AppAdVenture Mobile Report 2014

NATION1.CO.UK

AN APP ADVENTURE:THE JOURNEYOF AN IDEA

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW BUT DIDNT KNOW TO ASK WHEN CREATING AN ENTERPRISE APP STRATEGY

LW.COM & NATION1.CO.UK

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SECTION A: A CRASH COURSE IN APPS 1 Applications: What are they and why have one?

1.1 What is an app?1.2 App characteristics1.3 Types of apps 1.4 Why not just optimise our website for mobile? 1.5 An app for an apps sake.

2 The app market and new technologies 2.1 OS Platforms: BlackBerry 10/Windows/iOS/Android 2.2 The future of apps and handsets2.3 4G: What is it all about and what does it mean?

3 Life Cycle: Building an app3.1 How to choose the right app platform 3.2 Open source and code sharing 3.3 Data feeds and 3rd party systems3.4 Testing and user experience

SECTION B: A GUIDE TO B2B AND ENTERPRISE APPS4 An introduction to enterprise apps 4.1 What is an enterprise app, and why do I need one?

4.2 Nation1: Our bold new vision for the future 5 The enterprise app landscape

5.1 Characteristics of an enterprise app 5.2 Market opportunity 5.3 Stats around B2B smartphone use6 The rewards of enterprise apps

6.1 Why build an enterprise app strategy? 6.2 Thebenefitsofenterpriseapps 6.3 Enterprise application requirements 6.4 How do you evaluate your enterprise app?7 Overcoming obstacles: a how-to guide 7.1 Challenges in developing enterprise apps

7.2 How to overcome challenges / risks7.3 Tips to lower security budgets when building enterprise apps7.4 10 strategies to follow when launching apps to the enterprise

8 Understanding key legal risks 8.1 Managing data risks 8.2 Infringing intellectual property rights 8.3 Managing open source software risks9 IP protection 9.1 Copyright protection 9.2 Patent protection 9.3 Trademark protection and passing off 9.4 Design right protection 9.5 In conclusion10 Making money from mobile11 Build it and they will come

11.1 What is an enterprise app store?11.2 How to deploy your app11.3 Enterprise app development solutions

12 Top tier enterprise app examples13 The future for enterprise apps: stay ahead of the game 13.1 2020 predictions

13.2 Enterprise app evolution13.3 Future enterprise investment13.4 Enterprise mobility in the future13.5 Mobile trends for 2014

CONTENTSContents

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MOBILE REPORT 2014

Nation1; You see things and you say why? But I dream of things that never were, and ask; why not? George Bernard Shaw

Fifteen years ago I launched Nation1 with a loan of 5,000 based out of an attic office in Glasgow. Our first ever invoice was to the Savoy Discotheque (known as The Sauv Sav to the locals) for handing out fliers for their student night, Cheesy Tuesdays. I had a Nokia2110, a Tiny PC, a dial-up connection and we confirmed sales orders by fax.

Five years ago I was asked if Nation1 could develop an iPhone app.

A lot has changed in the time I have been running a business, but the one thing that remains constant is this: if you dont do it someone else will. Industry by industry, technology is changing everything. Over 87% of IT professionals (polled by Forrester in 2013) believe that mobile will have a bigger effect on their business than the internet did in 2000. Are you ready? How do you prepare?

Today Nation1 has refocused to specialise in helping companies stay ahead of the game through the effective use of mobile technologies, to improve and transform business processes. We have created the machinery to turn problems into solutions and ideas into things.

We have created The Journey Of An Idea, which crowdsources business problems from your employees and stakeholders through your own branded version of our AppHunter app. Our AppLab consulting service takes these problems and works with you to solve them with enterprise apps, and AppAdVenture, our 10m investment fund, can even pay for the development of the app required to solve your problem.

Our wee approach has caught the attention and support of Latham & Watkins, Intel and Microsoft and I have convinced a team of world-class professionals to deliver the above for me.

I can guarantee that tomorrow everything will change again and youll be sick of hearing about digital wallets, bitcoins, the internet of everything, quantum computing and big data. But, two things are certain: mobile in whatever form: app/web/smartphone/chip in your brain! is here to stay and will change the future and you wont catch me back at the Sauv Sav!

Yours

Andrew Grant (Managing Director, Nation1)[email protected]

ForewordForew

ord

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IntroductionFrom Russia with Love until The Day After Tomorrow, mobile-connected devices are going to change everything.

Ayn Rand was an American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter. She is known for her two best-selling novels, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, and for developing a philosophical system she called Objectivism. In this theory of rational individualism, humans highest moral goal is the achievement of their own happiness.

Mankind has never been in a greater period of change; machines, money trades, algorithms, social media, smartphones, the economic meltdown, social unrest, political intolerance and indifference, the decline of the West, the ascent of the East.

ONE THING IS CONSTANT: CHANGE

We are going to tell you what the future has in store. This is not a paper that leaves you asking and....? Banks are repositioning as tech companies, building patent and IP banks. They know where their bread is buttered, and its not the old economies or industries, and even cash is no longer king.

This manual sets out to show you how mobile apps can play a central role in transforming your business through the improvement and upgrading of core processes without anyone noticing. Better still, they can prepareyouforthefuture,sendoutapositiveconfidentmessageandengageemployeesandstakeholdersin the process.

For the folk who say mobile apps are for consumers and kids and not for business, and those who peddled the stat that over 400k apps on App Store have never been downloaded, we say, pack your bags and make for the door now, as there will be a rush later and you might get crushed.

Smartphones, smart watches, bio chips, DNA computers, web apps, mobile apps, future tech thats not what this is about, its about mobile technology, the internet of everything, connected devices and how you need to get your head around the fact that the world has changed.

Bring your own device, business running on a portfolio of mobile software and employees that are always connected its not a vision, its a reality. Its happening all around you. The future is always on, with access to everything from anywhere. Theres no more 9 to 5 now every employee is a stakeholder and every customer an editor. A mobile app is a transformative process, without the mega consulting and IT fees. Now back to Ayn Rand. Objectivism almost worked, but our technology was missing one key factor: the ability to feedback data to allow society to better manage itself. This, more than any reason, is why your business needs an app. Transform into a tech company and learn from immediate insights and feedback to better manage, run and improve your business.

NOTHING IS MORE POWERFUL THAN AN IDEA WHOSE TIME HAS COME.


