Netbiscuits Shows Next-Gen HTML5 Framework

Netbiscuits, a provider of solutions for building web apps for mobile devices, has announced Tactile, its new design and development framework that taps web standards to enable the creation and delivery of engaging mobile web experiences.

Introduced at the SXSW 2012 conference, Netbiscuits Tactile uses the Netbiscuits software as a service (SaaS) cloud-based platform to simplify development and deployment complexities while reducing the time and cost of publishing and maintaining high-quality/rich user experiences for the feature-packed, gesture-driven devices available to users today.

Multi-device environments targeted

“As more consumers across the globe turn to the mobile web to search, shop, share and connect, marketers have to create and deliver even more engaging branded experiences in multi-device environments,” said Michael Neidhoefer, chief executive of Netbiscuits, in a statement. “We help Enterprises to do this efficiently without compromising quality of service. Netbiscuits Tactile closes the technical and creative gaps encountered when trying to create HTML5-based, touch-enabled mobile web apps that render properly no matter the device, operating system or country in which the consumer is going mobile.”

Tactile is a cross-platform publishing environment that combines server-side optimisation, client-side optimisation, device detection, progressive enhancement and responsive design. It uses web standards such as HTML5 and CSS3 to help developers deliver web apps that can be rapidly created without wasting time and resources compensating for browser, operating system and device fragmentation.

Moreover, for developers and designers, Tactile identifies the specific device classes requesting access to their content, tailors diverse multimedia content from a server and delivers that content in formats optimised for a device’s specific profile and screen dimensions, Netbiscuits officials said.

Web apps produced using Tactile provide end-users with a responsive and reactive experience equivalent to those enjoyed on native applications.

Netbiscuits’ Tactile Markup replaces a large portion of JavaScript, reducing the size and complexity of the code without compromising the user experience. Tactile also delivers “out of the box”, cross-platform optimised display and behaviour effects and events.

Advertising campaign

In addition, Tactile’s Device Information Services provide device characteristics from the device and from Netbisquits databases to all touch points of a web application – at the edge enhancing redirection decisions, at the back-end systems allowing for specific device-class computing and at the client side for native user experience.

And Tactile’s HTML5 framework also allows developers to extend the JavaScript library at all layers – from kernel to UI components – or using CSS preprocessor capabilities.

Based on its ability to support a range of devices and tablets, Netbiscuits was selected to deliver a global mobile campaign for soft-drink maker Sprite, the company said. As part of this, Netbiscuits developed the smartphone and feature phone versions as well as a demo tablet edition of “the Sprite Uncontainable Game” to illustrate how functionality is developed across all screens around the globe.

The interactive program teams six basketball players, including Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, to discover 24 amateur basketball players from around the world who will represent either Team Sudden or Team Intense in the Sprite Uncontainable Game during NBA All-Star 2013 in Houston, Texas.

Integrating with any back-end system for all types of mobile websites, Netbiscuits Tactile can be leveraged on all multi-touch devices. Developers can find a full list of supported devices here.

Rich customer experience

The Netbiscuits mobile platform combines rich customer experiences for mobile websites and apps, including sophisticated web tools for cross-platform delivery and optimisation, an open development environment for full platform customisation and extension, and the efficiency and power of next-generation mobile publishing via cloud computing.

Netbiscuits also combines the flexibility and control of a development environment based on a markup language that was made for mobile, with the convenience, scalability and security of on-demand, cross-platform mobile delivery. This combination provides the best of both worlds and lets developers and IT professionals focus on innovation, without having to worry about infrastructure.

Netbiscuits technology helps enterprises maximise the mobile opportunity by removing the complexity of programming for many devices, enhancing their in-house and outsourced development resources and reducing the amount of time and money it takes to execute your mobile strategy.

In addition, Netbiscuits delivers more than 9.6 billion pages per month and supports more than 27,000 mobile sites and apps globally.

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