MOBILE APP LIFECYCLE

Transcription

1 MOBILE APP LIFECYCLE Design and Development As enterprises invest in developing or externally sourcing mobile apps, they are finding the need to integrate this process into the overall software development and release lifecycle. This report is the first in a two-part series on the lifecycle of developing and managing mobile apps in the enterprise, which examines the approaches and processes related to design, development, testing, performance and distribution. KEY FINDINGS The increasing use of tablets for productivity rather than just content consumption, as evident from a recent 451 Research ChangeWave survey, shows that demand for mobile productivity apps is on the rise in the enterprise. At the same time, more enterprises are deploying apps in the cloud. There is a correlation here as traditional enterprise IT is coming to terms with new ways of building and deploying software. We see a convergence of Web practices with core enterprise development. The application development lifecycle is the foundation for the development of any kind of application software. However, app development for mobile devices is not entirely covered within the traditional lifecycle model, except for things like version control. While enterprises look at smartphone app development as a refresh of their software, they should also look at accompanying practices like agile software development as a refresh of their age-old software development practices. With the pre-canned capabilities of various tools available for design and development of mobile apps, it is possible to leapfrog certain steps in the development lifecycle. Hence, app development must avoid redundant activities and allow greater reusability for lower management overheads and shortened delivery time frames. DECEMBER 2012

2 REPORT SNAPSHOT TITLE Mobile App Lifecycle: Design and Development ANALYST Vishal Jain, Analyst Mobile Services RELEASE DATE December 2012 LENGTH 33 pages ABOUT THIS REPORT Mobile application development activity is accelerating within enterprises, and with this shift comes the need to better manage these development processes. As end-user expectations build and usage increasingly shifts from other channels to mobile devices, there is a need to tie in the mobile app delivery method and experience with overall enterprise standards, tools and processes. This is a challenge because there is currently no well-defined mobile app development approach or standards. This report examines some of the app development lifecycle models for building, testing and integrating mobile apps for enterprise employees, partners and consumers. It considers various application types based on business complexity, hosting models and integration with existing back-end sources and it concludes with a TCO guideline and model around these development approaches. This report is the first in a two-part series on the lifecycle of developing, deploying and managing mobile apps in the enterprise.

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION 1: EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW KEY FINDINGS REPORT RATIONALE METHODOLOGY AND RESPONDENT DETAILS SECTION 2: INTRODUCTION CLASSIC MODEL FOR APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT LIFECYCLE ENTERPRISE JOURNEY WITH MOBILE SERVICES AND APPLICATIONS TRILOGY OF MOBILE DEVICES, APPS AND THE CLOUD Figure 1: Current Corporate Tablet Usage, November Figure 2: Corporate Cloud Computing Trends, November IMPACT OF MOBILE APPS ON DEVELOPMENT AND DEPLOYMENT LIFECYCLE SECTION 3: ENTERPRISE MOBILITY ECOSYSTEM COMPONENTS OF MOBILITY DEVELOPMENT AND DEPLOYMENT Figure 3: Mobility Apps Ecosystem MOBILE APP IMPLEMENTATION APPROACHES Figure 4: Smartphone App-Enablement Options and Decisions Figure 5: App Implementation Type Matrix APP DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES AND TOOLING Figure 6: Software Development Lifecycle Activities Development Workbench Real-Time Testing and Debugging Hosting Models for Development and Deployment Integration Methods SECTION 4: A BLUEPRINT FOR ENTERPRISE APP DEVELOPMENT AND DISTRIBUTION APP DEVELOPMENT OR PROCUREMENT WITHIN ENTERPRISES MATURITY LEVELS OF APP DEVELOPMENT Figure 7: App Development Lifecycle Maturity MOBILE APP LIFECYCLE: DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

4 4.3 INTEGRATION WITH EXISTING ENTERPRISE APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT TOOLS AND PROCESSES REQUIREMENTS FOR APP DEVELOPMENT LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT SECTION 5: LIFECYCLE IMPLEMENTATION MODELS AROUND APP DEVELOPMENT WATERFALL-BASED DEVELOPMENT RAPID APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT OEM OR PLATFORM VENDOR SPECIFICATIONS HYBRID APP DEVELOPMENT PROCESS SECTION 6: IMPLEMENTATION CASE STUDIES: THE IMPACT ON APP DEVELOPMENT THROUGH LIFECYCLE AND TOOLING CHANGES AVIVA TECHNICAL GUIDELINES FOR APP DEVELOPMENT BARCLAYS ORGANIZATION RESTRUCTURING FOR APP DEVELOPMENT HOTELS.COM APP DEVELOPMENT LIFECYCLE SHIFT NORWEGIAN RAIL DEVELOPMENT TOOL SELECTION UBS APP SOURCING AND DEVELOPMENT MODEL SECTION 7: PLATFORM AND TOOLING VENDORS FOR MOBILE APP DEVELOPMENT LIFECYCLE OEM APP DEVELOPMENT LIFECYCLE TOOLS MIDDLEWARE-BASED TOOLS FOR APP DEVELOPMENT LIFECYCLE IN THE ENTERPRISE APP TESTING TOOLS ALM VENDORS AND SYSTEMS INTEGRATORS SECTION 8: EVALUATING A DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR MOBILE APPS LOOKING AHEAD INDEX OF COMPANIES 34

5 ABOUT 451 RESEARCH 451 Research is a leading global analyst and data company focused on the business of enterprise IT innovation. Clients of the company at end-user, service-provider, vendor and investor organizations rely on 451 Research s insight through a range of syndicated research and advisory services to support both strategic and tactical decision-making Research, LLC and/or its Affiliates. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction and distribution of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form without prior written permission is forbidden. The terms of use regarding distribution, both internally and externally, shall be governed by the terms laid out in your Service Agreement with 451 Research and/or its Affiliates. The information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. 451 Research disclaims all warranties as to the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of such information. Although 451 Research may discuss legal issues related to the information technology business, 451 Research does not provide legal advice or services and their research should not be construed or used as such. 451 Research shall have no liability for errors, omissions or inadequacies in the information contained herein or for interpretations thereof. The reader assumes sole responsibility for the selection of these materials to achieve its intended results. The opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice. MOBILE APP LIFECYCLE: DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT