CMX mobile app server alternative

1) Does creating an android mobile application for cisco cmx requires a cmx mobile app server?  Or could I just pull data straight from the cisco cmx server and display it in the mobile application?

2) If it doesn't require a cmx mobile app server in question 1.
I had actually spend couple of hours trying to pull data from the cmx sandbox environment (msesandbox) and display the data on an android mobile applications, such example, pulling a list of users from the cmx sandbox environment and display it on an android mobile applications. I've tried to pull the data via using the cisco cmx API and code it in android studio but I have some trouble doing so.

I've was given the cisco cmx API doc link, but I need some help calling the API in android studio <- any guide with this would help greatly, thanks.

3) I have found an mobile app guide (https://developer.cisco.com/site/cmx-mobility-services/learn/tutorials/android-mobile-app/#step-1-create-a-new-android-p…). I was following the guide on "Import and Run CMX Sample Core Application" but I have encounter an error when running the app. The app would crash after I have click either of the buttons "Display all info" or "get venue list". I have include some pictures of the error.

When I looked into the logcat, it would refer me to line 121, which is
"CMXClient.getInstance().loadVenues(new CMXVenuesResponseHandler() {" and when I tried to debug it there is a message saying "CMXClient has not been initialized"

Cisco MSE 8.0 SDK requires the Mobile Application Server functionality.  The android library comes with a HTTP client.  If not, try using cURL and OpenSSL for your Android, there are several Stack Overflow discussions regarding building in these libraries.

Note, the MSE 8.0 SDK is nearing end of support, and CMX engineering is suggesting transitioning to CMX 10 and using Connect & Engage, or the Cisco Enterprise Mobility Services Platform (EMSP) version 3.0 which is now available for iOS and android.

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/wireless/enterprise-mobility-services-platform-3-0/model.html

Does transitioning to CMX 10 still going to require Mobile Application Server functionality?

Oh and also I have applied for access to Cisco EMSP last week and I was wondering how long does it usually take before I will be granted access to Cisco EMSP ? I wish to take a look into Cisco EMSP how I could go about using it to create an cmx mobile application especially when Cisco MSE 8.0 SDK is nearing it end of supports.

Apparently we're told that EMSP is an addition that we need to pay for it on top of our cmx server, with that said our cmx server does not have EMSP installed so I can't gain access to EMSP. Based on your advice, I have tried out the "Connect & Engage" but it wasn't really much of developing an mobile app as all I could do was setting up the login page and the redirected page.

Thus, I'm told to create a mobile app server as an middle man which will communicate between the cmx server and mobile app. Like most other cmx tutorial, it is mostly based on cmx 8.0. However, I found a CMX sample code on GitHub GitHub - CiscoDevNet/sample-code-cmx: Sample code for Cisco CMX (connected mobility experience). Can it be considered as a app server ?