Today mobile device is the most preferred medium for accessing the internet, personalised data and enterprise data. Enterprise mobility is revolutionising the workplace by combining the exponential corporate data with the best mobile technology, mobile apps. Our previous post explains the role of enterprise mobile apps in transforming enterprising. An enterprise application development is not as same as native apps development in terms of effort and time. It needs to work on various challenges that comes with enterprise mobile app development.
Challenges faced by Enterprise Mobile Application Developers:
While developing enterprise mobile apps, developers have to do the job keeping following points in mind.
- Compatibility for all platforms:
When a company implements BYOD concept, then it needs an enterprise mobile app that should be compatible for multiple platforms and not only for a single platform. Developing a cross-platform compatible enterprise mobile app can be more complex than developing consumer based mobile apps. Because it needs to follow a specific approach like: whether to create separate versions of apps for separate operating systems or to use HTML and create different native apps.
- Back-End Integration
Most of the companies have a complex IT infrastructure. Many times the mobile app that we develop does not replace any back-end system, it is simply augmenting the existing infrastructure by providing mobility. For this, developer has to develop complex cross platform coding and better understanding of client’s business processes.
So understanding of client’s existing IT infrastructure is most important factor in shaping up the mobile app required for that enterprise.
- Importance of Deadlines
Developing mobile apps or web apps for an enterprise is a complex and long term process. One large scale enterprise app may even take years to develop. But from expert developers, it is expected to be done in weeks and months. But off course understanding client’s business process and requirements, development and then integration need a lot of time.
The only way to do all these things in stipulated timeframe is using agile methodologies, where requirements and solutions will evolve through collaboration between self-organizing and cross-functional teams.
- Designing Mobile App with Users in mind
Keeping in mind the requirements of company is crucial but keeping the users in mind while developing enterprise mobile application is equally crucial. If users are not able to adopt app then developer’s all efforts are equal to waste. So to avoid such disasters, the development team should proceed while having inputs and conversation with potential users to make sure that you understand the requirement of Users too.
What is a Mobile Enterprise Application Platforms (MEAP)
A Mobile Enterprise Application Platform provides application development and management capabilities for mobile enterprises. App Developers can use MEAP as a development environment for enterprise mobile applications. MEAP also offers the control to IT infrastructure of an enterprise which is like management tool for enterprise mobile app.
The core elements of MEAP solution consists of two components. One is mobile middleware server and another is mobile client application. A middleware server handles all system integration, security, scalability, cross-platform support, communications, etc. It cannot store any data, just manages data from back-end system to mobile device and back.
Using this management feature of MEAP, administrators can control or monitor the users that are accessing the application and also the enterprise databases that are being used to pull data from, through application.
A MEAP solution is best when an enterprise wants to develop custom applications or deploy multiple applications on multiple platforms. For any mobile enterprise application Managers, enterprise mobile app compatible to wide range of mobile OS and devices should be the top priority. Because this will help in implementing BYOD policy in the company.
Features of MEAP:
The capabilities and attributes of MEAP are as follows:
- MEAPs can provide cross-platform support.
- It also provides multi-architect support i.e. it has the ability to support native mobile web and hybrid architectures.
- MEAP solutions makes writing a custom app extension process easy.
- MEAP enables the central management of mobile applications.
- It also helps in enhancing existing business platforms by making them accessible to users at anytime and anywhere.
- It offers cloud-based services for data persistence, notifications, data analysis and social media integration.
- It provides application development lifecycle features, such as metadata-driven applications, prototyping, multi-device testing, multi-platform build process, versioning, configuration management and distribution of apps through various mechanisms.
HTML 5 in Enterprise Mobile App Development
The objective of enterprise mobile app is more focused towards its functionality unlike its consumer counterparts. Location is an increasingly important feature for many enterprises, while communication, data management and collaboration are main drivers of enterprise mobility. In the world of enterprise app development, it is difficult to find developers with Web development skills. These are more familiar to HTML, JavaScript, Java and CSS than with Objective-C or C++ or C#. Using HTML 5, developers can work with Web standards to create cross-platform mobile apps that can serve the mobile app requirements of any enterprise for internal as well as external use. This way it is more cost-effective than creating and maintaining separate native apps.
At Krify, our experienced and expert team of developers is having the competency in developing web-based apps.
Application Development in SAP Mobile Platform
SAP mobile platform SDK offers tools that can be used to streamline development, security, delivery and management of mobile applications. Mobile Platform provides an open development environment that allows you to develop mobile apps using familiar languages, environments, open-source tools and third-party libraries, toolkits and frameworks. SAP Mobile Platform services are available for developers to use for secure data access, authentication and integration to SAP and non-SAP back-end software, lifecycle management, application versioning, end-to-end traceability and usage analytics.
Why Choose Krify?
Krify aims to thrive to help businesses and organisations to communicate and engage more with their audiences and employees. Most important audience and people for any organisation to interact and connect with are their internal people. So the idea of engaging employees can benefit organisations in every industry, in many ways.
Today we have an app for every part of life, so why not for work life or professional life. We give emphasis on understanding the client’s business needs and work towards developing suitable enterprise mobile app as per their requirements. We focus on testing the apps for quality product and work towards finding ways to secure the apps and helping the client deploy it. Our strategy involves lot of focus, expertise and effort.
Contact Us for all your queries related to Enterprise Mobile App Development.
