Member Avatar for Lisa Hoover

According to recent research from InStat, smartphone users typically download five software applications at a time. Reports from market research firm Net Applications indicate 66% of those who access the Web use an iPhone, while the rest use Java, Windows, or Android-based phones.

As the number of smartphones grow, so does the amount of third-party applications available for download. Clearly, the numbers show that the iPhone isn't the only game in town -- though it does seem to have the most enterprise apps available.

Lots of businesses are creating smartphone apps to enhance or compliment their products and services, and with good reason -- everyone and their brother carries a cellphone. If you're contemplating developing an app for your business, have a look at Everypoint's Nemo mobile app builder.

Nemo is a mobile application platform that helps developers create, distribute, and manage smartphone apps that can be used on any Java-enabled device, including Nokia, Samsung, SonyEricsson, LG and Motorola models. That covers a wide swath of mobile phone users without limiting your app's availability to only iPhones or BlackBerrys.

To get an idea of what Nemo can do, take a look at , play around with some apps, and even download the source code and tutorials. “These five mobile applications were developed over a period of only a few weeks and already represent some of the most graphically impressive and feature-rich applications ever seen on feature phones,” said Allan Mackinnon, Founder, President and CTO of Everypoint.

The emulator has some games, a stock ticker, and a horoscope app for visitors to test. Bearing in mind that it's tricky to navigate a virtual cell phone in lieu of a real one, I think the demos look great. I can easily see using any of them on my BlackBerry and also my standard Samsung camera phone.

As mobile apps become easier to develop, there's really no reason not to consider adding one to your arsenal of customer service tools. If you're new to mobile app development, or want something that works "out-of-the-box", Nemo looks like a great place to start.

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by peter_budo

Dani AI

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Good catch by and useful follow-up from about account access. Before investing time in a platform demo, treat the emulator and any “downloadable source” as part of an evaluation checklist rather than proof of suitability.

Practical checklist when judging an on-the-fly mobile builder:

  • Privacy & access: confirm exactly what personal data the provider requires, where it is stored, and whether a business account option exists.
  • Output & compatibility: verify the binary/package formats the tool produces and which handsets or OS versions are actually supported.
  • Testing & install flow: emulators lie. Make a tiny prototype and install it on at least one real, low-end phone you expect users to have.
  • Performance & size: check generated app size, memory usage, and startup time; many feature phones need tight resource budgets.
  • Signing, updates & distribution: find out how updates are pushed, whether apps must be signed, and what the carrier or storefront constraints are.
  • Support & longevity: assess documentation, source access (what is gated by account), and whether the platform is actively maintained.

Quick developer tips you can apply immediately: build the smallest useful feature first (list + refresh), keep images tiny and reuse assets, move heavy logic to a server API, and add graceful degradation for devices without certain APIs. Log and measure on-device behavior rather than relying on the emulator’s performance numbers.

Next steps: if you trial the service, review the privacy/TOS, create a minimal prototype, test it on a real handset, and use that evidence to decide whether to continue with the builder or go with a native/HTML5 approach instead.

Member Avatar for peter_budo

Small correction, tutorial and code only available if you have requested account and provide lot of personal data

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