If you’ve been following this space, you already know all about – and hopefully have been impressed by – ViziApps’ native app capabilities. But never content to rest on its laurels, MobiFlex has just added web app capabilities to ViziApps 2.0, making it the first and only no coding solution for creating both web and native apps for iPhones, iPads, and Android phones.

Who doesn’t love a one-stop shop? Now users who choose ViziApps 2.0 can design and test both native and web mobile apps for free. Web apps created with ViziApps are available for immediate use on any of the more than 5,000 mobile devices that support full browser capabilities.

The addition is a logical expansion for MobiFlex, whose users had been clamoring for ViziApps web app capabilities. And who can blame them? ViziApps 2.0 allows small- to mid-sized businesses and enterprises to fully engage with employees and customers wherever they are through custom mobile apps that can be created and published in days – or even hours.

Think this is all really going to cost you? Hardly. Publishing fees for ViziApps web apps range from a mere $6.95 to $149 per month, depending on the number of web app pages and page views. And what’s more, to celebrate the launch of ViziApps 2.0, MobiFlex is introducing the ViziApps Free plan, which allows users to publish a ViziApps web app with unlimited static-content pages for up to 2 million page views per month. ViziApps 2.0 also enables users to publish a ViziApps native app for free for their own use on their iPhone or Android phone.

Sometimes even the best gets better.

It should go without saying that Facebook is becoming one of the most important marketing tools at a small business’s disposal. The power of social media — and Facebook in particular — to help a business engage with and build community among its customers cannot be overstated.

Which is why we have, with MobiFlex 1.96, added a Facebook sharing capability to our ViziApps mobile app development tool. With it, users have the ability to share text and media files — including images, videos, and audio — via Facebook, as well as via SMS and e-mail. Users simply select the Share action in the property sheets of buttons, image buttons, tables, and switches.

The addition was a no-brainer for the MobiFlex team. We’ve always been committed to helping our users engage with their customers, employees, partners, and community at large, and Facebook is one of the fastest and most effective ways to do that.

So what else is new? MobiFlex 1.96 has added an array of other features, including a Select action for tables that enables multiple table rows to be selected and counted; and a Go to Previous Page action, which we discussed here last week. The latter allows users to improve their app’s user experience and seamlessly link from their app to external resources, such as help documentation, with the tap of the back button.

Sounds like a big deal, right? We think so. This new self-service platform will build on the first-generation mobile-app platform that we launched earlier this year, and the features and capabilities it offers — enhanced visual app design tools, visual data integration access, and more — allowing business owners and managers to quickly create and publish mobile apps. And all work is done visually, eliminating the need for technical expertise, coding skills, and major time commitments.

ViziApps also eliminates the need for massive capital budgets. Our proprietary system of drag-and-drop wizards, selection tools, widgets, and graphic interface features is free to use to create and test mobile apps. Only when you are ready to publish your app do you pay a $99 provisioning fee. From there, a monthly subscription fee of $10 to $199 — based on the app’s number of users and screens — is the only remaining cost.

As you’re undoubtedly aware, mobile apps are becoming crucial for small- and mid-sized businesses to encourage engagement and build community. With the new ViziApps platform, we make it easier, faster, and cheaper than ever for you to create and publish them. Come visit us atViziApps and we’ll show you how we do it.

Also, please read this great article about MobiFlex and ViziApps from Xconomy.

So you have a mobile app developed and ready to go. What comes next? How do you get your app into the hands — or, rather, onto the devices — of the people you want to use it?

You may not realize it, but you have a few options. The one you probably thought of first is the Apple iTunes App Store, where — no surprise — you can publish iPhone apps. On the Android side of the spectrum, Google’s Android Market is the primary public option for Android apps.

But other publishing options are emerging. Amazon, for one, has introduced its own Appstore for Android, and others are certain to follow. And alternately, web apps can be published directly from their source — think your website — because they’re primarily web pages that are being sent to people’s phones through RSS feeds.

It comes down to this: the best way to distribute and publish your app depends on the nature of the app itself. If it’s for consumers, or if you want to give it away or sell it broadly to a whole range of public users, including B2B customers or partners, then iTunes and Android Market are attractive options.

However, the requirements for publishing within each are different. Both iTunes and Android Market require you to have an app developer license. For iTunes, the license is free for an individual, but in most cases you’ll need a $99 per year company license. You apply through Apple.com, and you need to supply specific information about your certificate of incorporation or other evidence that you’re a legitimate business entity. It typically takes 30 or more days for Apple to approve new licenses of this type, so users should start this process right away when they want to get their app into the iTunes App Store. Click on this link to register as an Apple developer.

Android Market works a bit differently. There, a developer license can be purchased for a one-time $25 fee, and you can typically get approval within 24 hours and be publishing your app immediately thereafter. Click on this link to register as an Android developer.

So where do we come in? At MobiFlex, you create and test your app for free. When it’s ready to publish, we provide you with the app file, which you simply submit to Apple or Android Market just like a custom-developed app. Bear in mind: Apple does a very careful review of every app submitted. They’re looking for security backdoors and technical bugs, as well as objectionable material. These are all very logical and understandable criteria. But Apple also has other rules that you can see at the Apple developer site after you register as a developer. For instance, Apple can reject apps that they, in their sole judgment, believe are “only for marketing purposes with no intrinsic value” or that lack real commercial or entertainment value. This review process usually takes a week, but it can take longer. When apps are rejected, they need to be carefully restructured to address the issues before they’re resubmitted.

On the flip side, there’s no review in the Android Market. Apps submitted there will typically appear within a few hours for access by users.

But what if you’re not interested in sharing your app with the public? Say you’re a corporation and you have an app that you want to distribute strictly to your employees? Apple offers an option for “enterprise distribution.” This is for apps that are intended for a company’s internal users, and there are some authorization and authentication requirements.

As you can see, businesses have a number of options for publishing their mobile apps, with others on the horizon. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. how we can help you get your app into the market.