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IntroductionSECTION A: A CRASH COURSE IN APPS

1 APPLICATIONS. WHAT ARE THEY AND WHY HAVE ONE?

1.1 WHAT IS AN APP?

Apps are actual applications, small software programmes for mobile devices that are downloaded and

installed on your mobile device rather than being rendered within a browser. They can be simple tools

ormulti-taskingbusinessprogrammes.Usersvisitdevice-specificportalssuchasApplesAppStore,

AndroidMarket,orBlackBerryAppWorld inorder tofindanddownloadapps foragivenoperating

system. The app may pull content and data from the internet in a similar fashion to a website, or it may

download the content so that it can be accessed without an internet connection.

1.2 APP CHARACTERISTICS

The simple truth is that an app is anything that feels like an app. And those app-like qualities are:

1.3 TYPES OF APPS - MOBILE OPTIMISED WEB, WEB APPS, NATIVE APPS AND HYBRIDS

MOBILE OPTIMISED WEB AND RESPONSIVE DESIGN

Firstly,itisimportanttodistinguishmobileoptimisedwebsitesfromapplicationsand,morespecifically,

web apps. As mentioned previously, there are certain characteristics of web apps that are not achievable

by simply optimising your website for those accessing from a mobile device, which ultimately affects

the end users experience.

Some of these are quite trivial, but two of them are really important; how the interface lays out on the screen and whether it is designed for touch. Without either of these, you dont have an app.

perfectly filling the screen

an interface designed for

touch

no browser-like elements

or page loading behaviour

gesture interaction and

an icon on the home

screen.

Section A


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AppsApps

Apps

Mobilewebsitesarespecificallydesignedforhandhelddevices-nobodywantstobrowseadesktopwebsite

on their smartphone! It is similar to any other website in that it consists of browser-based HTML pages that

arelinkedtogetherandaccessedovertheinternet(formobile,typicallyWi-Fi,3Gor4Gnetworks).Mobile

websites are specifically designed formobile standards and optimal download speed,whichmeans less

waitingandmorebrowsing.Amobilewebsiteallowsyoutoimmediatelyengageuserswithmobile-specific

features such as click-to-call and mapping functions. A mobile website provides improved rankings on mobile-

friendly search engines such as Google and Yahoo. A mobile website can be accessed anywhere and at

any time. This level of constant connectivity provides an unprecedented opportunity to connect with target

audiences in new ways, wherever they may be.

A mobile website is sometimes considered a less restrictive means to build a mobile presence compared to

app development. Also, a mobile website is universal to all contemporary smartphone browsers, making a

mobilewebsitemoreflexibleandinsomecasescost-efficient,withfewerbarriersbetweenthewebsiteowner

and the target users. Of course, there are many applications that are better suited to an app format and often

itwouldbebeneficialtohavebothappandmobilewebsite.Butforawell-roundedmobilepresence,amobile-

optimisedwebsiteisapracticalandeffectivefirststep.

The mobile web is no longer a

concept - its a mainstream reality

that will impact any organisation that

aims to communicate with target

audiences online. Most leading

industry analysts project that within

a few years, mobile phones will

overtake PCs as the most common

web access device worldwide. The

responsibility now falls on website

owners to take advantage of the

unique opportunities mobiles offer

for connecting with the growing

number of visitors who will inevitably

access their website through a

mobile device.

Which solution is better for your Mobile siteWhat are yourbusiness needs?

Separatemobile site

Good fit Better fit Best fit

Designing for mobile user needs (eg. e-commerce, directions, phone calls, app downloads)

Ease of updating site

Optimized for search engines

Quick site creation

Affordable web development

Adding conversion and redirect codes

Great DIY options

Responsivedesign


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Apps

Hybrid

RESPONSIVE VS. OPTIMISED

A responsive design simply squashes the page content into a smaller space. A mobile-optimised site is a

condensed, highly functional and elegant accompaniment to the main web presence. A mobile website does

not replace your main web presence; it is a way for users to engage with the owner at a moments notice.

WEB APPS/CROSS PLATFORM

A web application is any application that uses a web browser as a client. A web application relieves the

developer of the responsibility of building a client for a specific type of computer or a specific operating

system.Webapplicationscommonlyuseacombinationofserver-sidescript(ASP,PHP,etc)andclient-side

script(HTML,JavaScript,etc.)todeveloptheapplication.Theclient-sidescriptdealswiththepresentation

of the information and the server-side script deals with the core fundamental elements such as storing and

retrieving the information.

HYBRID APPS/CROSS PLATFORM

Web apps and hybrid apps are, for the most part, the same thing and rely on HTML to build the main user

interface.Thedifferencebetweenthemis;forhybridyouhavetotest,deployandconfigureforeachoperating

system(OS),ratherthanjusttest.Thedevelopmenteffortisusually90%shared,butwhenyougettothe

detail and testing, it is a bigger effort than pure web.

Many device features are posted as advantages for hybrid apps and its often stated or inferred that web apps

cannot do the same. The fact is that generally web apps can do most of what hybrid and native apps can do

and can usually do everything most companies will need, however, they will never beat a native app in terms

of access to the full OS APIs.

So what is an API? An API, or Application Programming Interface is the interface implemented by an application that allows other applications to communicate with it.

You might ask why communication is so important. Just imagine Notepad couldnt copy and paste to and from

Microsoft Word or Google Chrome. Imagine having to type each and every time although the text is already

there in some other application. This is only one of the examples of communication between applications and

all this communication is made possible via APIs.

So web apps can do most of what you probably need, such as having a camera, images, video, audio,

GPS and geolocation, accelerometer and local storage. Web apps cannot get access to the users contacts

notificationsandtheytypicallydonthaveaccesstolocalstorageexceptaccesstothecamerarollforimages.

Hybrid apps can access contacts and local storage. There is also better support for using the microphone

andgettingnetworkconnectivity(thesearenotfullysupportedacrossplatformsforwebapps).Hybridapps

can also take advantage of plug-ins to extend their functionality.

Apps


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Plug-insWHAT IS A PLUG-IN?

Aplug-in(orplugin)isasetofsoftwarecomponentsthataddsspecificabilitiestoalargersoftwareapplication.

If supported, plug-ins enable customising the functionality of an application. For example, plug-ins are

commonlyusedinwebbrowserstoplayvideo,scanforviruses,anddisplaynewfiletypes.Well-knownplug-

in examples include Adobe Flash Player, QuickTime and Java Applets.

Cross-platform frameworks, which include Appcelerators Titanium, Rhodes, Marmalade and PhoneGap, are

designed to limit the work that a developer or development team has to put in to creating apps for iOS,

Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone and beyond.

NATIVE APPS

Hybrid and native apps require you to sign up for the developer programs, have access to the developer tools,

and submit your apps for external approval.

In a nutshell, native apps provide the best usability, the best features and the best overall mobile experience.

