Boosting App Efficiency with the Application Resource Optimizer

A major challenge in mobile application development is determining what changes need to be made to an app’s architecture to increase efficiency and performance. Unlike traditional web applications, mobile apps are more limited by bandwidth, latency, and battery life. To dig into ways to maximize efficiency, the AT&T Developer Program conducted a series of mobile app tests which looked into network architecture and lower level protocols that are typically hidden from app developers.

The result is the AT&T Application Resource Optimizer (ARO), a free diagnostic tool that assesses and analyzes to recommend architectural designs unique for a particular application. These simple improvements, based on carrier-independent standards and protocols, can improve an app’s performance, network impact, and battery utilization on all wireless carriers.

ARO first uses the Data Collector feature to track traces from the application, which contain information about its usage of data and its traffic rate. Additionally, the collector collects data on GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, the camera, and other features that drain the battery. A video of the device’s screen is also generated.

Once the traces have been gathered, the Data Analyzer assesses the information generated to interpret the detailed results. ARO determines how the app is handling caching and how the radio and network resources are being managed in the application, then compares the results to the best practices guidelines determined by the AT&T Developer Program. Recommendations are then made – unique to each app – to improve architecture and increase responsiveness.

ARO takes the guesswork out of determining what changes need to be made to an application to maximize efficiency. By applying these simple design improvements, app developers can not only speed up data traffic and reduce battery drain, but also create a better user experience for their customers.

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