments.

Our resources are virtual development arms, seamlessly connected to client’s software development processes. Our clients get to select-and-hire the resources of their choice – a far less obligatory hiring process with significant savings. We let our clients to choose from a judicious mix of interview/review of resources, verification of past credentials and testimonials, pilot and proof-of-concept projects to evaluate and validate our claim as one of the brightest option of association for hiring offshore .Net Developer Services. Hiring of dedicated resources is an ideal option not only for start-ups and small-and-medium and growing businesses trying to mitigate risks and operational overheads but also for smallish technology outfits constrained to take up larger Dot Net development projects due the lack of quality and affordable resources. Our large competent .Net Developer pool leverages their profound functional and technology knowledge, skills and experienced in churning out rapid, agile, quality and affordable software applications. Little wonder that Verve Systems today is at the forefront of providing quality off-shore Microsoft .Net resources for fixed-priced projects as well as on time-and-material basis, to global enterprises.

The fresh live tiles features are sparkling, allowing pinning of not only apps but also their intrinsic features, as well as people, groups, folders and playlists, to name a few, to the Start screen, once the developers provide for it. One can personalise it in way to be able to message or track pinned people or groups on various social media platforms, concurrently. Even when the list of apps overflows, a logically ‘alphabetised’ grid facilitates a quick apps search. Switching between apps has become easier with multitasking, while Social Media integration to the People Hub and enhanced communication between groups with threaded messaging are excellent new additions. Ability to leverage Windows Azure Technology helps developers churn out highly scalable, powerful, reliable, memory and resource optimised apps, for the version 7.5, at will. Bing Vision and Audio, Turn-by-Turn, Local Scout features with integratability of the Windows Live Messenger into Bing Search and People Hub makes the WP 7.5 Mango upgrade such a powerful platform for Windows SmartPhone Application development.

The online service, i.e. the web version of The Marketplace, allows users to track, lock, erase, reinstall or even access the version 7.5 phone apps, files, folders, download history, etc. from the web, a great utility when one has lost his phone. Freemium, the trial mode option in the Windows Marketplace is extremely popular with developers and consumers alike as developers can offer free trials to interested parties while consumers could try the app’s efficacy prior to spending on its full version. Facilities like App Connect and Deep Linking guides and enables consumers to become aware of, search and discover newer and apps relevant to their specific requirements.

The fluidity of the UI, with its multi-tasking functionality and enhanced speech capability makes the version 7.5 developers’ delight. Enhanced text-to-speech functionality of WP7.5 Mango along with its support for IE9 and HTML5 development paradigm with the flexibility to use Visual Studio makes it such a potent mobile apps development platform. No wonder many PC and Xbox developers are porting their games and apps onto the Windows Phone 7.5 platform. Silverlight only magnifies development ease as well as the power and utility of the apps delivered on the Mango platform. Over and above, the certification and on-boarding process helps protect Mango developers from having their apps violated by hackers.

A refreshingly powerful SmartPhone Platform, the Windows Mobile 7.5 Mango platform delivers a powerful punch, alright. Our developers can create customised Windows Phone Mango Apps for diverse categories as well as rich interactive games. Try out Verve Mobile Lab’s Mobility Apps and Games development expertise for Windows SmartPhone version 7.5 onwards and get pleasantly surprise with the amazing possibilities.

The built-in controls of the framework allow rapid development. The uncomplicated controls including list-boxes, buttons, sliders, panorama and pivot, etc. provide for the enriched look and feel of the Windows Phone application, while developers enjoy the luxury of a huge library of usable code-sets made available on the technology’s web station. In fact, its cross-platform flexibility with out-of-browser support makes inter-portability of back-end logic easy over platforms. A framework similar to Adobe Flash in its orientation and utility, its ability to integrate graphics, animation and multimedia interactivity on a single runtime environment, to support language-integrated query via RSS, REST, POX, JSON and a range of third-party codec, to integrate with feature-rich Ajax and Java Script, with its rich class and libraries makes Silverlight Application Development on the Windows Phone such a delight.