There are some things you only get with native apps:

multitouch-doubletaps,pinch-spread,andothercompoundUIgestures;

fastgraphicsAPI-thenativeplatformgivesyouthefastestgraphics,whichmaynotbeabigdeal

if youre showing a static screen with only a few elements, or a very big deal if youre using a lot of

data and require a fast refresh;

fluidanimation-relatedtothefastgraphicsAPI,thisistheabilitytohavefluidanimation.Thisis

especially important in gaming, highly interactive reporting, or intensely computational algorithms

for transforming photos and sounds;

built-incomponents-thecamera,addressbook,geolocationandotherfeaturesnativetothedevice

can be seamlessly integrated into mobile apps. Another important built-in component is encrypted

storage;

easeofuse- thenativeplatform iswhatpeopleareaccustomedto,andsowhenyouadd that

familiarity with all of the native features they expect, you have an app thats just plain easier to use;

documentation-thereareover2,500booksaloneforiOSandAndroiddevelopment,withmany

morearticles,blogpostsanddetailedtechnicalthreadsonwebsitessuchasStackOverflow.

Native, Web & Hybrid

Advanced UI interactionsFastest performanceApp Store distribution

Web developer skillsAccess to native platformApp Store distribution

Web developer skillsInstant updatesUnrestricted distribution

Native Hybrid

MTML 5

Multiple platforms

Single Platform

Full capability

Partial capability


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Friendly

SummaryNative apps are specific to a given mobile platform (iOS or Android) using

the development tools and language that the respective platform supports

(eg Xcode and Objective-C with iOS, Eclipse and Java with Android). Native

apps look and perform the best.

HTML5 apps use standard web technologies typically HTML5, JavaScript

and CSS. This write-once-run-anywhere approach to mobile development

creates cross-platform mobile applications that work on multiple devices.

While developers can create sophisticated apps with HTML5 and JavaScript

alone, some vital limitations remain at the time of writing - specifically session

management, secure offline storage, and access to native device functionality

(camera, calendar, geolocation, etc).

Hybrid apps make it possible to embed HTML5 apps inside a thin native

container, combining the best (and worst) elements of native and HTML5

apps.

MOBILE

FRIENDLY

CONTENT

IN SUMMARY

1.4 WHY NOT JUST OPTIMISE OUR WEBSITE FOR MOBILE?

Mobilewebsitesandappscanlookverysimilaratfirstglance,anddeterminingwhichismostsuitedtoyour

needs will depend upon a number of factors, including target audiences, available budget, intended purpose

and required features.

When it comes to deciding whether to build a native app or a mobile website, the most appropriate choice

really depends on your end goals. If you are developing an interactive game, an app is probably going to be

your best option.

If your goal is to offer mobile-friendly content to the widest possible audience, then a

mobile website is probably the more preferred option.

In some cases you may decide you need both a mobile website and an app, but it is safe to say that it rarely

makes sense to build an app without already having a mobile website in place.

Generallyspeaking,amobilewebsiteshouldbeconsideredthefirststepindevelopingamobilewebpresence,

whereasanappisusefulfordevelopinganapplicationforaveryspecificpurposethatcannotbeeffectively

accomplishedviaawebbrowser.Thereareanumberofspecificusescenarioswhereanappwillbeyourbest

choice. Generally speaking, an app makes sense if you need one of the following:


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The New Frontier

AppVs.

Web

800,000+

600

000

Interactivity for the foreseeable future, an app is almost always going to be your best choice.

Regular usage/personalisation if the target users are going to be using the app in a

personalised fashion on a regular basis then an app provides a great way to do that.

Complex calculations or reporting if there is a need for something that will take data and

manipulate it with complex calculations, charts or reports, an app will help you do that very

effectively.

Native functionality or processing required mobile web browsers are getting increasingly

good at accessing certain mobile-specific functions such as click-to-call, SMS and GPS.

However, if you need to access a users camera or processing power an app will do that more

effectively.

No connection required if you need to provide offline access to content or perform functions

without a network/wireless connection then an app makes sense.

As with any project, when developing an app you want to ensure that youre getting an optimal return on your

investment. What you want to avoid at all costs is the needless and expensive exercise of building an app to

do something basic that can be achieved with a mobile website.

In conclusion, as long as mobile remains a relatively new frontier, the app vs. web question will remain a very

real consideration for organisations seeking to establish a mobile presence. But for front runners and industry

leaders, we would always recommend both!

1.5 AN APP FOR AN APPS SAKE

With over 800,000 apps in the AppStore and almost 600,000 apps in Googles Play app store, theres no

doubt that brands have become app happy. But experts say that not all brands have the right approach to

apps. Some are too content-heavy, and others dont serve a need for users. Some brands are creating apps

that are a replica of their mobile site. Also, disposable apps, created for short-lived campaigns, are a big

problem since they dont get repeat usage.

If youre creating an app for every single campaign, then youre not fully leveraging browser-

based devices, said Carin van Vuuren, CMO of Usablenet, an app and mobile website developer. The

companies that do this are likely not investing into a multichannel infrastructure and are using

apps as a placeholder for that. Its like app spam. Send me to a URL with HTML5, app-like

experiences are very possible on the mobile Web.

Another mistake a lot of brands are making is creating an app that mimics their mobile website. Theres no

point in that, considering people could just visit your mobile website. Too often, the focus on building

an app is simply about making something cool, said Christina Koshzow, CMO of Branding Brand,

another mobile app developer. Sexy can be exciting, but sexy without substance is a one-night

stand. If you want to keep users coming back, you have to provide a quality experience that

caters to brand loyalists.


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New

Technologies

CommonAndroid from Google Inc. - Free and open source

iOS from Apple - Closed source, proprietary

S40 (Series 40) from Nokia - Closed source, proprietary

BlackBerry OS from RIM - Closed source, proprietary

Symbian OS from Nokia and Accenture - Open public licence

Windows Phone from Microsoft - Closed source, proprietary

2 THE APP MARKET AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES

2.1 OS PLATFORMS: BLACKBERRY 10/WINDOWS/IOS/ANDROID

A platform is a combination of hardware and software used to run software applications. A platform can be

describedsimplyasanoperatingsystem(OS)orcomputerarchitecture,or itcouldbethecombinationof

both, an everyday common example of this on a PC is Microsoft Windows.

A mobile operating system, also referred to as mobile OS, is the operating system that operates a smartphone,

tablet, PDA, or other digital mobile devices. Modern mobile operating systems combine the features of a

personal computer operating system with touchscreen, cellular, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS mobile navigation,

camera,videocamera,speechrecognition,voicerecorder,musicplayer,nearfieldcommunication,personal

digitalassistant(PDA),andotherfeatures.AnexampleofanOSonmobileisiOS,theoperatingsystemthat

runs on iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad devices. The operating system manages the device hardware and

provides the technologies required to implement the native apps user.

