Moving Beyond the Basics: Key Considerations for Successful Adoption of a Mobile Platform

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1 By Jorge García, TEC Research Analyst Executive Brief Technology Evaluation Centers

2 Why a Corporate Mobile Approach? Organizations worldwide have come to rely on mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablets, netbooks, and laptops, to conduct their daily business activities. The new generation of employees, workers, and consumers now use mobile devices not only to communicate, but also to interpret data to make decisions, interact with corporate business applications, and share both sensitive and non-sensitive information through wireless media. A study from the Yankee Group surveying business decision makers found that 23% manage a workforce of which 10% uses mobile devices extensively 20% manage a workforce of which 18% uses mobile extensively, and 30% manage a workforce of which 30% uses mobile extensively Though these figures might not seem impressive at first glance, we can see that business users are increasingly relying on mobile devices and applications for business purposes. Users can take advantage of mobile devices to perform different types of tasks based on their roles or job functions. For example, they can use a mobile device for simple . They can also access network resources using mobile virtual private networks (VPNs) or use enterprise applications such as customer relationship management (CRM) systems and business intelligence (BI) applications. The level of complexity needed to deploy and maintain a corporate mobile solution increases as organizations increase their corporate mobile traffic, add applications, and vary the type of functions performed on mobile devices. A report from the International Telecommunication Union, titled The World in 2011, ICT Facts and Figures, captures the fast pace of growth of the mobile industry. The findings show that there are 5.9 billion mobile-cellular subscriptions worldwide; 1.2 billion mobile-broadband subscriptions worldwide; and 87% mobile penetration globally and 79% in the developing world with a 45% annual increase over the past four years. This increase in mobile usage has accelerated development of mobile hardware and software technologies. The emergence of a wide variety of mobile services and applications has prompted device cost reduction, while the fast pace of evolution has led to an increase and enhancement in mobile device capabilities. As a result, many organizations have adopted strategies that allow employees to connect to the company s network to conduct their business activities, while also accessing personal data and apps. 2

3 Users need and are demanding that their employers look beyond providing baseline mobile applications. This narrow approach may be an easy quick fix, but doesn t look at the big picture the potential of mobile applications and their ability to transform a business. When it comes to mobile applications, there are challenges associated with a corporate approach: Scaling from a small number of apps to a comprehensive portfolio Ensuring compatibility with existing mobile applications and legacy mobile devices Applying security to a mobile infrastructure Complying with policies and regulations Establishing best practices, training, and risk awareness Establishing an optimal mobile application lifecycle management strategy Avoiding as much as possible costly mobile operating system fragmentation Addressing frequent and rapid hardware changes Increasing the return of investment (ROI) Effective development and provisioning of mobile applications requires that companies think about a mobile strategy from a corporate perspective bringing all the available resources, finances, and technology together to establish a corporate mobile initiative. Mobile Heterogeneity: Multiple Devices, Multiple Platforms Today s businesses rely on a wide variety of mobile devices to get their jobs done. Heterogeneous environments are commonplace, requiring IT managers to be able to deploy mobile applications for a rich set of mobile operating systems including ios, Android, Windows Phone, and BlackBerry. The heterogeneous nature of mobile environments reinforces the importance of a corporate approach to the mobile application development cycle. 3

4 A Mobile Application Development Approach: More than Just Apps The Components Owing to the complexity in establishing a mobile development strategy, some organizations seeking a quick win deploy one-off mobile business applications that are aimed at having high user satisfaction and compliance. These often lack the benefits of a company-wide strategy. We have learned from mobile deployments over the past ten years that this applies for one business group/workers for one job or project type. The deployment of a mobile platform can confer many potential benefits: Having a centralized approach and structure for mobile application development that leverages existing resources and skill sets Encouraging the use of standard methodologies and proven development environments to facilitate the development process Facilitating the mobile application provisioning and maintenance process by encouraging reliable application maintenance (control versioning, bug tracking, testing, etc.) Developing mobile applications once and deploying on multiple platforms Having a comprehensive and centralized mechanism to manage and secure data Ensuring compliance with applicable local, international, and industry standards Facilitating delivery of cross-company training on all topics related to mobile communications best practices (security awareness, best practices, etc.) Facilitating scaling and platform development awareness To develop useful mobile applications, organizations need to take hold of the following considerations: Data and content need to be accessible anywhere, anytime Some apps should be configurable by the user and/or versatile based on a user s role and responsibilities Apps need to be seen as independent from the device Apps need to be able to integrate with other applications mobile or not Apps need to be transparent to underlying third-party applications A corporate mobile approach will take advantage of a coordinated effort, a common technology, and a single management structure to obtain a centralized and homogeneous mobile development environment. The core elements of a complete corporate mobile approach need to be considered when undertaking a centralized corporate mobile strategy. 4