The runtime of the event-driven framework is optimised and ideally suited to the tight memory environment of Windows Mobile hardware, offering visual controls, represented through pre-built templates, for tasks including inputs, UI rendering, playback, gestures, controls, etc. and many stock controls like Button, TextBox, WebBrowser, CheckBox, MediaElement, Bing Map control, etc. The Silverlight Development framework uses resource dictionaries and styles to orient the common controls. On Windows Phone, it supports the lucid navigation style of the web, provides for page back-and-forth and history stacking methods, facilitating easy integration with the navigation model of the Windows Mobile device. Its coupling with the Visual Studio .NET integrated development environment has helped developers tremendously in extracting the best of the .Net Framework and the Silverlight API in delivering killer SmartPhone applications on the Windows Phone – rapidly and affordably, with remarkable ease of development. Developers providing Silverlight Services for the Windows Phone need to step up to the relatively high review standards set by the exclusive Apps Store, if they want their Windows Phone applications to rock the world!

Silverlight developer

The uppermost level is the ‘View’ which typically consists only of the XAML UI and related UI logic, which essentially are the Silverlight screens that are presented to the user. The View’s responsibilities include transacting data with the end users.

The lowest level is the ‘Model’. This represents the entities on the server, along with the objects responsible for interacting with the data stores. Data interaction in Silverlight can be anything from RIA Services to web services or raw XML.

The in-between ‘ViewModel’ entity’s responsibilities can be summarised as aggregating data those bind to the View, retrieved from the Model. It’s the superglue between ‘View’ and ‘Model’. Wrapping the data from the Model it makes it friendly for being presented and modified by the View. It also controls View’s interactions with the rest of the application (and other Views).

Additional players, for example service agents may be added into the Model-View-ViewModel mix to help segregate code even further in the Silverlight development framework. Since all the logic resides in ‘ViewModel’, this entity can be copied from a Silverlight application and inserted into a WPF or Surface application, for instance. This cross-platform extensibility greatly enhances ROI for companies those target multi-platform deployment.

WPF Bindings, WPF Commands, MS Expression Blend SDK interactivity functionality or even C# events (should be sparingly used) provide the necessary connect for communications between ‘View’ and ‘ViewModel’ as represented below:

Silverlight - MVVM pattern

If there is an implementation of the Model that encapsulates existing business logic, it may be difficult or risky to incorporate change. In this scenario, the ViewModel acts as an adapter for the model classes and enables the Silverlight developers to avoid making any major changes to the Model code.

Silverlight (XAML) and the Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM) architecture evolved together. Inherent in Silverlight developer framework elements and CLR objects are mechanisms to implement MVVM’s loose coupling and separation of concerns, allowing large Microsoft Silverlight developer teams to work independently on different parts, bringing the pieces together at runtime utilizing classes or object interfaces. Even designers and developers can work on the same code at the same time, improving code re-usability and workflow between teams, drastically reducing chances of disparity and re-work. The tightly coupled approach with event handlers embedded right in the codebehind of the presentation, resulting in difficult maintainability of codes has been eliminated with the MVVM pattern’s distinct unit testability benefit where the codebase can remain robust over the software’s lifetime

MVVM takes advantage of the data-binding features that are part of XAML technology. The MVVM pattern, a variation of the model-view-controller pattern, is extremely popular in developing ‘line-of-business’ Silverlight applications as it works extremely well with XAML and data-binding. Silverlight development using the MVVM pattern find rampant usage in applications ranging from IT infrastructure management systems for large redundant data centers to rich interactive web-based schedules for service providers. Through MS SharePoint integration, Silverlight has provided rich interactive interfaces for data critical financial management applications and in various sectors like Defense, education and healthcare to name a few. The increased use of the MVVM pattern in the industry is another reason that MVVM should be seriously considered in any Silverlight or WPF application.

.Net Developer Platform is the technology podium of choice for a large number of organisations and Net Developers including several Fortune 500, Public Sector, MNC, SME and Federal organisations. Verve Systems is ideally positioned not only to help organisations to embrace the .Net Development Framework for their web applications but also to provide enlightening consulting services in choosing the right technology, in adoption of global best-of-breed business processes and in rolling out efficient, feasible and affordable web-based applications on the .Net development platform.

