Nowadays, desktop applications are still in demand due to their fast performance, rich features, and capabilities. Now, there are areas where mobile applications and web solutions have come to the fore. However, there are still many areas where application performance and offline access are important, and this is where desktop solutions come in handy. In this article, our team will talk in more detail about the importance of desktop applications, tell you more about WPF and its capabilities, as well as aspects that you should pay attention to when developing or hiring a software development company.
Why Desktop Apps are Still so Important
Desktop applications are productive and stable, they are used in those industries where it is necessary to process a large amount of data. In addition, offline access is a major advantage. Very often, applications are needed where there is no Internet. Among the most striking examples of such a case are the use of applications in experimental missions, etc. Another advantage of desktop programs is that they simply integrate with hardware, i.e., local equipment. If you look around, desktop applications are everywhere – POS, interfaces on medical or production equipment, interfaces on kiosks, etc.
Organizations often make decisions in favor of desktop applications, since they can quickly perform resource-intensive tasks. Also, desktop solutions are stable and secure, since they run in a local environment.
WPF and Its Role in Desktop Development
WPF is a framework for creating desktop applications with a rich interface and flexibility. WPF can be easily integrated with server-side logic. WPF supports graphics, animations, and styles, and is very flexible in terms of customization. Developers can create functional applications that have modern interfaces.
WPF is XAML-based and enables the separation of the presentation layer and business logic. This separation simplifies the development and future support of the application. Companies that need scalable, visually appealing, and functional desktop applications often choose WPF.
Why Work with WPF Development Companies?
For organizations looking for flexibility and wanting to develop a desktop application, working with a professional WPF development company has a number of advantages. Such companies focus on providing WPF development services and have many years of experience working with applications on this technology. Thanks to practical expertise, they understand the specifics of these applications, possible challenges, and know how to best use the capabilities of WPF. All this can be verified in the company’s portfolio, which usually describes the projects in which they participated.
When customers decide to work with a WPF development company, they are primarily looking for a reliable partner and access to talented developers who understand all the intricacies of working with WPF. Service providers help customers create desktop applications from scratch, work with existing programs, customize them, extend them, or support them. WPF development companies also offer processing, refactoring, and consulting services, and can migrate legacy Windows Forms applications to WPF.
A big advantage of specialized companies is also that they can implement synchronization with cloud solutions, integrate AI-based functionality, add real-time data visualization options, and much more. WPF was, is, and remains the leading framework for developing desktop applications.
Engagement Models WPF Development Companies Offer
Professional companies hire the best WPF developers on the market and, as a rule, have at least one of the following engagement models:
- Staff augmentation. In this case, the customer hires a professional WPF developer from an external company. This professional works under the direction of the customer as part of his in-house team. As a rule, such hiring is beneficial for the customer in the case of short-term cooperation or bringing expertise to perform a certain business task.
- Dedicated WPF development team. An external company helps to hire professionals with certain skills and form a team to work on the customer’s project on a full-time basis. Such cooperation is beneficial for long-term projects. At the same time, the team can be managed by both the PM from the WPF development company’s side and the customer’s side.
- Project outsourcing. In this model, the development of an application or a specific scope of its functionality is outsourced to an external company. Such projects have clearly defined requirements and are often, but not always, carried out on a fixed price basis.
What Awaits the WPF in the Future: Forecasts
Technologies and approaches to development are changing rapidly, but desktop applications still remain an important part of development for companies. WPF, due to its versatility, has great prospects for creating new generation systems with advanced features. WPF, with constant support from Microsoft, satisfies the needs and requirements of modern users of desktop applications.
WPF is adapting to new trends and already offers cloud integration and compatibility with different platforms. .NET MAUI can expand the opportunities of WPF. Besides, the aforementioned cloud integration takes desktop applications written in VPF to a new level. Such integration allows for real-time data processing, synchronization with other devices, AI-based analytics, etc.
As of now, many existing enterprise applications are written specifically on WPF technology. And these customers consistently require expertise from specialized development companies to support and extend their existing solutions. Some customers are constantly adding new features to their systems and pumping applications with trendy options. Some companies simply need support for existing software and bug fixes.
Conclusion
Over the years of its existence, WPF has proven itself as a framework that allows you to develop modern and flexible desktop applications with unique features. In this article, our team explored the importance of WPF in modern desktop development, assessed the future of this framework, and gave some tips on working with WPF development companies. When choosing a partner for developing WPF desktop applications, pay attention to the company’s level of experience, implemented projects, company staff, certifications, etc.
