In a move similar to Facebook’s, cloud accounting software maker Xero will only be developing future mobile apps for Apple and Android platforms, foregoing HTML 5.

Rod Drury

The company explains that, though it will continue to use HTML5 for its core app, forgoing the traditional route of native iOS and Android apps has not been the success story that it originally anticipated.

Facebook chief executive had also said recently that ”betting completely on HTML5 is one of the, if not the biggest strategic mistake we’ve made.”

Xero co-founder Rod Drury noted that Web apps were becoming time consuming to develop in its decision to abandon the platform.

“We liked the idea of HTML5 frameworks, but we found completing the last 10 percent was taking too long and we weren't seeing the release cadence we're used to at Xero,” said Drury. “With native tools we're seeing our developers more productive and have more predictability of test and release cycles. There is no doubt accounting is going mobile so it's right to make the call now to change approach. We still see handheld accounting as a companion to the full browser experience and we see lots of mobile scenarios as accounting moves from the back to the front office with greater employee functionality.”