Some of the aspects that make Verve a natural choice for global .Net development projects are as follows:

We thrive on innovation, we make our customers and partners party to our innovative approach in developing business critical .Net applications.

We attribute our success to our people – housing the very best .Net developers, consultants, engineers, programmers and associates.

We have successfully mastered the art of marrying off domain expertise with the best-of-breed Microsoft technologies, producing multi-dimensional web applications on the .Net development platform, for a wide spectrum of business and industry verticals.

We are a stickler for detail, meticulous planning, error-free execution and structured risk mitigation strategies.

We are unrelenting when it comes to adherence to quality, processes and deadlines.

We value our clients’ need for privacy, protection of data, applications and every other bit of intellectual property from infringement, misuse, tampering or loss.

We love challenging ourselves to exceed customer expectations.

We refuse to discriminate based on size, budget or complexity of the projects – our driving motto is to ‘add value’, irrespective of the dimensions.

Our uncompromisable agenda is “streamlined web-automation of business processes through simplified and rapid development and deployment cycles, increasing operational efficiencies at the lowest possible TCO and fastest possible ROI”.

Verve System’s best-of-class web development methodologies are aimed at successfully meeting client expectations, business aspirations and mutually agreed service levels. Irrespective of the size of the project, our large competent pool of .Net Developers have been efficiently leveraging their deep collective process, functional and technology knowledgebase in delivering quality web solutions. Project after project we have demonstrate striking consistency, successfully meeting deadlines and exceeding customer expectations. Our penchant for stringent quality, discretion and adherence to the processes has held us in good stead with our customers, globally. Our philosophy has been to ‘grow with our customers by proving them with quality, reliable, efficient, secure and affordable web applications on the .Net Development Framework, ensuring low total cost of ownership while ensuring the highest return on their IT investments’. No wonder, more and more global organisations are choosing Verve Systems Pvt. Ltd. as their ‘preferred long-term associate’ for Microsoft Technologies. No wonder Verve Systems has firmly established itself as one of leading solution providers in the field of web development based on the Dot Net Development Platform.

Under constant pressure to improve productivity and reduce costs, organisations have started making their IT set-up lean and efficient to adapt themselves to the rapidly changing business scenarios – scale up, down or modify their operational processes. Project or Process Outsourcing, Virtual Staffing and Dedicated Hiring of off-shore resources are growing at a blistering pace and have really come as a boon for organisations striving to keep their nose ahead of competition.

.NET Developers are usually hired at an off-shore location, the project management being handled in-house, especially in cases of business models those evolve with time, wherein the application software’s scope and deployment plan are yet to be clearly defined. Dedicated hiring could happen right from the starting to the advanced phases of development, based on the immediate need and could easily be discontinued with, once the scope has been met or scaled down. They are of immense utility when it comes to the software maintenance phase, where it probably makes much better sense to hire a much smaller set of .NET Developers, instead of a large in-house team. The dedicated .NET Development resources are virtual development arms and are seamlessly connected to the software development processes. The resources are hired at an hourly, weekly, monthly or fixed-period rate, based on the level, experience, skills and competencies of the .NET Developers.

Apart from the new adopters, many old world organisations have started porting their legacy applications to the .NET platform. This has led to a surge of skilled .NET Developers in the last few years. Many Indian software companies house large pools of quality .NET Developers, and get them to serve as dedicated off-shore resources as per the budget and requirement of their clients or deploy them on specific flexible time-and-material engagements.

The organisations get to pick-and-choose the dedicated resources, the process being far less obligatory in comparison to an in-house .NET Development team. These resources deliver quality and streamlined assignments in quickest of turnaround times with complete confidentiality and security of critical data and intellectual property. All of these at a cost a few notches lower than the on-site resources, with little or no operational overheads. No wonder dedicated hiring of .NET Programmers from India is gaining such momentum in North American, European, Asia Pacific, or even in the Far East regions.