5 The Complete Mobile Framework The mobile framework refers to the necessary infrastructure for launching a corporate mobile business initiative. It comprises the following: Underlying enterprise systems the common applications, such as and messaging service systems, and the business software systems, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP), CRM, and BI applications, which are increasingly adopting mobile extensions to provide users with access from their mobile devices. A corporate mobile initiative should consider the integration of mobile business applications with core enterprise applications. Mobile management the mobile device management and security system of an organization which need to be integrated seamlessly within the mobile platform for seamless application management. This is most often addressed by an enterprise mobility management (EMM) system. Mobile devices the means by which users interact with content. Mobile business applications the software aimed at providing specific mobile business services by connecting to specific sources of information. 5

6 The Corporate Mobile Platform The corporate mobile platform refers to the necessary applications that enable an organization to connect, create, consume, control, and maintain the multitude of services provided within the mobile strategy. As a key element of the corporate mobile initiative, it connects all the components and facilitates all the tasks performed within the corporate mobile platform. The corporate mobile platform comprises two important elements: an Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) solution and a Mobile Application Development Platform (MADP). 1. An EMM solution. This brings together the necessary elements for a centralized mobile management initiative within the enterprise. By having an EMM solution, organizations can rely on a single product to deliver many of the necessary tasks for managing a comprehensive and centralized management infrastructure. These tasks, or functions, are as follows: Device management Mobile security management Mobile application management Policy adherence and compliance Administration and monitoring of the mobile platform Service monitoring and software delivery Alerting and reporting 2. An MADP. As a core element of the corporate mobile platform and the mobile lifecycle process, an MADP brings together all the necessary components for designing, testing, and deploying corporate mobile applications. The main functions of this type of platform are to carry out and manage the mobile application creation process (design, testing, version control, etc.). The MADP is the integration platform which allows the mobile applications that you ve created to connect to the back-office application systems. These two elements enable organizations to exert full control over the corporate platform infrastructure. An MADP plays a key role within any organization looking to deploy mobile business applications, and provides the necessary elements for a successful mobile application development cycle. While an EMM solution provides management and control, an MADP provides the means for developing mobile applications within a corporate environment allowing organizations to rely on a single source for managing mobile application development practices. 6

7 These components provide a mobile infrastructure that can grow with your business. Enterprise Mobility Management makes any device enterprise ready whether personally or corporate owned, providing the infrastructure to remotely configure device security settings, perform encryption strategies, adhere to compliance requirements, and most importantly deploy configured applications. When an EMM solution is closely coupled with an MADP, organizations greatly benefit not only from the application deployment and lifecycle capabilities that EMM provides, but also from ensuring that the device is compliant and businessready throughout the lifecycle of each mobile application. When establishing a corporate mobile strategy, the corporate mobile platform is the core functional element to consider from the perspective of the underlying infrastructure in order to maximize: the level of integration of the corporate mobile strategy with the preexisting infrastructure, the level of interaction of all the components of the infrastructure, the level of security and accessibility of all these elements, leveraging the right balance between maintaining security and granting easy access to authorized users, and the level of availability to all the infrastructure, ensuring reduced operating downtime and enhanced performance. 7

8 Key Considerations for Evaluating an MADP Some organizations launch their mobile development strategies by developing and deploying mobile applications separately and independently, focusing their efforts on maintaining single mobile business applications in their own separate environment. With the natural evolution of the mobile infrastructure (scaling in number of devices, apps, and services), there is increased complexity in all aspects of the mobile lifecycle. A mobile application development cycle can be associated with challenges relating to: putting in place a single and effective mechanism for improving the application development process; establishing and concentrating development best practices; building an effective medium- and long-term strategy for mobile development lead times and quality control; and gathering user feedback and tracking application interactions for product improvement. A systematic and corporate approach is needed for successful mobile application development and adoption. As with other types of applications, there is no silver bullet for creating mobile applications. But some key considerations would serve well any organization looking to develop these sorts of tools: 1. Device heterogeneity. As there is a wide range of mobile device types, for example, in screen size (smartphones, tablets, even laptops and netbooks, etc.), mobile apps should be able to accommodate different types of devices. 2. Platform heterogeneity. Owing to the heterogeneity in mobile platforms (ios, Android, BlackBerry, etc.), organizations need to provide coverage for a variety of mobile platforms. 3. Technology and standards heterogeneity. As there are diverse sets of standards (SOAP, JDBC, HTTP) and technologies (Java, Flash, Python, etc.), mobile apps need to gain access to multiple services such as Web, Authentication, etc. 4. Data source heterogeneity. Mobile apps may need to connect with data originating from different sources (relational databases, business applications, Web services, etc.). Below are 3 key considerations for the successful deployment a centralized application development platform, such as an MADP. 8

