App Development for ecommerce
App development becomes increasingly critical for ecommerce companies, and consumers have embraced apps in a big way for their Internet-connected devices. Mobile apps sell in locations like Apple's App Store, Blackberry App World, Google Play and the Windows Phone Store, and more than 100 billion apps were downloaded from Apple as of the middle of 2015.[1] In particular, ecommerce companies get strong cost-value results by developing proprietary apps for their customers because these applications make it easier to order on mobile devices and provide shortcuts for many online activities. Fitness and health apps, which are usually subject to HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules, have become increasingly in-demand on ecommerce websites. Downloads of fitness apps have increased 87 percent faster than market averages according to TechCrunch.[2]
Wearable Applications Gain Traction
The latest generation of wearable applications monitors physical activity, health conditions and fitness metrics such as calories burned, steps taken, distance covered and others. Consumers are embracing wearable apps that are built into clothes and accessories and can track, record and store key metrics like blood pressure, pulse rates, glucose levels and other proprietary and confidential information that fall under HIPAA standards and regulations. These products and their related apps provide bonanzas for ecommerce companies, but these apps could potentially expose health information to data breaches. Private medical practices, insurance companies and wholesalers and retailers of medical devices and fitness apps must comply with HIPAA rules or face fines, penalties, data breaches, lawsuits and damaged customer relations.