Kerio Workspace is a powerful and complex web application that heavily depends on HTML5, CSS3 and Javascript. The interface is designed for desktop browsers on PCs and Macs, so when we decided to provide mobile access for smartphones, we needed a different approach. In version 1.0, we experimented with a very simple interface in plain Javascript and HTML . It worked, but it wasn't very visually appealing and provided only a mediocre user experience.

For version 1.1, we decided to make a big leap forward. We wanted to create a state-of-the-art mobile web client with an intuitive touch-based interface and a native look and feel. But we dreaded the thought of starting over and writing low level code from scratch again. We also feared having to manually configure each touch event, draw UI controls, code all of the visual effects, and worry about compatibility across the wide variety of iOS and Android devices. Thankfully, as we began moving forward, we found a much better option.

We've been devoted users of the Ext JS library for many years. The administration interfaces in all of our products use the library, and the Workspace UI is also written in Ext JS. Over the years, the Ext JS developers achieved well-deserved success, got funding from top-tier venture firms, and renamed themselves to Sencha. By the time we started looking for help in developing our new mobile web application, they had developed another great tool: the Sencha Touch library.

The Sencha Touch library provides a complete toolbox for mobile developers: native looking buttons and toolbars, list and carousel controls with momentum scrolling, 3D animated transitions for navigating between different UI views - all available and debugged for iOS, Android and BlackBerry devices. Just one month after starting from scratch with the Sencha Touch library, our engineers were able to deliver a complete first version of the application to our beta community.

Download the public beta of Kerio Workspace 1.1 and see for yourself what our new mobile interface provides. Or, if you'll be in Prague at the end of September, stop by at the local WebExpo conference, where our mobile engineers will deliver a detailed session about our experience with Sencha Touch.