7 April 2011 fiercemobileit.com April 2011 8 Smartphones, and to a lesser extent tablets, are now key productivity tools in the enterprise. As such, the killer app is moving beyond mobile email and into the realm of mobile apps that can access corporate databases and streamline business processes. While it’s tempting to declare 2011 “the year of the mobile enterprise app,” the journey to that end is anything but simple. Most enterprises are challenged by the plethora of operating systems, devices and choices when it comes to developing, delivering and managing mobile applications. Independent analyst Kevin Benedict advises companies to develop their mobility strategy first before jumping into the mobile app market, even if employees are demanding them. “What is critical is for an enterprise to develop a standardized way of building and maintaining apps so that they can be supported, maintained and controlled,“ Benedict said. He cited one Fortune 500 company that is running 35 different in-house applications but all were built and managed by different staff members and the applications were unknown to the help desk. An integral part of a mobile apps plan is incorporating mobile device management (MDM) so that IT administrators can centrally deploy, manage and update user and device profiles, application configurations and security settings, Benedict said. And many MDM vendors are jumping into the enterprise apps space. Industry leader Sybase has an MDM called Afaria that now incorporates app store distribution capabilities. Zenprise offers MobileManager that includes the Enterprise App Store that enables administrators to configure and provision apps, and MobileIron offers an enterprise app storefront to enable IT to distribute in-house apps , just to name a few. Enterprises can easily tap into the hundreds of thousands of productivity and business apps already available on app stores such as the Apple App Store, Android Market and BlackBerry App World, but functions specific to the enterprise either need to be built in-house or outsourced. “Enterprise mobility requires investment, proving ROI in a challenging budgetary environment, especially if these benefits are ‘soft’ and not easily quantified is not easy,” noted Current Analysis analyst Kathryn Weldon, in a recent research note. “Companies already spend a huge amount on mobile voice and data today, without any application business cases that may require extra investment.” The key then is to weigh in-house capabilities with app functionality. Those choosing to keep the process in-house may only choose one mobile OS to write for, given the complexities of building apps across several devices. Web-based HTML 5 development should ease Enterprises Face Myriad of Choices When It Comes to Mobile Apps Development By Lynnette Luna CREATE, DEPLOY AND MANAGE ENTERPRISE APPS How do I guarantee that my apps are only used by authorized users? What's the best way to deploy my apps - I can't use iTunes! How can I easily push updates over the air? If an employee leaves the company, how can I disable the app and data? How do I ensure that future apps meet corporate security and compliance standards? I've built my enterprise app, now what do I do? www.Apperian.com/GetEASE The EASE Platform enables you to deploy your apps to thousands of users, manage your apps, and report on app usage plus full device inventory information. The EASE SDK helps you create secure in-house apps for your employees. Sales@Apperian.com iOS (800) 862.0511 | (617) 951.1464 continued on page 9