Cross-platform, or multi-platform, is an attribute given to computer software or computing methods and

concepts that are implemented and inter-operate on multiple device platforms. Cross-platform software may

be divided into two types; one requires individual building or compilation for each platform that it supports, and

the other one can be directly run on any platform without special preparation.

In order for software to be considered cross-platform, it must be able to function on more than one computer

architecture or operating system. This can be a time-consuming task given that different operating systems

have different application programming interfaces or APIs.

The most common mobile operating systems are:

Overall, developers interest levels remain relatively unchanged across platforms.

According to a recent survey, 88.4% of mobile developers believe that they will be developing for two or

moreoperatingsystemsoverthenextyear.Whichplatformsshouldmanagedservicesproviders(MSPs)be

ready for? The survey points to Android and iOS. However, developers are still not impressed with Apples

friendliness as a partner. Developers are concerned about Apples ability to curtail fragmentation and the

somewhat opaque policies of app store submission.

The survey says that 39% plan to build mobile apps for three or more operating systems.


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2.2 THE FUTURE OF APPS AND HANDSETS

Rather than us trying to convince you of the potential of apps and smartphone market penetration, well let

thelatestfiguresdothejob:

Almost 90 billion smartphone and tablet apps will be downloaded this year, which is almost

double last years total of 49 billion. Global consumer spend will reach $15.5 billion (9.7

billion) by the end of this year, according to an IHS report, which is more than the combined

total for 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Apple still has the most lucrative app store, with Distimo estimating that on a typical day in

November 2013, global revenues for the 200 top grossing iOS apps were more than $18m.

That compares to $12m for Androids Google Play store.

The number of smartphone owners has reached 72% in the UK, growing by 14% in the last 10

months alone, according to research from Deloitte. Half of the 1,000 people surveyed said

they have used their handset to make a purchase, while 57% have checked product avail-

ability. Some 31% have already used an online wallet, with 12% venturing into contactless

payments.

eMarketer projects that the UKs smartphone penetration

will overtake the USs in 2016 as well, only South Korea, Ja-

pan and Australia will have higher percentages of mobile

users on smartphones.

Handsets


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F.Y.I??

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Huge F.Y.I.

5 TIMEs

FasTER

2.3 4G WHATS IT ALL ABOUT AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Youve probably heard of it, but what is 4G? In short, its the name given to the fourth generation of mobile

networks, just as the previous generation is called 3G. It has been launched in the UK by new mobile network,

the offspring of T-Mobile and Orange, Everything Everywhere, otherwise known as EE.

4G networks use different frequencies to transmit data than 3G so you need a handset which has a modem

that supports these new frequencies.

4G LTE aims to offer users faster, more reliable mobile broadband internet for devices like smartphones,

tablets and laptops.

Loosely speaking, 4G is around five times faster than existing 3G services. Theoretically it can provide

download speeds of up to 100Mbps.

HoweverunlessyouvejustboughtaniPhone5,aSamsungGalaxyS3LTE(notaregularS3)oroneofthe

other brand new 4G-capable smartphones, your existing handset wont work on a 4G network.

But what does 4G mean for you? Well there will be new capabilities of what you can get apps to do, how your

website can be viewed on mobile and even how your employees can work for you.

Live TV can now be streamed easily without the need for buffering, Skype calls can be made without being

cut off or having long confusing delays, you can send over the 100 page PowerPoint presentation to your

colleagueforhisfeedbackandhecandownloaditonhismobilephonetohaveaquickreadthrough.(Though

wesincerelyhopethatnoneofyouhaveeverbeenunfortunateenoughtohavedonea100pagePP).

Working from the cloud will become all the more normal for businesses and you will not need to be at your

desk to do certain tasks.

4G also comes with a whole world of dongles, although we can get Wi-Fi almost anywhere, there are still a few

black spots so a dongle will solve this connection problem, you can also connect through your mobile phones

hotspot and work on your laptop without having to deal with staring at the dreaded beach ball/egg timer as

your laptop desperately tries to connect to the internet. That should speed things up until we get 5G, predicted

toallowone-secondfilmdownloadsby2020.


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Choices ChoicesShare

ShareShare

ShareShare

Share3 LIFE CYCLE: BUILDING AN APP.

3.1 HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT APP PLATFORM

In order to deliver the best app its important for you to understand the behaviour of each mobile device

when implementing strategies. By understanding the devices your audience interacts with, you are able to

specificallytargetthesehandsets.

3.2 OPEN SOURCE AND CODE SHARING

Okay, for a second we are going to ask you to forget about everything you have learned working in business.

Imagine for a second we told you that every idea or thought you have ever had you had to openly share with

your colleagues and even your competitors. This is essentially how open source works.

Let us explain

OPEN SOURCE Its kind of like those cooking recipes that have been shared since the beginning of human

culture, each time being passed on and improved with only good things coming from this.

Most software that you buy or download only comes in the compiled ready-to-run version. Compiled means

that the actual program code that the developer created, known as the source code, has run through a special

program called a compiler that translates the source code into a form that the computer can understand. It is

extremelydifficulttomodifythecompiledversionofmostapplicationsandnearlyimpossibletoseeexactly

how the developer created different parts of the program. Most commercial software manufacturers see this

as an advantage that keeps other companies from copying their code and using it in a competing product. It

also gives them control over the quality and features found in a particular product.

Open source software is at the opposite end of the spectrum. The source code is included with the compiled

version andmodification or customisation is actually encouraged. The software developers who support

the open source concept believe that by allowing anyone whos interested to modify the source code, the

application will be more useful and error-free over the long term.

To be considered as open source software by the software development industry, certain criteria must be met

in some open source licenses:

Theprogrammustbefreelydistributed(althoughitcanbesoldaspartofapackage,suchasRed

HathasdonewithLinux).

Source code must be included.

Anyone must be allowed to modify the source code.

Modifiedversionscanberedistributed.

The licence must not require the exclusion of other software or interfere with the operation of other

software.

Now the main advantage of open source software is of course the price. Time is money and if you can cut

development time on a project from 12 weeks to 4 then you will save a heck of a lot.

However open source is not just the cheap option. Open source holds numerous other potential advantages;

here are a few of them.


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SECURITY

Themorepeoplewhocanseeandtestasetofcode,themorelikelyanyflawswillbecaughtandfixedquickly.

