At 4FX, staying ahead of the latest tech developments is what we’re good at – we know it makes us the best at what we do and that’s something we deliver straight back to our clients. We’ve always used Microsoft technologies for app creation, with Xamarin as our bedrock, but there’s a new kid on the block – MAUI – an evolution that will help us keep riding the crest of the app development wave. Our developer Alex shares a whistle-stop tour of what to know…
RIP Xamarin
In the past, we’ve used Xamarin to create apps for Android, iOS and Windows, allowing us to deploy apps from a single codebase. However, Microsoft is phasing this out, or, to use software parlance, it is at ‘end of life’ – RIP Xamarin. The Android, iOS and Windows platforms are continually evolving, and with Microsoft no longer providing updates to Xamarin, there is a real risk that apps created using Xamarin would become obsolete or even cease to function on the latest versions of operating systems.
Enter MAUI
Sounds bleak, right? Well, don’t panic just yet, as (unsurprisingly) Microsoft is already ahead of the game. In May, a newly developed .NET Multi-platform App UI (MAUI) will come into play – an open-source, cross-platform app development framework for building mobile and desktop applications using a single, shared codebase. .NET MAUI combines the Android, iOS, macOS and Windows APIs into a unified API that enables our developers to create code once and run it anywhere, while also allowing deep access to every feature of each native platform.
Improved App Performance
In simple terms, this means we will continue delivering great apps with the latest software technologies, as our clients have come to expect from us. Ahead of the wave, our developers have been upgrading our apps to MAUI and, thanks to their efforts and that of our in-house professional software tester, our existing clients will see … probably nothing! This is because the apps will function in the same way and look the same, but with the added benefit of being easily upgraded and enhanced for years to come.
“App”lying the latest technology
Our adoption of MAUI is just one example of our passion for keeping our software current and upgraded, delivering technical excellence for our customers both now and into the future.
For more information on how our forward-thinking and innovative app development team can keep your business up to speed with the latest software, get in touch today on 01908 375200 or email us at getintouch@4fx.co.uk.
