Is Your Mobile App Platform RFP Asking The Right Questions? 7 Questions Your RFP Should Include Verivo Software 000 Winter Street Waltham MA 045 78.795.800 sales@verivo.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary 3 User Experience 4 Mobile App Governance 5 Security 6 Scalability 7 Supporting Multiple Apps 8 Need for an Open, Extensible Platform 8 Page
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY When companies develop mobile apps, the effort is usually led by Line of Business (LoB) managers who are focused on the functional requirements and getting the app to market as soon as possible. As a result, Requests for Proposals (RFPs) tend to focus more heavily on business requirements and the end user experience, with too few questions aimed at addressing security requirements, the ability to make updates, and maintenance costs. Then, once the app is built, expenses mount unexpectedly. LoB managers lean on IT operations to secure and maintain the app, and IT is burdened with the challenge of maintaining an app that is often built with proprietary tools and is plagued with weak back-end connectivity. To compound problems, large companies often have multiple LoBs that operate in silos, each using different tools and different approaches when it comes to their mobile apps, which in turn makes the problem even more difficult for IT. Creators of RFPs need to consider the total cost of ownership and how the platforms under consideration will handle: CHANGING BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS If the LoB needs to make a simple change to the back-end integration, how will the platform handle the request? Will users have to upload a new app? In the case that IT or a system integrator needs to get involved, the feature can be delayed and costs will escalate. CONTINUOUS GOVERNANCE If the company acquires another company, or if there s a change in security policies, how difficult will it be to implement the changes? Delays can lead to data breaches and compliance violations. SCALING Often considered a champagne problem, the responsibility for supporting growing app usage is often left to a centralized Ops department that was not involved in the development of the original architecture, a main reason why many.0 apps never make it to version.0. An interactive RFP process can help create a true sense of partnership between an enterprise and the chosen vendor s team. The more open and engaging an organization can be about its business goals and success metrics in the RFP, the more likely it is that vendors will respond with accurate answers to questions. Verivo is a mobile app company with more than 5 years of experience building enterprise apps and working with large organizations to help them develop, deploy, and maintain mobile apps. Having received and reviewed hundreds of RFPs for mobile app platforms, the Verivo team has observed significant inconsistencies in the topics covered and a tendency to ignore important long-term considerations. Below is a list of questions that are often ignored but should be considered in any mobile app development RFP. Page 3
USER EXPERIENCE When considering platform features that affect the user experience, it is important to consider more than just the front-end tools. Many other factors affect the user experience, not only in the initial deployment, but over time as enterprises want to modify or enhance the app. Additional RFP questions that affect user experience: How does the platform support all combinations of mobile app architectures: native, hybrid, and mobile web? Different development teams prefer different tools, and different apps require different approaches. A platform that limits these options could also limit growth down the road. How does the platform support the full software development lifecycle (SDLC) process and integrate with third-party tools? The SDLC does not end when.0 ships. If development teams are not able to fully utilize their processes and tools,.0 and 3.0 will be delayed, expensive, or nonexistent. 3 What level of training or services will be required to get the development team up and running and add new people to the team? Proprietary tools are always an impediment to progress. It is difficult to get new people up to speed, and developers do not like investing time into skills that are unlikely to be useful in future projects. 4 Does the platform support users working off-line? Many apps have to work whether or not the user has a connection. With spotty coverage areas and signals having trouble reaching the interiors of some buildings, off-line support is critical to keeping employees productive and customers engaged in all locations. 5 Does the platform require agents or a container app on the device? Many platforms may claim to have adequate security and other enterprise features in place, but the question needs to be asked: can they be implemented without additional layers? Additional components negatively impact user experience. Page 4
