Companies are starting to see value in going mobile for their business applications to overcome the costs and limitations stemming from integration to 3rd party applications, server-side rules and company policies. Business leaders are now looking to leverage the power of mobile computing as a cost-effective alternative to getting business done.
Mobile Applications As A Core Component of The Business
It is estimated that there will be more than 11.6 billion mobile devices by the year 2020 – a number exceeding the world’s population!This fact presents a pretty compelling argument for integrating mobile apps into your company’s enterprise landscape.
To remain competitive, run business operations smoothly, efficiently and effectively, businesses need to be remain vigilant to technology trends. This holds true especially for organizations with existing enterprise systems, who know they need to upgrade and/or have integrated 3rd party applications. Businesses may be undecided between upgrading existing business user interfaces (UI) as part of their existing enterprise application or opting to go with a mobile app or using a hybrid model. While a UI may work fine for some organizations and may be the only options for some application integrations, it may require additional support such as document capture, offline tech support and image enhancements – all of which results in additional costs. Mobile apps, however, do what enterprise UI does, but at a fraction of the cost. Savvy business owners are best served to investigate available mobile app options first, before embarking on costly enterprise UI changes.
How Mobile Apps Work With Enterprise Systems –The Middleware – BPM Platform
Complex enterprise applications are usually built on a Middleware platform. This platform enables multiple integrations and varied processes, making it a good platform choice for mobile applications as well.
Middleware has transformed how businesses deliver services. Middleware, along with Business Process Management (BPM), defines the rules and corrective measures to be taken throughout the business process cycle. This platform enables end-to-end visibility, tracking capabilities and auto-prioritization for some given business processes. Against this platform, mobile apps are developed with no change to existing systems. The principles used in the creation of the Middleware platform enable rapid implementation of the mobile platform without the need for extensive support.
For mobile applications to work seamlessly and effectively:
• The mobile application must be integrated with back-end core applications. This enables real time processing and boosts the efficiency of the mobile platform.
• A strong Middleware along with BPM backbone is essential in automating enterprise processes to be parts of the use case.
• The mobile application should be used against a desktop application to leverage such features as Geo tagging, offline support, and capture capabilities.
