In a lot of companies, the app idea has been sitting in a drawer for months. Not because it is a bad idea, but because the path to it looks enormous: one version for the iPhone, another for Android, maybe a web interface on top, two developer accounts, a review process at Apple and Google, and then the question of who actually fixes things when they break. It sounds like a project you would need your own IT department for.
It does not have to be. App development really does involve a lot of moving parts. The decisive question is how many of them land on your desk and how many we take care of. This article shows how an app comes together at Schiemer Software, why you no longer need separate development for iPhone, Android, browser and Windows computers, and what we need from you to get started.
The short answer: how you get your app
We build your application from one shared technical foundation for Android, iPhone and iPad, the browser and, if you want it, Windows computers as well. We handle the development and the release in the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. After launch, we can take over maintenance, automatic error reports and usage analysis. From you we need an idea, ideally a logo, and a first sense of how it should look. Everything else we can manage for you.
Build once, reach every device: more coverage without a double budget
The biggest cost driver in classic app projects is duplication. If you have the iPhone and Android versions built separately, you pay twice for the same feature, wait twice for the same improvement, and end up maintaining two applications that slowly drift apart. Most of that is avoidable today.
We work from a single codebase. That means there is one development foundation, and the different versions are produced from it. In practice, a new feature is built once and is then available everywhere. A bug is fixed once and disappears on every device. And your customers see the same application at the same state, no matter what they are holding.
I, Florian Schiemer, see how far that carries in my current role as a developer at secureOne. The application there is built with React Native and Electron, and from that one codebase it runs on the Windows desktop, is available to everyone in the browser, and works on Android and iOS. React Native and Electron are simply the technical toolkits that make this possible. The result is the calculation that matters for your business: the widest possible coverage for the smallest possible development effort.
One honest caveat: this approach does not suit absolutely every project. When an application reaches deep into the specialized capabilities of a single device, extra work for that platform can be necessary. We tell you that in the quote, before you decide, instead of billing it later as a surprise.
Website today, app tomorrow: keep your options open instead of starting over
Many companies do not need an app right now. They need a good website first. Still, it is a shame when everything has to start from scratch two years later because the website has nothing technically in common with an app. That is why we can build the website so that it can become the app later on.
I am doing exactly that in a current project. The website is being built with React Native and can later be reused for an Android and iOS app. The additional effort during the build is marginal, the payoff afterwards is substantial. You get what you actually need today and keep full flexibility for the next step.
This is the mindset we want to offer every client. Software should not only fit today’s requirement. It should stay extendable so it remains useful for years instead of having to be rebuilt from zero at some point. If you are currently sizing up a web project, our article on website costs and the factors behind them is a good place to start.
We get your app into the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store
Publishing is the step most companies hesitate over. You do not have to take it yourself. We handle the development and the submission to the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store, including preparing everything the review process asks for.
If nobody in your company is deep into the technical side, we recommend leaving the operation to us as well. Three things make the difference in day-to-day life:
- Ongoing maintenance: updates, adjustments to new operating system versions and small improvements, so your app does not quietly go stale.
- Error tracking: crashes and errors report themselves to us automatically. That usually means we know about a problem before anyone complains to you or deletes the app.
- Usage analysis: you can see which features are actually used and where people drop off. That is the best basis for putting your next budget into the improvement that matters.
You keep the decisions, we do the work. And if your company builds up its own technical expertise later, you can take over individual areas at any time.
What we need from you to get started
Getting started is easier than most people expect. What we really need is your idea. Everything else helps, but nothing here is a blocker.
- An idea: what should the app do, and for whom? The clearer the benefit, the faster we arrive at a sensible scope for the first version.
- Ideally a logo: if your brand is already in place, we work with it. If it is not, we sort that out together.
- Anything you already have on the look and feel: drafts, sketches, wireframes, mockups, or simply screenshots of apps you like. The complete, final design is something we can manage for you as well.
- Good copy for the store listing: the description, the short text and the keywords help decide whether your app gets found and downloaded.
On that last point we will be straightforward. AI now produces surprisingly good first drafts for store copy, and we use Claude among other tools for it. The polish still belongs in human hands. A marketing eye is what turns an accurate description into a convincing one. That person can come from us, from your own team, or from a freelancer. We will tell you openly which option makes sense for your project.
Automate the tedious work: your software talks to AI
An app is rarely an island these days. That is why we now connect our applications to artificial intelligence and provide an MCP server for it. Behind the clunky term sits something very practical: a standardized, controlled connection that lets an AI assistant use specific functions and data from your software.
The value shows up in everyday work. Tedious, repetitive tasks can be triggered instead of clicked through by hand. Your team gains time for the work where people genuinely make the difference. And your company stays technologically connected, which eventually shows in your competitiveness too. Which automation is actually worth it, and which data has to stay protected, is something we clarify beforehand. Our article on AI consulting for businesses goes into more detail.
In closing: your idea, our complete package
App development can be complicated, because a lot of factors come together: platforms, design, the store listing, operation, data protection and the question of what happens next. That is exactly why we offer a complete package and look after every component, instead of leaving you alone with individual building blocks. And because no project is like the last one, we work through your specific requirements until the product fits your business.
What you end up with is more than an app: an application that reaches your users on every relevant device, and a foundation that can be extended rather than replaced a few years from now.
Tell us your idea. We will tell you which platforms make sense to start with, what scope is realistic, and what a first usable version could look like. Quotes are free and non-binding, so you decide on a concrete basis. If you would like to know how we generally work first, you will find it in our article on custom software solutions at Schiemer Software.
Frequently asked questions about app development
Do I need two apps, one for Apple and one for Android?
Usually not. We develop from a shared foundation, and both the iOS and the Android version come out of it. There are two listings in the stores, but one product is built and maintained. Only when a requirement reaches deep into device-specific capabilities can extra work for one platform become necessary.
Who takes care of the Apple and Google developer accounts?
We do, to begin with. We recommend releasing the app through us first, because it makes the cloud resources running behind it considerably easier to manage and saves you the whole setup. On request, we then migrate the app to a company account of your own, so that it also belongs to your business in the eyes of the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.
Can I start with a website and add the app later?
Yes, and it is often the smartest route financially. If we set the website up accordingly from the beginning, a large part of it can later be reused for an Android and iOS app. The extra effort at the start is small, the flexibility afterwards is considerable.
What happens after the release?
If you want us to, we take over ongoing maintenance, automatic error tracking and the statistical analysis of usage. We especially recommend this for companies without their own IT department, because otherwise problems tend to surface only through unhappy users.
We only have an idea and no design. Is that enough for a conversation?
That is plenty. A logo and early drafts, sketches or wireframes speed things up, but they are not a prerequisite. We can manage the final design for you and align it with you as we go.