9 1. Establish a Corporate Application Development Approach A corporate approach to mobile application development makes it possible for organizations to achieve the following: Regardless of the technology and methodology used, develop mobile applications using a single, uniform development platform, thereby establishing a single development process strategy (creation, testing, etc.) and a coherent set of best practices, as well as encouraging the adoption of methodologies to increase the quality and speed of development (modularity, code reuse, etc.). Establish general tools and technologies to facilitate the development process, thereby enhancing the education and training of corporate tools as well as having best-of-breed technologies that are easier to learn and use. 2. Take Advantage of All the Benefits of Mobile Devices Once all the elements of a robust and centralized platform for developing mobile applications are in place, adopting best practices for building effective mobile applications is needed enhancing business functionality and enriching the user experience. This can be done by taking advantage of all the features of mobile devices that enrich the user experience: 1. Timely access. Mobile devices typically have few or no constraints, giving users access to information at anytime and from anywhere. This is particularly useful for accessing vital business and real-time information. 2. Quality information. Mobile devices enable users to take advantage of information on the go. The quality of this information must be taken into consideration, particularly when making decisions. Real-time information can provide users with analytics and tools such as performance dashboards, real-time data reports, and alerting systems and collaboration tools, allowing them to make informed decisions. It also allows them to analyze and drill into large amounts of data sets (big data) to gain important insights. 3. Intrinsic device capabilities. Mobile devices are the ultimate user-oriented tool, enriching user experience by providing them with functionality that exploits the device s intrinsic capabilities e.g., using geo-location and Global Positioning System (GPS) to access location-based services (LBS), using the camera to provide enhanced reality features, merging video and data visualization features, etc. 9

10 3. Reinforce Mobile Security Mobile applications are not only associated with many benefits, but also with potential security risks. As information is being transmitted to a mobile device, it needs to be handled with caution and safeguarded by reliable security measures. During mobile application development, it is therefore necessary to consider reducing mobile security risks such as: malware and spyware attacks and damaged application reputation, hacking, data loss, and jailbreaking or device rooting. A platform approach to mobile application development can enable organizations to develop mobile applications by following security policies and best practices for mobile device usage. All phases of the mobile application development lifecycle can be secured to minimize risks and be able to: perform encryption enforcement; establish data loss prevention controls cut/copy/paste, screen capture, icloud; provide automated software updates; provide automated applications of patch and security updates; monitor and track security threats; seamlessly integrate mobile applications within the organization s mobile security schema; disable lost or stolen devices and the application s network access; and apply contingency strategies such as business data wiping. Finally, to harness the full potential of mobile application development, an MADP should have core capabilities for: homogeneous app development; integration with back-end systems; multi-device, multi-standard support; and encourage rapid and easy mobile application development. These 3 key considerations will set the groundwork for successfully deploying a mobile strategy. 10

11 Conclusion The increased use of mobile devices has led some organizations to undertake a corporate mobile strategy and reap the benefits of mobility. There are 3 key considerations to establishing corporate mobility: establishing an application development approach, taking advantages of all benefits of mobile devices, and reinforcing mobile security. As a result, the mobile platform should be: monitored and managed centrally, highly automated, device ubiquitous, integrated within the preexisting corporate infrastructure, scalable, and secure. Such an initiative is certainly worth the effort, as it enhances return on investment (ROI) by providing more confidence to mobile users, increasing performance from a management and user point of view, and encouraging the use of mobile best practices. With the increased use of mobile technologies in the workplace, establishing a corporate mobile strategy may soon not be an option, but a necessity and organizations that are prepared for it will be well on their way to having a workforce that is mobile, and can work from anywhere, anytime. Report sponsored by SAP 11

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