Its essentially the polar opposite of the security through obscurity argument used so often to justify the use of

expensiveproprietaryproducts.WeknowwhatyouarethinkingDoestheabsenceofsuchflawreportsabout

the code of the iPhone or Windows mean that such products are more secure? Far from it - quite the opposite

actually. All it means is that those products are closed from public view, so no one outside the companies that

own them has the faintest clue how many bugs they contain. And theres no way the limited set of developers

and testers within those companies can test their products, as well as the worldwide community constantly

scrutinising open source can.

QUALITY

Think about this. Which is more likely to be better: a software package created by a handful of developers, or

a software package created by thousands of developers? Just as there are countless developers and users

working to improve the security of open source software, so are there just as many innovating new features

and enhancements to those products. In general, open source software gets closest to what users want

because those users can have a hand in making it so. Its not a matter of the vendor giving users what it thinks

they want - users and developers make what they want, and they make it well.

CUSTOMISABILITY

Along similar lines, business users can take a piece of open source software and tweak it to suit their needs

(althoughsomeopensourcelicencesrequireyoutodisclosetheIPinyourcodeifyoumodifytheopensource

codeandcombineitwithyourproprietarycodeasexploredfurtherinsection9.4).Sincethecodeisopen,

its simply a matter of modifying it to add the functionality they want. Dont try that with proprietary software!

TRY BEFORE YOU BUY

Ifyoureconsideringusingopensourcesoftware,itwilltypicallycostyounothingtotryitoutfirst.Thisispartly

due to the softwares free price, and partly due to the existence of Live CDs and Live USBs for many Linux

distributions, for example. No commitment required until youre sure.

None of this is to say, of course, that your business should necessarily use open source software for everything.

Butwithallthebenefitsitholds,youdbecuttingyourselfshortnottoconsideritseriously.Nothingtostop

you picking and choosing and there are of course many other equally hefty advantages in using proprietary

software for your needs. We are here to help you get the best result no matter what method you choose.

However, there are a number of risks commonly associated with open source software, which you should

consider and are explored further in section 9.4.

Apps


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3

3.3 DATA FEEDS AND 3RD PARTY SYSTEMS

Data feeds do exactly what they say on the tin. Its maybe easier to think of them as databases, its simply

awholeloadofcontentwhichispulledintoyourappforyourbenefit,andtheyarealotmorecommonplace

than you would think.

Nation1haveused3rdpartydatafieldsinsomeofitsapps,andsometimesmorethanoneatatime.

Thefirstandmostcommonlyused typeofdata feed isprobablyGoogleplaces.Wehaveallseen it,our

smartphonefindsourlocationandwecanthensearchforamenitiesaroundus.TheappAroundMeusesthis

functiontogreateffect.YoucansearchforanythingrangingfromLawfirmstoKFCanditwillshowyou

where exactly each place is located on the map. This is done by each company registering with Google places

so that they are shown up in the search.

User generated content is another great solution; it is a good mix between the other two. User content can be

something like what Nation1 used for the GCMB app where the app prompts users to leave reviews on the

places they have visited.

User generated content is key.

You might think the recommendation of a friend or family member is the ultimate green light for consumers,

but it turns out that Gen Y cares about recommendations from strangers more. More than 8 in 10 say user-

generatedcontentfrompeopletheydontknowinfluenceswhattheybuyandindicatesbrandquality,while

51% say it is actually more important than the opinions of their friends and family, and far more trustworthy

thanwebsitecontent.(Source:TalkingtoStrangers:MillennialsTrustPeopleoverBrands.2012).

So having a user generated API in your app will improve the overall appeal of it to your target audience.

Especially when something like a star rating is introduced so that users can then search by most popular as

rated by other users meaning that they will get the best content available on the app without having to sift

through the not so good stuff.

AbespokeCMS(contentmanagementsystem)isaprogrammethatallowspublishing,editingandmodifying

of your content as well as maintenance from a central interface controlled solely by you. Such content for this

would be images, splash screens, any copy that appears in the app, colour schemes the list goes on. There

are many varying degrees of CMS available, it would just depend on how much control you wanted to have.

Data feeds can greatly improve the effectiveness of your app in many ways, it can make your customers trust

you more, it can give them great amounts of information that would be impossible for you to collect yourself

and it can give you full control over every part of your app, allowing you to adapt to change, freshen things up

and react to customer feedback.

They are broken down into 3 basic kinds:

Existing data sources (like Google places)

User generated content (often reviews)

Bespoke (CMS)


19

Real

3.4 TESTING AND USER EXPERIENCE

So you have your app and you have, of course, created something wonderful on paper. Now its time for it to

pass the test. We are all guilty of taking things for granted, the email on our phone or opening up our browser

and using Safari to browse the internet. Perfection is now seen as standard when using these applications

and when something goes wrong, boy do people love to moan and groan about it everywhere they can. We

are talking Facebook, Twitter, around the dinner table people have no problems voicing their irritation at

even the most minor of problems and the last thing you need when you are trying to get an app off the ground

is your potential customers friends and family bad mouthing it socially and putting them off before they even

knew you existed.

So how do we test an app and how do we make sure we keep your business happy?

Testing mobile devices can be a tricky business and in general you have two options. You can test exclusively

using real devices or you can test exclusively with emulated devices.

REAL DEVICES

This, on paper, is the best way to test your application. However can often pose more cons than pros. Yes

you have the advantage of having all of the limitations and quirks present in the actual handsets that your

customers will have. However testing with real devices can be expensive, depending on how you go about it.

Even after you have covered the expense of getting your hands on all the handsets, testing with real devices

can be disorganised and labour intensive if the testing environment is not conducive to creating, collecting and

reproducing results in a consistent manner.

EMULATED DEVICES

Consider this. Say you want to make sure your app is optimized to function well on 80% of the individual

connecteddevicescurrentlyinuse(e.g.,myiPad,yourWindowsphone).Howmanydifferentdevicemodels

(e.g.,KindleFireHD8.9Wi-Fi,GalaxySIII)doyouthinkyouneedtosupport?156?Maybeyoureokay

with having your app optimised for only 60% of active devices. That still means that you need to support

37 different devices. Even getting to 50% means supporting 18 devices, as shown below. If youre a large

or particularly thorough app developer, reaching 90% of active devices will require supporting 331 different

models.


20

Nowwearesureyoucanseetherereallyisonlyonetestingoption(especiallywhenyouconsiderthenumber

ofnewmodelscomingouteverymonth).Emulatingdevicesallowsyou toswitchdevice typesbysimply

loadinganewdeviceprofile,andinstantlyyouhaveanewdevicethatpresents itself toyourmobileWeb

application in the same way that the real device would. And because the emulators run on more powerful PCs

and servers and were designed with testing in mind, they are typically fully instrumented to capture detailed

diagnostics about the protocols that go back and forth between client and server at the various levels of

thestack.Runningthisononeplatformwiththeabilityforanupdateofdeviceprofileskeepsthisverycost

effective.

