Practical Salesforce Architecture

Chapter 9. Mobile Platforms and Customization

Salesforce offers several different options for mobile device application functionality. When contemplating your options for mobile, take care to gather a full perspective on the capabilities of each. Names and features in this space are highly fluid. In addition, Salesforce’s investment in the mobile landscape changes from year to year, and new platform offerings and acquisitions alter the momentum behind each stack. Salesforce isn’t much different from other platforms trying to navigate the rapidly changing mobile technology landscape in these regards.

To navigate the options available, it’s important to understand the different types of mobile applications. For the purposes of this book, we’re going to group them into three categories: web-based, native, and hybrid. These distinctions are important for security and fit for each use case they serve. Some offer highly customizable, independent interfaces while others are prebuilt and only partially customizable. Compatibility, functionality, and capabilities also vary across platforms (iOS or Android) and device types. It is therefore crucial to have a clear device roadmap solidified before starting any major Salesforce implementation that includes mobile device access.

Mobile Application Types

At a high level, we can distinguish between three types of mobile applications: native, hybrid, and web. Web-based applications have code and functionality available on the internet and ...