MOBILE APP GOVERNANCE IT organizations typically take on the responsibility for securing, managing, and maintaining mobile apps. If there is a change in policy, or in the case that a merger or acquisition demands an additional Active Directory be included in the authentication process, IT will be responsible for making it work. Success depends on how the platform works with existing systems and infrastructure. A Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) layer solves part of this problem - by making back-end functionality available through standard interfaces - but SOA alone does not fully meet the needs of mobile. Mobile devices require additional security, data synching, and management services that have to be handled by the platform, or will need to be hand-coded. Additional RFP questions that affect governance: Does the platform run on existing enterprise-grade infrastructure such as JEE? Without a standards-based infrastructure, any interface to existing systems will be expensive to build and expensive to maintain. How does the platform deliver full runtime management and control of mobile apps? For example, does the platform provide real-time monitoring of the status of push notifications across all device types and the ability to push actions to the client? 3 Does the platform include runtime management APIs that integrate with third-party IT management products such as Tivoli, CA, etc.? IT operations need visibility into mobile apps if they are to manage them, and they need to be able to use the tools already installed and used across the enterprise. 4 Is the platform based on an open or proprietary architecture? Every enterprise is different, and in order for a mobile application platform to be open, it must accommodate existing infrastructure and unique requirements. Page 5
SECURITY Security is probably the greatest concern when considering mobile app tools, yet it is often underrepresented in RFPs. It s easy to check off the security box, but determining whether corporate data is and will be safe requires a more serious evaluation. Enterprises should fully consider the level of security needed and the impact that a change in the security infrastructure will cause. Additional RFP questions that affect security: Does the platform integrate into existing security infrastructure? A considerable amount of work has gone into securing the enterprise, and teams should leverage that infrastructure in any mobile platform. Some development solutions replicate directories and others require custom code, but both of these approaches are an accident waiting to happen. Does the platform give fine-grained access control, enough to suit your needs? Most security infrastructure supports the use of groups and roles. Is this level of granularity needed on mobile devices? 3 How hardened is the server, has it been scanned by AppScan, and does it pass OWASP tests? Consider what level of verification is needed for the safety of the enterprise server, and make sure the mobile server meets those standards. Page 6
SCALABILITY If a mobile app is successful, its usage will grow, putting pressure on the server and back-end systems. Anticipate this growth and address what it would take to support the increasing load as a part of the RFP. Additional RFP questions that affect scalability: Does the pricing/licensing model allow for unlimited users and unlimited apps? Many platforms have pricing structures that can cost more than expected if the app s usage grows. Consider the cost for today s users, as well as tomorrow s. What are the mobile app deployment options? On-premise, cloud or hybrid? The deployment option that is appropriate for.0 may not be right for.0 and beyond. Will the platform handle future needs? 3 How does the platform support horizontal scaling, and can it use the infrastructure that s already in place? Most platforms support some ability to scale horizontally, but it may not be in a way that is compatible with the existing infrastructure. Inquire about the scaling architecture and ask what standard components are required to create a load-balanced cluster. Page 7
SUPPORTING MULTIPLE APPS It is important to think not just about the app being built today, but future apps and apps built by other departments in the organization. Mobile apps across the company share the same IT resources, back-end systems, and security infrastructure. An RFP should consider how the platform will support multiple apps, and how much time and money the platform can save across the company. Additional RFP questions that affect the development and maintenance of multiple apps: How does the platform facilitate code reuse across multiple mobile apps? An app will need several mobile services to support security, data synching, and business-specific functionality. Can these services easily be reused by other departments? SOA was invented to make it easier to build multiple web apps, and this benefit should be brought to mobile. Do changes in a service require all mobile apps to be updated? If there is an update to any of these services, do the apps have to be rebuilt and redeployed? NEED FOR AN OPEN, EXTENSIBLE PLATFORM Chris Marsh, a principal analyst for enterprise mobility at the Yankee Group, said Enterprises need an open and extensible platform that, rather than just sitting as another silo, can work with existing IT infrastructure and scale policy, security, and compliance across mobile assets. The Verivo team couldn t agree more, and these needs should be reflected in any RFP. With a 5-year track record, Verivo Software is a leading provider of enterprise mobility software that helps companies accelerate the development and deployment of mobile applications. Verivo s Akula is the only open mobile application platform that empowers teams to centrally secure and govern their enterprise mobile apps - rapidly and across multiple devices. The mobility industry is changing rapidly, and it is often difficult to know what is needed and what will save the most time and money in the long run. The list presented here is a result of Verivo s involvement with hundreds of large corporations as they designed their mobile strategy. Before drafting an RFP for the next mobile enterprise app, take a holistic view of development and implement best practices to help make future RFPs as robust as possible. If you are planning on developing an RFP for a mobile application platform, or have any questions about Verivo Akula, please do not hesitate to contact us. Reach us or download any of our other resources at www.verivo.com. Page 8