Enterprise Mobile Apps: A Complete Guide to Considerations, Architecture & Benefits

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1 Enterprise Mobile Apps: A Complete Guide to Considerations, Architecture & Benefits Publisher- Silver Touch Technologies Ltd. Editor- Disha Kakkad Copyright 2017 Silver Touch Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this Guide shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from Silver Touch Technologies Ltd.

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3 Contents Introduction... 4 Considerations for Building Highly-Effective & Transformative Enterprise Mobile Apps... 5 The Architecture & Development of Enterprise Mobile Apps... 7 B2B Mobile Apps Enhance the Scope of Enterprise Mobility... 8 B2E Mobile Apps Help Enterprises to Boost Productivity... 9 B2C Mobile Apps Result in Better Revenues for Enterprises Conclusion

4 Introduction Smartphone's are transforming the way an enterprise functions. Enterprise mobile applications are hot right now! Their use has grown by leaps and bounds to streamline operations, improve business efficiency and enhance profitability. Enterprises aim to expand their business globally by reaching out to the clients through ingenious and scalable mobile apps. Many enterprises are looking for cost-effective cloud-based mobility solutions to lower IT costs, access business information from anywhere, get insights for quick and real-time decision making and improve productivity. In order to fulfill the requirements of an enterprise and to capitalize on the untapped market opportunities, many mobile app development companies are targeting the enterprise market. According to the researchers, the mobile enterprise business application market will almost double from $31 billion in 2012 to $61 billion by (Source: The Global Mobile Enterprise Business Application Revenue, , Strategic Analytics, December 2013). 4

5 Considerations for Building Highly Effective & Transformative Enterprise Mobile App To create powerful and high-performance enterprise mobile apps developers should focus on how an enterprise can increase their productivity and carry on their business operations more efficiently, helping them transform for better. We have mentioned below, the most important keys for developing power-packed and effective enterprise mobile apps. Elegant Frontend It is very important for an enterprise mobile app to have a smooth and flawless UX. This factor is not only necessary for the acceptance from an enterprises' end but also determines what all operations users will be able to carry out through the app. For this reason, advanced frontend features are incorporated in the app to provide an exceptional user experience. User experience doesn t improve by loading all the features in it. The mobile app should be able to fairly manage network and data flows, have offline and synchronization capacity, should be delicate and doesn t affect the mobile s processing capabilities. It is thus important to invest in design and UX foundation and principles. Along with designing an incredible UX, it is also essential to design a simple and intuitive UI, helping enterprises to use it easily, leading to increased efficiency. Seamless Backend Integration Seamless backend integration is important to enable your enterprise mobile app to access and exchange data with your existing business systems like ERP, CRM or ecommerce platform and more. The mobile app developers have to be careful to integrate these data sources to give real-time access to the enterprise as these mobile apps are a powerful tool for the enterprises to help them take quick decisions. Robust and secure enterprise backend integration will give power to the apps, enabling data exchange in the most secured way. It is thus important to provide transformative mobile experience to the enterprises to ensure access to enterprise data sources, eliminating complex integrations. An effective enterprise mobile app also uses Mobile Backend as a Service (MBaaS), a tool to connect mobile apps to cloud services. It is a powerful solution that will connect mobile apps to the backend with features like push notification services, verification of user through social sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and more, chat functions, SMS, GPS features, file storage & sharing facilities and analytics features. This will not only reduce efforts but also save your time & money. High Security One of the most important concerns for developing enterprise mobility solutions is security. Data in an enterprise application must be built as per security best practices, should be encrypted and access should be given only to the authorized users. It should have security features like environmental & biometric sensors, control on access to the device through passwords/pins, patterns and more, data loss protection, encryption in stored data, use of Mobile Application Management (MAM) & Mobile Device Management (MDM) technology, user & device authentication and use of antivirus software. Enterprise mobile apps thus should have a layered approach to ensure security. 5

6 Scalability Enterprise mobile apps should be built to help enterprises scale according to their short & long term mobility needs. It should have the capability to handle increase in number of mobile app users, have facility to give access to different category of users, support multiple devices & platforms including native, hybrid & mobile web and include the most advanced technology & trends. They should allow reuse of code across different OS and app architecture and have features to easily integrate cloud-based features if the company is using an on-premise system. Other than these, other factors like enterprise mobile app supporting app updates & enhancements, accommodating changes and being of high-quality, free of bugs, errors & issues are also to be considered. Enterprise mobile apps is a way to help employees & businesses to collaborate, run business operations, conduct business transactions and obtain business information from any location, facilitating quick & better decisions, giving a boost to business growth & enhancing profitability. It not only allows conducting business away from desks but also provides benefits of economies of scale & reduces overall costs. However, building an Enterprise Mobile Application is not an easy task. It involves complex processes, use of several tools and techniques, extensive knowledge of various programming languages and databases, technical competency of working on multiple platforms and much more. Enterprise Mobile Apps can perform various tasks like entering and processing transactions, checking inventory, invoicing, generating reports to list a few. They also perform various other functions required and are customized to the precise needs of an enterprise. Let us understand how enterprise mobile applications are developed and what kind of architecture lies behind them that gives them the power and ensures quick seamless transactions. 6

7 The Architecture & Development of Enterprise Mobile Apps An enterprise application system has few major components. First is the database, which stores the information in tables like list of customers, their contact information, orders, wishlist, pricelists etc. Common database systems used are Oracle, SQL server, MYSQL, DB2 and Postgre. Next is the application server, where processing is done and which accesses the data and communicates with the users. There are racks of servers in the data center to hold the database and application server depending on the user base of an Enterprise. When an enterprise application runs on Smartphone s and Tablets, the server connects to the user via a web services interface to fulfill the user requests. The application stores data in the database and queries and updates that data as and when necessary. Sometimes detailed reports are needed instead of interactive data queries and responses; this is accomplished through a program that is running as different component on the application server. For example the servers are often programmed in the languages like Java, PHP or.net while the database is accessed through SQL queries. Enterprise mobile apps should be written in the preferred native code language for each operating system to take full advantage of the hardware and its built-in functionality depending on the mobile platform. These languages should be tuned to the capabilities of Smartphone's and Tablets and their expected interaction styles using UI/UX experience. Android apps use Java, ios apps use Objective-C & SWIFT and Windows Phone apps use C# & XAML. The Reports are sometimes created with languages running on the server; with applet coded in a variety of text and graphics format including postscript and other presentation languages and supplied to the mobile platforms using Web Services Interface. Common Web Services Interfaces used are REST-compliant Web services like JSON, WSDL & XML. Creating enterprise mobile applications using database, server and mobile is thus a complex process and requires developers with many different skill sets. This has even become harder as users expect numerous task specific apps to be available on short notice. Developers should be able to control code in all of these languages in systems and therefore need to have proficiency and an in-depth knowledge of various languages. Enterprises are now using mobile apps for various purposes, so developers should have a knack for building apps that can fulfill the diverse requirements of an enterprise. The significance of enterprise mobile apps has increased for B2B, B2E as well as B2C domains. Enterprises now require mobile apps to build a tight-knit community with their business partners. They are also gradually adopting a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy within their organization. Reaching customers directly through mobile apps has also become very essential for them. This has given a boost to the demand of B2B, B2E and B2C enterprise mobile apps. Let us understand the importance of all of these for an enterprise and how they are beneficial to them! 7

8 B2B Mobile Apps Enhance the Scope of Enterprise Mobility B2B mobile applications are used to conduct business between two or more companies. They focus on transactions taking place between businesses. Enterprises already have mobile apps built for their customers; they are now adopting mobile apps for business-to-business domain to discover and transact with other businesses easily. Many businesses are still of the opinion that having a mobile app for customers are useful but B2B mobile apps can hardly help. The below points throw light on how this perception doesn't hold true, with the rising use of mobile apps in recent times. B2B enterprise mobile applications are of great utility and cater to larger and more diverse business areas.» B2B mobile apps are very useful to enterprises for expanding their operations across the globe. If is difficult to offer products and services across various regions; mobile apps make this task simpler. Mobile apps are an amazing tool for marketers to explore the global markets and foreign regions, helping them find new channels irrespective of the geographical location.» A B2B mobile application can help enterprises in placing orders and managing inventory and supply chain. An app can scan the barcodes of a product, store billing and shipping information and help detect low stock and re-order levels. A B2B mobile app connects enterprises to the supplier, allowing them to place orders whenever stock reaches the re-order level. Mobile apps can allow enterprises to reach out to other businesses easily and in real-time. Apps increase the interaction between businesses, reduce their time in searching for relevant information and improve an enterprise's efficiency.» Enterprises attend various events to promote their products & services. Companies that arrange such business events and meetings can use a mobile app to send invitations to their guests; informing them about the schedules, timings and roads through maps. These apps can even be integrated with social sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and more.» Enterprises can send digital newsletter or magazines with call to action buttons through mobile apps to businesses. This can help them to spread their reach by getting more business partners. Enterprises can be in touch with their business partners through mobile apps. They can respond to the sales leads immediately, which otherwise might become matured. This helps them to be competitive.» B2B mobile apps can even be helpful to enterprises in selling their products to other businesses. For example an enterprise selling TV sets, Air-Conditioners or Refrigerators can contact an online business owner to sell their products on their e-commerce platform and be in continuous touch. Enterprises have started using mobile apps to carry on their B2B transactions. This has broadened their corporate horizon and made them carry out their functions in a much easy and fast way. B2B mobile apps add value to an enterprise's sales and provide access to information across various channels. There is a fierce competition out there and an enterprise needs to adopt mobility solutions for their B2B transactions to achieve business results! 8

9 B2E Mobile Apps Help Enterprises to Boost Productivity With the Smartphone's boom at its peak, enterprises are mobilizing their workforce to enhance productivity and increase responsiveness. Employees now get access to critical business information on their Smartphone's or PDAs, enabling them to take smarter and more informed decisions. B2E (Business-to-Employee) mobile apps help to improve the efficiency of the employees to a great extent. Let us understand why B2E mobile apps hold importance for enterprises!» Enterprise apps that are specially designed for employees have potential to significantly increase productivity and also improve employee satisfaction. These apps help employees to work in a better and faster way, thus enhancing business efficiency and giving your business a competitive advantage.» B2E apps facilitate Employee Self Service, helping workers to enter their timesheets, leaves, expenses and much more directly from their Smartphone's even while on-the-move. This offers convenience to employees and also provides their accurate and timely information to the enterprises.» Enterprise apps for employees help save the time of workers and reduce paperwork. They can access the apps at any point of time and be connected to the business on the go. The concept of BYOD is gaining popularity and B2E apps serve this purpose effectively.» Employees get access to real-time business data through mobile apps. This helps them to take better decisions and carry on enterprises' functions efficiently.» B2E apps are of great utility to the field workforce. They can be in constant touch with the enterprise and reduce their travel time. They don't require commuting to the workplace repeatedly and can carry on their tasks from the field.» Mobile office has lead to an increased collaboration among employees working at different locations of the world. It is easy to conduct meetings and connect to employees through B2E apps. It is also possible for more than one employee to work at the same document simultaneously through Cloud technology.» B2E mobile apps keep the employees of an enterprise updated with the latest industry trends. They also get to know about the regular activities of their competitors.» Employees can serve their customers in a better way by giving prompt response to their queries, instantly communicating with them and solving their problems quickly through mobile apps. Employees of an enterprise need mobile apps to access important business data on-the-go for taking faster decisions, collaborating easily and managing their day-to-day tasks and schedules. They also need to be aware about the things that happen around their business. Organizations should fully utilize the capabilities of enterprise mobile apps to give maximum benefit to the employees. B2E mobile apps thus play an important role in boosting the productivity of employees and increasing their efficiency levels!! 9

