Can 'mobile backend as a service' lift the burden of complexity, security and deployment?
FeedHenry CEO Cathal McGloin explains how a MBaaS can speed up mobile application development and deployment
Under the hood of an enterprise-grade Mobile Backend-as-a-Service (MbaaS), which forms part of a mobile application platform, lies a wealth of functionality that is ripe for CIOs to use for their mobility initiatives.
Consumerisation of IT has pushed mobility to the top of the agenda but, unlike gaming and many other consumer apps, organisations need to develop business productivity or revenue-generating apps where backend integration is a real and complex issue.
With developers under pressure to churn out apps at increasing speed and with tip-top user experience, the pressure is on to alleviate the headache of secure connectivity to enterprise backend systems and maintenance of server-side infrastructure.
Many research surveys highlight the challenge that CIOs face over security as mobile projects increase and the internet of things evolves. No surprise! Organisations operate with a plethora of different backend or business systems, many of which are highly proprietary and don't lend themselves to mobilisation.
The sunk investment in these systems, combined with their ability to effectively manage core business processes, means that it may be a long time before they may be modernised, phased out or replaced.
There are three main burdens that enterprise app developers face in unleashing backend functionality in a simple, secure and scalable way and where MBaaS plays a critical role:
1. Dial-down complexity
MBaaS enables full access to cloud services, such as storage, security, caching and business logic, that are indispensable to developing enterprise-class mobile experiences. Back-end server-side complexity is shifted to the cloud, enabling a more modularised technology stack, as well as more efficient data-level management and scaling capabilities.
The complexity involved in integrating different backend systems, many of which are proprietary, is the bane of simple, high-performing mobile design. Rather than forcing organisations to completely re-architect those systems, an enterprise-grade MBaaS enables them to mobilise in a lightweight, component-based and agile fashion.
MBaaS is designed to integrate disparate legacy systems by acting as a hub between mobile clients and the systems they need to access. By easily creating re-usable Node.js-based services in the MBaaS, which you can share across all of your apps, you can mobile-enable your organisation and accelerate the mobile-first journey.
2. Security, security, security
With information security a key priority, MBaaS offers secure connectivity to backend systems. Data is transmitted over a secure channel to the cloud, which sends it on to the business applications. By providing a single point of entry into the enterprise, this approach is inherently more secure than exposing the interface of each individual application. This also facilitates the use of virtual private networks from the MBaaS to your systems.
For industries such as finance, healthcare, government and transportation, where regulatory requirements are strictly enforced, the need for security management across the whole pipe, from device to backend data points, potentially avoids the high cost of a data breach.
3. Flexibility of deployment
Not all deployments are created equally, so whether server-side code is deployed to a private, public or hybrid cloud, or deployed fully on-premise, it's important to maintain flexibility and portability.
Enterprise-grade MBaaS simplifies the configuration, deployment and maintenance of server-side code deployment, freeing the developer to focus on the front-end user experience. Organisations cannot afford to be locked-in to a particular deployment model, but need to be able to respond and adapt as their needs evolve. The new breed of enterprise MBaaS have been created to address this need to respond quickly and flexibly.
For organisations elevating their mobile initiatives to a more strategic level, the potential for an enterprise-grade MBaaS to reduce development time, cost and time to market for their mobile app rollouts shouldn't be ignored. Mobile application platforms, like Red Hat Mobile, which have been developed to simplify enterprise mobility, have emerged in recent years. These include MBaaS capabilities, as well as app development, deployment and management features, offering organisations a complete platform solution.
Additional Resources
Interested in reading more about MBaaS for enterprise? Take a look at some additional resources:
- 451 Research Report: FeedHenry Mobile App Platform highlights mobile-first credentials
- To read more about MBaaS and the FeedHenry offering, download this 451 Research report