Following the ongoing trend, businesses are paying huge attention towards enabling their enterprise apps to stay connected with their employees, partners and customers in a better way. However, most businesses are still unaware of the technicalities of enterprise mobility, regardless of their expertise of working on desktop applications.
Following the ongoing trend,
businesses are paying huge attention towards enabling their enterprise apps to stay connected with their employees, partners and customers in a better way. However, most businesses are still unaware of the technicalities of enterprise mobility, regardless of their expertise of working on desktop applications. By this article, I am trying to explore and present few critical factors that business owner will find useful before implementing mobility across his business.
1. Target users – Just like in any other strategy, deciding target customers is very crucial while implementing business mobility. A business owner should delve for the targeted users of his upcoming enterprise app. In my opinion, he should start with employees and give them time to adapt according to the working environment of an app, as it would help them in dealing with clients and partners using an app. Next target should be the partners before launching their app for the customers.
2. Targeting devices and OSs – We are witnessing a flurry of smart devices ranging from smart phones, tablets, phablets, and devices of various screen sizes. This has led to an outbreak of operating systems with names like iOS, Android, Blackberry, and Microsoft Windows expanding the gamut. A business owner should mull upon which mobile device and OS, his app would support. Our suggestion would be to start by supporting a small set of phones and gain experience before launching the app for platforms like iOS and Android.
3. Enable the backend – Prior to implanting mobility in the business, a business owner should have a firm strategy on the gradual enablement of the backend process to make it useful for access by the employees, partners and consumers. There are possibilities that different users may ask to access different information like sales information for employees, supply information for partners and order information for consumers.
4. Mobile app type – There are different types of apps available in the market. Thin client mobile apps, thick client mobile apps and hybrid apps are to name few and enterprises should think very carefully before selecting an app. With the advent of HTML 5, CSS 3 and JSS technologies, the use of thin client mobile apps has grown. However, hybrid apps remain the best as they have combined features of both thin and thick cloud mobile apps.
5. BYOD – BYOD is getting popular every coming day and companies are not minding their employees bringing their own devices and using them for professional purposes. Business owners should understand that allowing BYOD in offices results in compromising with security. Thus, before implementing BYOD, they should secure the data with updated tools and techniques. This is where my next point becomes handy.
6. MDM and MAM – MDM and MAM both play a very critical role, if an enterprise has prepared to adopt mobility in its modus operandi. These two tools become even more important, if the company is keen to implement BYOD along with mobility.
7. Mobility middleware – Enterprises looking to implement mobility have the option to go for direct browser based native mobile application using the mobile middleware. It is a very beneficial option, as it saves a significant amount of time, efforts involved, cost levied by supporting device diversity and ready to use adapters for business applications.
8. CAPEX and OPEX – Determining Capital Expenses (CAPEX) and Operational Expenses (OPEX) is also very important while deciding to go for an enterprise app and should be considered both in long terms and in short terms. Other investments like hardware (equipments and licenses), service provider expenses, AMC/after sales support costs, upgrading cost should also be taken into account before deciding to get an app.
Apart from the above-mentioned important points, few other upcoming trends seek a glance. These include on-premises Vs hosted solutions, open source Vs licensed solutions, enterprise app store, broad use of gestures, peripherals and wireless connectivity and few more. Organizations should keep exploring the markets and get the most advanced solutions to make business process smooth and enhance their revenue.
