Are desktop applications going out of style? For decades, technology tethered all consumer and B2B applications to the computer hard drive, making them available on the user’s desktop. Either we purchased software in a retail store and loaded it onto a computer, or we downloaded and installed products from the Internet. But higher Wi-Fi speeds and the transition from dial-up to high speed cabling opened doors to cloud technology.
Desktop Applications Still Make Sense
There is no reason to sound the trumpets for the death of desktop applications. Consumers still need to use their laptops and desktop computers at home, as the recent pandemic and work-from-home lifestyle prove. When we go back to full time work in our office buildings, we also make daily use of desktop applications specific to our field of work.
Although there are web-based apps for word processing, spreadsheet use and a wide range of other purposes, we still need desktop applications. It is more convenient to have these applications on our hard drives. We can thereby control their use and availability, even when the internet goes down or no internet is available.
Many desktop applications widely used today actually started as cloud software. Trello is a good example of this. Instead of having to choose one resource or the other, today’s users can mix use of desktop apps with cloud-based computing. At the same time, a user cannot rely on their tablet or smartphone screen for all activity. There is still ongoing need for larger environments beyond handhelds.
Why Desktop Applications Are Experiencing a Resurgence
Desktop application development is actually experiencing a resurgence. This is because users realize that being on the desktop has many benefits not offered by mobile devices. Some of these benefits include:
- Greater privacy over web-based apps
- Improved security for personal information and device data
- Greater everyday usability
- Availability even when Wi-Fi goes down
- Suitability for a specific userbase, such as in workplaces
The Combined Mobility-Desktop Approach
Having access to desktop applications does not always limit users to that one type of device. Instead, these apps can bridge a gap between computer-based use and our devices. Each of these computing environments have benefits that remain, no matter how much we live our lives on the go. The two types of app use complement each other.
Many brands today seek web-based apps for the same purposes or as a supplement to desktop apps. This opens the field of use, portability and convenience to your customers who can make the choice between desktop and mobility. Desktop applications can even provide a broader experience than on the mobile device. You can provide the mobile version as a value-added benefit to desktop.
Of course, the world of computing is ever-changing. The recent coronavirus pandemic and how it altered workplace expectations provides a great example of the shifts computing must make. With varied quality of Internet connections from one place to the next, imagine relying only on Internet for all business purposes. Indeed, many home-based workers during quarantines had to scramble to gain better Wi-Fi access, just to keep up with their peers during work performed at home. Not having desktop applications can delay the speed of business.
Options Are Key to User Engagement
Providing your users with the option of having a desktop application is of significant value to your brand. For users to engage with your offerings, you need to meet them where they live. For many today and in the years to come, the desktop is a must. Instead of transitioning their work or lifestyle to only mobile device use, they marry the two types of environments for shared use. Desktop application development continues its evolution to meet your users’ tech use needs.
