Cloud

Software program designed to run on a mobile device: phone, tablet, or watch and stand in contrast to desktop apps designed to run on a desktop computers and web apps which run in desktop and mobile browsers; mobile apps are one of three types: Native, Web, and Hybrid.

• Native apps — built for specific mobile device; you can't mix and match different device apps (e.g., use Blackberry app on iPhone)
  
  
• Web apps — responsive versions of websites; can work across mobile devices because they’re delivered using mobile browser
  
  
• Hybrid apps — combines Native and Web apps; looks and feel like Native apps but wrapped within Native app and can function offline

BaaS, or mobile Backend as a Service (mBaaS), is a model of cloud computing in which the vendor provides web and mobile application developers with tools and services to create a cloud backend for their applications.

BaaS vendors typically use custom SDKs and APIs to give developers the ability to connect their applications to backend cloud storage and features such as user management, push notifications, and social network integration.

Web development approaches that allow websites to properly display on multiple screen sizes, such as desktops and mobile devices. Responsive design dynamically change the appearance of a website based on the screen size; typically, website building platforms that use the Responsive design approach do not allow as much flexibility when designing without code.

Adaptive design platforms create two or more versions of a website and then deliver the correct version based on the device requesting the page; for example, it delivers a desktop version and a mobile version. This distinction allows users to freely customize the look of their website without having to write custom code.