Flutter For Enterprise App Development: A CEO’s Guide

Flutter For Enterprise App Development: A CEO’s Guide

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, businesses of all sizes are embracing mobile app solutions to reach a vast global user base. When it comes to mobile app development, Flutter has sparked debates and discussions since its inception, primarily due to its cross-platform development capabilities.

Flutter has long been favored by startups and mid-sized businesses for its cost-efficiency. However, it is now poised to make a significant impact in enterprise-grade app development, positioning itself as a formidable player in the mobile development arena.

Recent statistics from Statista highlight the increasing popularity of Flutter among mobile app developers, with adoption rates of 30% in 2019, 39% in 2020, and 42% in 2021. If this trend continues, Flutter could surpass a 50% adoption rate among app developers by 2022. This blog explores the compelling reasons for Flutter’s extended application in enterprise app development.

Flutter Being “Hero” Among Developers

Flutter needs no introduction in the world of mobile app development. This open-source hybrid app development framework, backed by Google and supporting languages such as C, C++, and Dart, has always been a topic of interest among developers.

Flutter is essentially Google’s UI toolkit, comprising a Software Development Kit (SDK) and customizable Widget UI libraries. It enables developers to build native-like apps for multiple platforms using a single codebase. While it supports C, C++, and Dart, Dart is the preferred choice for most app developers.

But why Dart? Dart is an object-oriented and web-based programming language that is gradually replacing Kotlin in mobile app development. Dart’s Ahead-of-Time (AOT) functionality, also known as Just-In-Time Compiler, ensures fast compilation, enhancing Flutter’s performance. This combination of Dart and Flutter empowers developers with customizable widgets and robust object-oriented functionality.

According to Google’s 2020 survey, there were approximately 2 million Flutter developers, with 500,000 dedicated Flutter Software Development Kit users. Flutter offers numerous advantages to developers, including:

• Single Codebase: Write code once for all devices, including mobile, web, and desktop, while maintaining a native feel.
• Widget Tree Structure: Organize code effortlessly with an actual tree data structure formed by combining various stateless widgets.
• Hot Reloading: Simplify UI development and bug resolution by enabling developers to see real-time changes in the app as they make code adjustments.
• Pixel Rendering: Utilize pre-built libraries and widget UI kits for precise pixel control on the screen, facilitated by a robust 2D rendering engine.

Flutter’s appeal goes beyond these features, making it a preferred choice among cross-platform app development frameworks.

Big Enterprises That Have Used Flutter In Their Massive-Scale Projects

Flutter’s capabilities extend beyond startups and mid-sized businesses. It has earned the trust of several major enterprises that have leveraged its technical prowess and user-friendly features for large-scale projects. Here are some prominent examples:

• Google Pay: This online payment and rewards application handles a massive user base and relies on Flutter for efficient management.
• Alibaba Group: The development of the Xianyu app, a cloud-based e-commerce platform, benefited from Flutter’s streamlined app development process.
• BMW: The global vehicle companion app for BMW automobile users was scaled up using Flutter, ensuring a consistent user experience.
• eBay Motors: Flutter accelerated software development for this online car buying and selling platform.
• Dream 11: A popular online fantasy cricket platform in India, Flutter supports over 50 million fantasy sports enthusiasts.
• Tencent: Flutter was employed to enhance front-end support for several ongoing app projects, improving development efficiency and developer experience.

These examples demonstrate Flutter’s versatility and suitability for enterprise-level applications.

Why Use Flutter For Enterprise App Development?

Enterprise applications cater to businesses of all sizes, from startups to medium-scale enterprises and large corporations. They are designed to serve a broad user base while addressing specific applications and stringent cybersecurity requirements.

Flutter’s extensive library ecosystem, with over 4,000 libraries and strong community support, positions it as an ideal choice for enterprise app development. Let’s delve into the specific enterprise mobile app development requirements that Flutter fulfills, making it a compelling option:

1. Layered Architecture for Proven Efficiency

Enterprise apps typically follow a layered architecture comprising interconnected layers for presentation, service, business logic, and data access. Flutter addresses these requirements by providing:

• Access to well-documented app design and development requirements.
• Facilitated communication and collaboration within cross-functional teams.
• Clear documentation of validated codebases.
• Navigational features that are easy to understand and use.

Flutter simplifies networking with web resources, storage systems (including local and SQL databases), and library plugins. It offers features such as:

• Easy State Management: Flutter integrates with open-source tools like the Provider Framework and libraries like BLoC, Redux, and setState for efficient state management. RxDart complements Flutter by enabling seamless integration with state management tools and meeting asynchronous programming needs.
• Code Independence: Flutter ensures code independence across different native platforms through dependency injection. GetIt Locator, a dependency injection library, works in tandem with state management frameworks to separate app code layers effectively.
• JSON Serialization and Deserialization: Flutter supports these processes, enhancing RESTful client functionality and improving the user experience.
• SQLite: This database solution facilitates the storage and processing of large structured databases. Flutter also offers limited local storage capabilities to ensure app functionality even when external databases are inaccessible.
• Push Notifications: Enterprise apps rely on backend integration to notify client-side apps about services and updates. Flutter employs libraries like Firebase Messaging and Uni Links for proper navigation and push notifications, enhancing the user experience.