Itsimportanttorealisethegoalofyourtestingeffortsisnotsolelytofinderrors.Letusassume,asisalways

the case, that Nation1 has done a great job and did not make any mistakes. Instead, your goal in testing

should be to understand the quality of your offering. Does it work? Does it function as expected? Will it meet

the needs of your users, so that they come back again and again?

We are sure that you can relate to just about ALL of the above. As important as these features are in your

app to generate feedback, productivity etc, there needs to be serious consideration into each to ensure that it

doesnt interfere with your users experience of the app.

Some common user complaints when using an app are.

Toomanyemailsgettingsenttoyourinbox

Irrelevantpushnotifications

Whengreatappsareabandoned

FrequentRateThisApprequests

Fullscreenads

Videoads

Desperatepleasforfollowers

Constantpromptstobuyaddonfeatures

Number of device models that make up % of all active devices

0 Device models

156devicemodels

80%of total active

devices

=

% o

f Ac

tive

d

evic

es

0%

100%

1000


21

Section BSECTION B: A GUIDE TO B2B AND ENTERPRISE

APPS

4 AN INTRODUCTION TO ENTERPRISE APPS

4.1 WHAT IS AN ENTERPRISE APP?

Enterpriselevelapps(alsoknownasenterpriseapplicationsoftwareorEAS)areanemergingmarket.App-

based software designed for mobile devices to be used in businesses and organisations, as opposed to apps

used by individuals. Services provided by enterprise apps will typically be business-oriented tools focused

ondeliveringincreasedoperationalefficiencies,greaterproductivity,costreductionandincreasingmargins

throughtheconceptofBYOD(employeesbringingtheirowndevices).Duetothecostofbuildingorbuying

what is often non-free proprietary software, with limited offers, Free and Open Source ERP software, only

large enterprises traditionally use an enterprise program that models their entire business system, however

with AppAdVentures unique funding and licensing model we change that, for ever and for everyone.

WHY YOU NEED ONEThere were 1.5bn smart phones in the world in 2013

By 2017 there will be as many smartphones in the world as there are literate adults

378,000 iPhones were sold per day in 2013

371,000 babies were born per day in 2013

There were 50,000,000,000 app downloads on Android platform in 2013

67% of CIOs and IT professionals believe mobility will impact their businesses as much as or

more than the internet did in the 1990s

The BYOD market will increase to 112 billion by 2017

24% of consumers surveyed currently use a smartphone

or tablet as their primary, work-related computing

device

By 2017, half of employers will require

employees to use their own devices for

work

The global enterprise

mobility market will rake in

87 billion a year by 2020.


22

4.2 HOW NATION1 CAN HELP YOU DESIGN, DEVELOP AND DEPLOY THE RIGHT ENTERPRISE APP STRATEGY

Byemployingourapproach,youbenefitfromanenterpriseapp,youleapaheadofthegame,youreduce

costs and increase efficiencies but its also a below the radar excuse to tackle and improve some core

business issues and processes. This is not just about selling you an app, this is about helping you get a grip

withyourbusinessandtransformitforthebetter,withouthavingtoadmittherewasanissueinthefirstplace.

Beyond that, the improved process and app to manage it gives you sex appeal but also crucial analytical data

to better improve your business process by process. Its essentially 21st century sorcery.

Wouldnt you like to be a record company boss that saw the internet coming?

The retailer that dreamt up eBay? The travel agent that stayed ahead of the game creating booking.

com? Or the employee that dreamt of a social platform for business and then developed Linkedin.com?

With over 87% of senior IT folk agreeing that mobile will change their business more radically

than the internet did in the 90s - there is no question that theres another revolution coming.

But how do you prepare for this? What do you do? When, where and how do you do it? What resources

will it require? Whats it going to deliver and above all, whats it going to cost and who is going to pay for it?

Nation1 exists to turn your ideas into things, problems into solutions and expenditure into income.

Visit www.nation1.co.uk for more information.

AppHunter is our mobile app available on WindowsPhone, iPhone and Android that turns the old ask your

employees for ideas on its head. With over 80% of your employees now owning a smartphone AppHunter

asks them to submit real problems they face based around themes you set. You are in control of the ideas and

solutions and they get to help choose which one you invest your time and money in.

RebrandAppHunterasyourownappandsetituponyourownAppStore

Togetherwedefineandarticulatewhatthethemesare

DistributeAppHunterforWindowsPhone,iPhoneandAndroidmobiledevicesthroughyourcompanys

intranet,socialmediaprofilesandemailmarketing/newsletter

Employeesandstakeholdersareinvitedtosubmitproblemsin14charactersorless

OurTabletDirectorDashboardhelpsyoutrack,monitorandidentifytheproblem

OncekeythemesorcommonissuesareidentifiedAppHunterpushesoutthesetoappusersandinvites

them to rate them

Thisprocesstakesthreeweeks in totalandwillgiveyoua listof thekey issuesandprocessesyour

workforce think need solved and transformed

Weworkwithyoutomanagethisprocessandmakeitpositive,productiveandeffective

NowwehaveabriefforAppLab.

Our values are an essential part of this process. You need to know we are smart, can be trusted and only have

your best interests at heart. Thats why I have invested heavily over the last few years in developing our values

andIvemetwithsomeofthemostadvancedthinkersintheirfield.Ourvaluesoffriendship,greatnessand

ambition permeate everything we do and I have assembled the best people, who I have grown to become

friends with over a long period of time, to work for me.

Contact [email protected] for more information and prices.

Design, D

evelop, Deploy


23

AppLab is our enterprise app consulting service that takes your problems, ideas or the output from our

AppHunter and develops your business case using our Journey of an idea approach. This process typically

takes three weeks and covers everything from which platform through to forecasting return on investment.

Problem:Needsanalysis

Concept:ProductScoping

FundingSourceIdentity

Investorprospectus

Proofofconcept/Prototype

Funding/funded

Techdelivery

Deviceandhardwareintegration

Distribution

IP

Maintain/Enhance

Contact [email protected] for more information and prices.

AppAdVenture is our 10m investment fund that aims to be the software giant of the future. Investing in

what we call Awesome Opportunities, in partnership with industry leaders, to create enterprise apps where

there is no brief or budget but a global market opportunity. If you have a problem we think is common to many

then we will develop it in consultation with you. You get it for free and we licence it globally software as a

service.

Often the front line troops understand how an app can deliver and demand this from the management. But youre

too busy, budgets are being squeezed, no one has time to brief and manage this project and if you did what

supplier do you use, what tech do you employ, how much do you spend and what after all that it doesnt work?