10 B2C Mobile Apps Result in Better Revenues for Enterprises B2C (Business-to-Consumer) mobile apps are specifically designed to help businesses in being in touch with their customers and serving them in a better way. As Smartphone's are used by a large number of customers, there are immense opportunities for enterprises to utilize B2C mobile apps to engage with customers and attract prospects. B2C mobile apps narrow the gap between customers and enterprises and allow clients to call customer services, get in touch with enterprises through one-touch applications, send or message easily and reach their stores through GPS enabled directions. We have outlined the five key benefits that enterprises can avail by using B2C mobile apps. Marketing & Promotion IEnterprises use mobile apps for better communication and engagement with their existing as well as potential customers. B2C mobile apps are an effective tool for marketing and promotion, creating brand awareness and improving visibility on app stores and social media sites. It is also possible to carry out marketing campaigns like sending newsletter or mailers, by easily importing contacts that are gathered from the mobile app. Enterprises can even send push notifications to customer for newly launched products, added services, discounts & offers and much more. Improved Visibility Mobile apps are in great demand due to rising use of Smartphone's. Enterprises can use this opportunity to increase their visibility among users. Customers will visit your website only when they will search for their requirements on Search Engines. A mobile app icon will keep them reminding of you. In future when they'll want to purchase something they will consider opening your app before downloading any new app or trying to find products and services on Search Engines. Maintaining Client Relationships Mobile apps are very effective in maintaining long lasting relations with the existing clients. You can keep your clients informed about your latest launches, offer special discounts to your regular customers and give them free coupons and vouchers on purchases made by them. You can even notify them about special events and launches of your enterprise. Your customers can give instant feedback of your products through a mobile app. B2C mobile apps play a vital role in keeping you connected with your customers. These apps are a win-win situation for you as well as your clients as your loyal customers can help you to take your business viral through social media platforms. Surviving Competition Large number of enterprises already has a B2C mobile app to facilitate customer service. Customers now expect businesses to give them an enhanced experience through mobile apps. If you will not be able to cater to this requirement, you might lose many potential customers to your competitors. And no enterprise will like to fall into such a situation! 10

11 By having a B2C mobile app, you will be able to give a tough competition to your rivals. And through a proper market strategy, you might even be able to attract some of their customers. Customer Service An enterprise mobile app built to cater to B2C segment, assist businesses in keeping in touch with their clients at any point of time. It becomes convenient for your customers to call you with just one touch from inside your mobile app. You can respond to their queries quickly and offer instant solutions, leading to an improved customer service. B2C apps thus increase accessibility, allowing you to engage with your customers in real time and be more responsive. Mobile apps have revolutionized the way enterprises interact with their clients; bringing unparalleled flexibility in the communication process. Whether it is about delighting your customers or improving visibility and customer service; B2C mobile apps can benefit enterprises in numerous ways. (MDM) technology, user & device authentication and use of antivirus software. Enterprise mobile apps thus should have a layered approach to ensure security. 11

12 Conclusion In the end, it is essential to understand that the trend of mobile apps doesn't seem to end anytime soon! Then why don't to seize this opportunity and promote your enterprise through this powerful tool! However, before embarking on an enterprise mobility initiative, it is important for you to be fully aware about the kind of mobile apps your enterprise requires. Having proper knowledge about the various considerations and benefits delivered by different types of enterprise mobile apps can surely lead to achieving desired results! 12

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Loading. Do s and Don ts of App Development. 15 tips for the business and development team when developing or improving mobile or web applications

Loading. Do s and Don ts of App Development. 15 tips for the business and development team when developing or improving mobile or web applications Loading Do s and Don ts of App Development 15 tips for the business and development team when developing or improving mobile or web applications Introduction You might already have a mobile or web application