INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Mobile Technology
Five tips for regional enterprises to become mobile-first
Today, despite having a clear understanding of the benefits of mobile-first, a majority of enterprises still have an ad-hoc approach to mobile app development and are only beginning to consider platform selection to help them formalise their mobile strategy, writes Cathal McGloin, Vice President, Mobile Platforms, Red Hat.
Organisations are adopting cloud-based services to support traditional business processes, but a very small percentage are using the cloud for their mobile initiatives. They still have a long way to go in adopting a mobile app strategy and using app reporting and analytics to measure productivity gains and return on mobility( ROM).
Authentication and security of corporate information flowing to and from mobile devices are undoubtedly major concerns, besides the cost and complexity of developing and managing apps and back-end integration of enterprise apps in the cloud.
Life in the fast lane To address the security, governance and back-end integration issues cited by enterprises, Gartner’ s Richard Marshall, has advised enterprises to take a“ bimodal” approach to mobile app development with“ core IT” and“ fast IT” running concurrently. He acknowledges that governance and security cannot be compromised, but advises that business
IT must be more flexible in order to meet customer demand and rapidly respond to market changes.
To explain the advantage of the bimodal approach, Marshall points to the examples of a retailer rapidly developing and deploying a mobile app to boost sales during holiday periods; and a rail infrastructure provider that was able to develop and push out a mobile app in a matter of days to enable local flood damage to be reported by trackside engineers. Once these periods of peak demand are over, the app is withdrawn.
5 steps to becoming mobilefirst: After working with numerous enterprises on their mobile app strategies, we have highlighted the common steps that lead to mobile-first.
1. Select open standards Mobile app projects demand rapid innovation and short, iterative development cycles. To maximise agility, enterprises must avoid vendor lock-in by using mobile application platforms that support open standards. Look for platforms that offer on-going and open support for the common and leading edge coding languages, JavaScript frameworks and developer tool-kits. Providing your Fast IT team with access to lightweight scripting technologies and the ability to re-use existing code helps to speed time to deployment.
2. Focus on data rather than devices Evaluate your enterprise data capture and back-end system integration requirements. The ability to unleash data efficiently, securely and seamlessly to your employees’ devices is critical. Mobile Back-end as a Service( MBaaS) platforms excel at integrating apps with back-end systems and other third party services, by acting as a cloud-based hub between mobile clients and systems they need to access.
3. Consult users prior to deployment and work collaboratively Fast IT teams should adopt a strong
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