If we think your problem is not unique to you, but shared by many then we will pay for everything. The ultimate

agency pitch, skin in the game. Your team play a role as domain consultants and in return you get the product

for free. All on the understanding that we make our money through licensing the software as a service via the

enterprise app stores.

Contact [email protected] for more information and prices


24

5 THE ENTERPRISE APP LANDSCAPE

5.1 CHARACTERISTICS OF AN ENTERPRISE APP

An enterprise application is a business application, obviously. As most people use the term, it is a big business

application. In todays corporate environment, enterprise applications are complex, scalable, distributed,

component-based, and mission-critical. They may be deployed on a variety of platforms across corporate

networks, intranets, or the Internet. They are data-centric, user-friendly, and must meet stringent requirements

for security, administration, and maintenance. In short, they are highly complex systems.

Like any modern application, an enterprise application must be reliable, perform well, provide an intuitive

andefficientuserinterface,andsoon.Butbeyondthesecommonqualities,itcanbecharacterizedbythree

specificattributes.

An enterprise application is:

Large

A multi-user, multi-developer, multi-machine, multi-component application that can manipulate massive

data and utilise extensive parallel processing, network distributed resources, and complex logic. It can

be deployed across multiple platforms and inter-operate with many other applications, and it is long lived.

Business Oriented

Itspurposeistomeetspecificbusinessrequirements.Itencodesbusinesspolicies,processes,rules,

and entities, is developed in a business organisation, and is deployed in a manner responsive to

business needs.

Mission Critical

An enterprise application must be robust enough to sustain continuous operation. It must be extremely

flexibleforscalabilityanddeployment,andallowforefficientmaintenance,monitoring,andadministration.

5.2 MARKET OPPORTUNITY

Enterpriseapplicationmobilityisnowevolvingbeyondtheboardroom.Gonearethedaysofthebackoffice

where legions of clerks transferred data from paper to the transactional system. Increasingly tablets are

replacingworkstationsontheshopfloor,findingtheirwayintothecabsofdeliverytrucks,andshowingup

behind retail counters because thats where business happens. Thats where transactional information is born

and no company wants personnel in those roles to have to wade through a series of ERP screens to get their

jobs done.

For most people, the mention of mobile apps immediately brings to mind the image of games, entertainment

or social networking. Few, if any, would mention work. This is in direct contrast to the PC era, particularly pre-

web,whenproductivityratherthanconsumptionwasthenorm.Forallthebenefitssmartphonesandmobile

devicescanpotentiallybringtotheworkplace(e.g.efficiency,revenuegrowth,competitiveability,customer

andemployeerelationships),take-upamongbusinesshasbeenslowtodate.Yetthisischangingrapidly.The

reason: third party mobile enterprise apps.

Spending on mobile enterprise business apps will more than double from $26billiion in 2012 to $53 billion

in 2017. The market for business-focused mobile applications will more than double in the next 5 years,


25

according to market research Strategy Analytics. In its Global Mobile Enterprise Business Application

Revenue Forecast 2011-2017 report, Strategy Analytics predicted that 200 million mobile workers will use at

least one business focused app this year.

5.3 STATS AROUND B2B MOBILE SMARTPHONE USE

Smartphones and tablets are conquering the world. According to current research by the Gardner Group,

more than 1.1bn smartphones and almost 300m tablets will be sold in 2015. The reason is evident: offering a

maximum of mobility, those smart devices provide many opportunities and advantages:

Smartphonesaleshavesurpassedfeaturephonesales.

Soon,over50%ofAmericanandWesternEuropeanmobileuserswillholdsmartphonesintheirhands,

and the rest of the world will not be far behind.

InurbanChina,35%ofallphonesaresmartphones.

InurbanIndia,23%ofusershavesmartphones.

Global Enterprise Mobile Application Adoption

Likely to spend it budget in

next 12 months

41%

30% 29%

13%

6%

Currentlyevaluating

Currently Implemented(on premise)

Plan to implement within 12 months

(on premise)

plan to implement within 12 months

(Coud eg SaaS)

% o

f re

spo

nde

nts

(n=1

.303

)

0%

45%


26

A recent Apple study reported that some 9 out of 10 senior executives use apps at work to stay informed,

entertained and productive. Another study reported that 70% of executives under 40 use branded B2B apps.

Benjamin Pollack from Siemens put it best: We see a huge difference from a year ago to today. It used to be

that major companies were just testing out the waters with a few apps. Now we have dozens of apps in each

of our major business units. Hes right.

The fastest-growing section of the Apple App Store in 2010 was the business category, which showed a 186%

increase. CIOsarerecognisingthatdeliveringmobility to theirenterprises isoneof themostsignificant

business challenges since the advent of the Internet.

Accentures CIOMobility Survey found that two-thirds (87%) of CIOs and other IT professionals believe

mobility will impact their businesses as much as or more than the Internet did in the 1990s.

Theresearchalsofoundthatovertwo-thirds(69%)ofITprofessionalssurveyedwouldallocatemorethan20

percent of their discretionary budgets that are delivering mobility capability for their business this year. But

the global study found that theres a striking contrast between IT leaders in emerging markets where 94%

plantoboostmobilespendingandinmaturemarkets,wherethefigureis35%.Similarly,thesurveyfound

that 48% of respondents in emerging markets have an extensively developed mobile strategy, while only 12%

of respondents in mature markets claimed to have extensively developed strategies.

The study also found a few areas of concern complicating the adoption of mobility by enterprises. Fifty per

cent cited security as the leading factor preventing them from addressing their mobile priorities; cost and

budgetrankedsecond(43%),while26%citedinteroperabilitywithcurrentsystems.

6 THE REWARDS OF ENTERPRISE APPS

70%

Why have anenterprise app plan?

70% of execs under 40, polled by Apple use branded B2B apps

40% of senior execs use mobile apps

89% of IT professionals polled think mobile will pay a bigger role than the internet did in 90s

89%

40%


27

6.1 WHY BUILD AN ENTERPRISE APP STRATEGY?Most companies are not using enterprise mobile app development to the fullest.

A new survey, commissioned by FeedHenry, has revealed low levels of mobile application adoption and

sophistication among the UKs largest enterprises, limiting opportunities for increased mobile workforce

productivityandprofitability.

In most cases, it was found that companies had an ad-hoc approach when it came to mobility rollout.

However, senior executives were insisting that a more sophisticated strategy must be performed. Of all the

respondents,only7%reportedhavingaspecificstrategyformobileapps,42%saidthattheyonlyhavepartial

implementations of the strategy, while 14% said that they didnt have any strategies for mobile apps and

werent planning on creating one.

