Meeting Federal Mobile Needs
Federal agencies face a growing demand for secure, reliable and user-friendly mobile applications. Getting there can be complex and challenging. Teams must balance speed, security, maintainability, and cost efficiency.
Enter: Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP)
That’s why, at OPTiMO, we adopt frameworks and tools that meet these needs, like Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP). As KMP gains momentum across industry, we have already embraced it as a strategic solution. After evaluating alternatives, we identified KMP as the most effective way to streamline mobile development, ensure compliance, and deliver high-quality mobile apps that meet the changing needs of federal clients.
What is KMP and Why it Matters
KMP is a framework and set of tools built into the Kotlin programming language ecosystem (created by JetBrains) that sits on top of native Software Development Kits (SDKs) and helps unify development across them. It enables developers to write the non-user interface (UI) portions of a mobile app’s code in Kotlin, which can then be compiled for both Android and iOS frameworks.
However, it is important to note that KMP allows code to be shared across multiple platforms (not just mobile), including iOS, Android, desktop, and server-side environments. The UI layer is built with native technologies (SwiftUI for iOS, Jetpack Compose for Android), ensuring each platform delivers the experience users expect. By maintaining a shared codebase for core functionality while preserving native UI, KMP allows for both efficiency in development and platform-specific design. This is especially valuable for federal clients looking to improve accessibility, compliance, and usability.
OPTiMO’s Approach with KMP
We decide what to share versus keep native, set up the project, build the shared stack, bridge cleanly to each platform, and support it with testing and CI/CD. Using this method, we seamlessly integrated KMP into our Agile delivery framework and quickly realized the advantages of a shared business logic layer. That layer reduced redundancy, ensured consistent performance, and streamlined updates. It also kept our Android and iOS applications aligned without duplicating effort and simplified testing, while still allowing users to benefit from platform-specific UI features and functionality. As a result, they experienced apps that felt fast, familiar, and fully native in their preferred environment.
KMP offers both Efficiency and Quality in Delivery
By reusing significant portions of code, federal agencies can accelerate development cycles while reducing maintenance costs by minimizing duplicated effort. This approach ensures parity across iOS and Android versions, simplifies the rollout of new features, and ultimately supports federal digital transformation goals and modernization mandates.
Building with KMP is like developing one and a half apps instead of two separate ones. You share the bulk of the core logic (e.g. – data models, business rules, networking, and security) across both iOS and Android, while only writing the platform-specific pieces, once for each system. OPTiMO’s unique approach cuts development effort by nearly half without losing the benefits of native performance and design.
Security and Compliance Advantages
KMP also strengthens testing and compliance documentation, ensuring consistent standards across applications. For federal clients, this translates into reduced risk and fewer security vulnerabilities stemming from duplicate codebases.
Federal Client Success
OPTiMO recently showcased the impact of Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP) in delivering a modern mobile app for a federal agency. By using a shared codebase for business logic and data handling across Android and iOS, the team streamlined development while maintaining native UI experiences through SwiftUI and Jetpack Compose.
Our unique implementation of this led to a reduction in delivery time, simplified maintenance through centralized updates. The app met federal compliance standards like FedRAMP and Section 508, and was built for scalability, security, and offline resilience.
Example Mobile Architecture Explained
Presentation logic is platform-specific:
- iOS (SwiftUI/AppKit/MVC) and
- Android (Jetpack Compose/MVC)
SKIE (Swift-Kotlin Interop Engine) sits between iOS and the shared module, bridging Swift to Kotlin so iOS can use the shared Kotlin code like native Swift code. While optional in KMP, SKIE simplifies working with Kotlin features like Flows, making integration with Swift more natural.
Business logic is shared in KMP, organized into layers:
- Authentication (OAuth 2.0 / OIDC)
- Hub Web Services (Ktor HTTP client)
- Utilities (Koin DI, Kotlin coroutines)
- Cache (SQLDelight/SQLCipher)
- Settings are platform-specific: Device Keychain on iOS, Android Keystore on Android.
OPTiMO’s use of KMP demonstrates how modern frameworks, paired with Agile delivery and federal expertise, can accelerate innovation and improve outcomes in government technology.
OPTiMO + KMP for Future-Ready Mobile
OPTiMO’s use of KMP reflects its deep commitment to innovation and operational efficiency, helping federal clients modernize services while maintaining compliance and scalability. By embracing KMP, OPTiMO empowers agencies to build mobile solutions that are not only faster and smarter, but also more sustainable for long-term success.