2. Development Environment For Native Apps – Android & iOS

Flutter seamlessly integrates with development environments for native app experiences on Android and iOS. Supported IDEs include Android Studio, IntelliJ, and Visual Studio Code, with Mac and Xcode preferred for iOS development. Flutter offers an extensive library ecosystem that simplifies app development and maintenance.

Key advantages include:

• Scalability: Flutter’s Dart ecosystem allows for smooth app scaling by importing Dart Packages with extended libraries. This flexibility enables the transition of applications to other platforms, such as the cloud.
• Testability: Flutter widgets support three essential app tests: Unit tests, Widget Tests, and Integration Tests, ensuring comprehensive test coverage.
• CI/CD Support: Flutter integrates seamlessly with native Android and iOS toolsets, enabling enterprise CI/CD setups for efficient deployment on Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

3. User Interface

A compelling user interface is crucial for the success of any app. Flutter provides extensive support for creating captivating user interfaces with Cupertino Widgets for iOS and Material Widgets for Android.

You can enhance your enterprise app’s user engagement by incorporating the following design features using Flutter:

• Animation: Flutter offers Flare, a comprehensive 2D vector animation library, enabling the creation of captivating animations.
• Infinite Scrolling: Similar to popular apps like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, Flutter allows you to implement infinite scrolling using widgets like ListView and libraries such as EndlessPaginationListView and EndlessPaginationGridView.
• Page Transition: Achieve seamless transitions with the page_transition package, providing a variety of transition effects to suit your app’s requirements.

Flutter’s extensive library base and active open-source community enable the implementation of features like image caching, app responsiveness, neuromorphic views, calendar views, timelines, and more through custom packages.

4. Hardware Requirements For Faster Processing

Optimizing hardware access is essential for delivering a feature-rich app that operates seamlessly on mobile devices. Flutter allows developers to access device hardware for tasks specific to hardware components.

Common hardware access permissions include:

• Location
• Camera
• Contacts
• Biometric authentication
• Storage (Files and Media)
• Speaker and Microphone
• Accelerometer
• Gyroscope

Flutter enables developers to implement these hardware accesses effectively, ensuring a rich and user-friendly experience.

5. Top-Notch Flutter Mobile App Security

Data security is paramount in today’s digital landscape, with compliance requirements varying by industry and region. Flutter supports compliance with internet cybersecurity norms, including HIPAA, HITECH, PCI-DSS, and ISO standards, depending on the industry-specific enterprise app being developed.

To safeguard your enterprise app, Flutter provides robust security measures, including:

• Authentication: Protect app access with biometrics, PINs, and passwords using Flutter’s Simple Auth, ensuring user data remains secure. Prominent apps like Google, Amazon, GitHub, Facebook, Instagram, and Dropbox utilize similar authentication methods.
• SSL Pinning: Install SSL certificates to enhance web security, bolstering your Flutter enterprise app’s credibility and protecting data transmission.
• Code Obfuscation: Hide API keys within your Dart code to prevent third-party code reverse engineering.
• Flutter_Secure_Storage: Secure your app’s storage with this plugin.
• RootBear and DTTJailBreakDetection: These plugins enhance security by protecting Android and iOS devices from jailbreaking.

Other Enterprise App Development Requirements That Flutter Meets

Beyond the above-mentioned aspects, Flutter caters to various other enterprise app development requirements, including:

• Integration with Adobe and Firebase Analytics tools.
• Implementation of app error reporting for efficient code debugging using the Sentry Library.
• Access to custom libraries and third-party build libraries for comprehensive app development.
• Advanced functionality, such as QR code generation and scanning, using custom Flutter libraries.
• In-app sharing, cross-app sharing with user accounts, personal contact list management, text and multimedia messaging, and in-app payment functionality using Square’s in-app payment SDK.

Flutter Going Beyond iOS and Android Support

Up to this point, we have discussed Flutter’s capabilities in building cross-platform apps that emulate native Android and iOS apps. However, Flutter is evolving to support additional platforms, including Web, Windows, MacOS, and Linux. This means that a single codebase can compile and run on all these OS platforms, delivering efficiency in both time and cost.

Flutter’s advantages as a cross-platform development tool include:

• Accelerated code development through the use of custom packages as Dart code libraries, reducing time-to-market.
• Consistency in code and app UI logic across various mobile devices and operating systems.
• A close resemblance to native apps, enhancing the user experience.
• Flutter’s high-performance rendering engine, Skia, built in C++, for rendering 2D widgets.
• Robust and secure app development with minimal business risk exposure.

The open-source Flutter developer community continually adds custom packages and libraries to extend its cross-platform development support, ensuring that Flutter remains a versatile and future-ready choice.

How Will MindInventory Help You in Enterprise App Development Using Flutter?

The adoption of Flutter in enterprise-grade development has gained momentum in the mobile app development industry. Flutter not only offers cost-efficient solutions but also empowers businesses to innovate and roll out digital services effectively.

Flutter stands out as a practical solution for businesses of all sizes, enabling the development of mission-critical apps across multiple platforms with a single investment. When it comes to bringing your enterprise app vision to life, MindInventory is your ideal partner.

Conclusion

MindInventory, a leading Flutter app development company, offers expertise in harnessing the full potential of Flutter for enterprise app development. Our talented team of Flutter app developers is equipped to transform your vision into a reality within a budget-friendly framework. Contact us today to embark on your enterprise app development journey with confidence.