HTML5 provides developers the ability to create one set of Web designs that can be displayed on different mobile devices without compatibility issues. As mobile becomes the preferred choice of computing for many people around the world, HTML5 is increasingly being adopted as the go to standard. The Scivantage mobile brokerage platform based on HTML5 will give companies investment apps on the most popular mobile OS including Android and iOS.

Although the company had implemented native apps for BlackBerry and iPhone (News – Alert) devices it limited their ability to meet the demand of the market. This required a tool that would allow them to integrate other software with their own while keeping the maintenance in-house. They decided on a single source capable of being deployed on different platforms. The platform the company chose was the Sencha Touch HTML5 mobile app framework for creating the apps.

Although HTML5 is very adaptable, the company said it had some limitations when it came time to take advantage of some of the functionalities of smartphones such as swiping and the camera. The Sencha Touch framework evolves on adapting these native functions of the most popular smartphones. What used to take them nine months to make a function iOS specific can now be accomplished in one day, according to Chris Psaltos, vice president of product management.

Tools such as PhoneGap allow Scivantage to create wrappers that are able to customize HTML5 so it can adapt to many different devices. Being single code based means changes can be made once and it can be upgraded to all versions.

The new platform not only benefits developers, but also the end user. Customers with an account can use the app to see their balances, get quotes and position details. If the customer has access to a trade account and is permitted to do so by a financial institution they can do it from their smartphone from virtually anywhere. The app also allows the transferring of funds between accounts and the ability to deposit checks.

Scivantage was founded in 2000 and it is a web-based front and middle office technology solutions provider in the financial services industry. Currently, it is serving more than 50 leading financial institutions to optimize overall efficiencies for these organizations.