- Are you hoping they won’t fail any time soon?
- Do you need to add new features or onboard new customers?
- Are you considering how best to modernise them?
The Immediate Issues
- The official end date of Microsoft support for Xamarin was back on the 1st of May 2024.
- If your development was reliant on Visual Studio for Mac, this is being deprecated in August 2024.
- If your development and release processes are dependent on Microsoft AppCenter, this is scheduled for retirement on the 31st of March, 2025.
If you’re not already looking into what you need to do to move forwards, now is the time.
What happens if you do nothing?
SECURITY
Microsoft will no longer be providing updates to address new OS versions, bug fixes or security vulnerabilities, leaving your app open to security risks and obsolescence as the mobile platforms continue to steam ahead without you.
COMPATIBILITY
If your app has dependencies on third party components or libraries, this will likely become a stumbling block. Components are no longer being updated for Xamarin support. There will soon come a time when an upgrade is required just to keep using these components. Interdependencies between components, SDKs and OS versions will also play their part. A common issue we see here, for example, is use of the required Google Billing Framework if your app makes use of in app purchases or subscriptions.
MAINTAINABILITY
Any updates to your app will need to be on the latest SDKs, meaning a time will come when you cannot publish updates without upgrading.
DELISTING
Failure to comply with App Store / Play Store policies and guidelines, including using outdated frameworks and components, can result in being unable to publish updates at best, and in your app being delisted at worst – with all the corresponding revenue and brand reputation implications that brings.
DEV TOOLS
If you are or have been using Visual Studio for Mac you will quickly need an alternative. There are a few options available.
BUILD/RELEASE PROCESSES
If you are or have been using Microsoft AppCenter, now is a good time to look at removing this from your processes.
What are the options?
1. REWRITE FROM SCRATCH
- .Net Maui
- Flutter
- React Native
There are multiple options available if you’re looking at a rewrite – and you may have a compelling reason to consider this route. Obiquitech are well placed to advise and assist with an experienced and expert team if you need to take this option.
2. MIGRATE INTO .NET MAUI
Maui offers a unified approach to building cross-platform apps using existing and familiar tools. It’s the evolution of, and the natural successor to Xamarin. Teams from all stages of the software development lifecycle can continue to use their favourite tools whilst still retaining integration with your build and release processes.
This shift forwards represents an opportunity for app modernisation. Many companies are using apps containing code which encompasses varying coding standards and practices, and which would benefit from modernisation and standardisation.
Equally, if timelines and budget preclude this, the migration process can focus on maximising code reuse and minimising changes. In this case we would advise on improvements which can be made within the constraints, and also on those which we recommend adding to your backlog moving forwards.
BENEFITS OF .NET MAUI
- Maui uses a new, more efficient renderer pattern, making apps more responsive and lightweight
- Support for hot reload drastically reduces iteration time, which in turn leads to improved timelines for both development and maintenance
- The Maui Essentials library, originating from the old Xamarin Essentials, has evolved and now provides great, and standardised, ways of leveraging richer platform functionality. Use of already mature, standard libraries brings enormous benefits to both development and ongoing maintenance.
Why now?
Not only are we now officially out of support for Xamarin, but some of the tools used for the SDLC are at or nearing retirement as well. Development processes, as well as the underlying frameworks, need to be updated accordingly.
The more time goes by without updating your app, the more at risk you are to the app becoming unmaintainable, unpublishable, and unappealing to your customers and user base.
How can we help?
Book in a no commitment consultation with us today. We can discuss your current situation and priorities, and recommend a route forwards. During this initial discussion we will run through some common issues encountered during these migration exercises to highlight any areas of risk.
Migrations from Xamarin to Maui typically take around 6 – 12 weeks. There are of course factors which influence this. A small app with a simple code base, few or no platform specific features and few or no third party dependencies are at one end of this scale, whereas a complex app with a large code base, many third party dependencies and many platform specific API calls can add significant complexity and push the boundaries of the other end of the scale.
Our focus is always on long term customer satisfaction and success. This keeps us keenly focussed on the best solution for your specific needs, accounting for your requirements, priorities and circumstances.
We can help with a strategic approach to ensure a smooth transition while maintaining the integrity and functionality of your app(s), including advising on and implementing updates to your processes to account for the deprecation of current tooling.
Get in touch
Send an email to maui@obiquitech.com to arrange your initial consultation.