There was a time not too long ago when many thought HTML5 would ultimately prove irrelevant in terms of mobile development. After all, native apps were, and are, widely used and accepted by the majority of users, even in a professional environment. However, it’s starting to become clear that the situation isn’t as straightforward as it once seemed.

Put simply, HTML5’s role in mobile app development has become crucial as a way to make up for the shortcomings of native apps. The really cool part is that this isn’t an “either or” scenario; both native and Web apps have their place in mobile app development — a fact enterprises and developers in emerging markets have come to realize lately.

As a result, analysis and data has been popping up lately that suggests HTML5 is now a key element of an industry many once thought it had no future in. The latest report reinforce this point comes from Gartner (News – Alert).

According to this report, organizations looking to take full advantage of mobility should leverage a wide range of technologies and skills, some of which may be unfamiliar to IT staff. Of course, HTML5 is one of the technologies listed in the report. More specifically, it is named as one of the top 10 mobile technologies and capabilities that organizations must master in 2015 and 2016.

“HTML5 won’t be a simple panacea for mobile application portability because it’s fragmented and immature and therefore poses many implementation and security risks,” said Nick Jones, vice president and analyst at Gartner, in a statement. “However, as HTML5 and its development tools mature, the popularity of the mobile Web and hybrid applications will increase. Hence, despite many challenges, HTML5 will be an essential technology for organizations delivering applications across multiple platforms.”

In other words, the old HTML5 vs. native apps debate is no longer relevant. Or rather, the argument no longer applies to the industry as a whole, but to each individual app in its initial stages of development.