The numbers were more promising in terms of future rollout, because 89% of the respondents said that they

were planning on releasing at least one mobile app before this year ends. 61% of companies said that at least

5 mobile apps are ready to be released this year, while 18% were planning on deploying more than 10 apps.

There were different reasons why companies have started to develop mobile apps. 50% reported that they

were developing apps to assist in business processes, while 30% said that they were using apps to expand

their business. The remaining 20% said that they considered mobile apps as a platform to keep up with

the changing times and customer needs. In addition, 43% of those that were surveyed said that they were

expectingasignificantincreaseintheB2Cappmarketwithinthenext12months.

The survey report also analysed if enterprise apps have any major contributions to the companys business.

Organisations revealed that they have developed an average of four mobile apps to assist their employees,

and 13% said that they have no apps at all.

The increase in mobile apps rollout also showed a correlation with the usage of cloud computing apps and

software. When the survey was conducted, around 90% of organisations revealed that their usage of cloud

serviceswillstaythesame,buttheyadmitthattheiroverallcloudserviceusagewilldefinitelyincreasewithin

the next year. However, although cloud usage was high among the survey participants, it was certainly not

a guarantee that companies are actually using it for mobile app strategies. Actually, 33% of the respondents

said that incorporating cloud services into enterprise apps would be a major issue for them.

Ofcourse,FeedHenryregardsthisasgoodnews.Infact,theyhavereceived$9M(or5.78M)fromIntel

CapitaljustlastMay.Regardlessofthat,themajorpointofthisresearchistofireawarningshotatenterprises

that are planning to integrate mobile app software into the business without careful and thorough planning.

SeniorITdecisionmakersinterviewedrevealedthatthelargemajorityoforganisations(87%)havedeployed

workforce apps and that demand is accelerating with plans to increase the number next year. Almost half

(44%) recognise thatmobile apps play an important role in their business strategybut less thana tenth

(7%) admitted to having fully deployed a mobile app strategy. Responses indicate that, despite a clear

understandingofthebenefits,manycompaniesstillhaveareactive,unplannedapproachtoappdevelopment

Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?


28

and are only beginning to consider platform selection to help them formalise their mobile strategy.

Ofthosecompaniesusingmobileappsfortheirmobileworkforce,improvedproductivityandenablingtheflow

of real-time information were cited as the two most important requirements. The majority of apps currently

deployed were for simple tasks such as data entry, however, a third reported more sophisticated apps that use

devicefeaturessuchascameraandlocation-basedservices.Thesefindingsindicatethatorganisationsare

at an early stage of enterprise app adoption, with more mature companies fully embracing device features,

while others are simply mobilising paper processes. Few organisations are using app reporting and analytics

tomeasurefieldworkforceproductivitygainsandbyassociation,returnonmobile(ROM),withalmostthree

quarters(73%)ofthesurveysamplestillusingtraditionalworkorders.

TheFeedHenryfindingsconfirmedthatperceivedsecurity,costandmanagementoverheadaremajorinhibitors

to developing and implementing a mobile app strategy. A third of senior IT executives cited authentication and

securityofcorporateinformationflowingtoandfromdevicesastheirmainconcerns,followedcloselybythe

cost and complexity of developing and managing apps.

While nine out of ten of the organisations had adopted cloud-based services to support traditional business

processes, there was little evidence of these enterprises using the cloud for their mobile initiatives. This

may be a direct consequence of many organisations having a past history of consumer app development.

Consumer-facing apps generally have robust API infrastructures and require little back-end integration

compared to employee apps. Almost a third of the sample stated that back-end integration of enterprise apps

in the cloud would be the next pressing issue.

Chris Marsh, principal analyst, Yankee Group Enterprise Research, comments, Enterprise mobility has the

power to improve employee productivity, transform business processes and drive new revenue streams.

This has elevated mobility to a strategic level. However, this survey shows that many app deployments are

tactical rather than strategic and that companies should look more to cloud based and agile mobile application

strategiestosupporttheirgrowingmobileworkforces,withoutwhichenterpriseproductivityandprofitability

improvements will suffer.

There will be enormous gains for enterprises that move from tactical mobile app deployments to a more

strategic approach to enterprise mobility that underpins workforce productivity and customer service,

comments Cathal McGloin, CEO, FeedHenry, We are starting to see organisations unleash the power of

multiple enterprise apps that transform their business, yet too many are still held back by concerns over cost,

security and control.

6.2 THE BENEFITS OF ENTERPRISE APPSIncreased operational speed and efficiency gains

Thisbenefitisespeciallyapplicableinindustriesthataredependentonmaintainingacomplexwebofactivities

or assets to keep their business running. An example would be retail companies, who are dependent on

multiple players in the supply chain. Whether you are a bricks-and-mortar store or an ecommerce business,

fulfilmentiseverything.Ifcustomerscantgettheirproduct,theywillgodownthestreetortoanotherwebsite.


29

Enterprise mobile apps that provide inventory tracking from the time an order is placed to the time it gets

shippedoutorpurchased(scanningoutviaiPadapp,forexample)canexpediteoperationstofulfilorders

more quickly, and increased visibility of sales results by product can help companies to make better decisions

about what inventory items are best to keep on hand.

Efficient data collection

Moreefficientdatacollectiondrivesbetterdecisionmakingandisenabledbytheabilitytoshareimportant

information in real-time using a mobile device. Look at the health care industry and their use of enterprise

appsforpatientcare.Thesespecificmobileappsenablecaregiverstocollectdataaboutapatientdirectly

from thebedsideand report it toacentralised location (thecloudor toaconnectedback-officesystem),

so that doctors can make diagnoses and care decisions more quickly and with more accurate information,

resulting in healthier patients. Often mobile application security is a concern, especially in the health care

industry,butwiththehelpofamobileapplicationmanagement(MAM)solution,healthcareorganisations

can be certain that their information is secure and private patient information is not compromised.

Faster information reporting

Notsurprisingly, this leads tobetterdecision-making.Aclassicexampleof thisbenefit is theconceptofa

managementdashboardfeatureattachedtoanenterpriseappusedbyemployees,whethertheyarefield

workers, retail store managers, or salespeople. Managers can quickly see the results of the prior day or even

real-timeresultsrightontheirphoneandactonthemwithouthavingtowaituntiltheygettotheoffice.

Improved workforce productivity

Asaresultofreal-timedatacollection,artificialintelligenceandreporting,thisbenefitcanbedemonstrated

effectively with mobile sales apps. CRM capabilities enable salespeople to input data on a given lead in

real-time,thusgivingboththeircorporateofficeandthesalespersonuptodateinformationontheirpipeline,

whileaconsumer-facingcomponentcancalculatewhat-ifscenarios(suchasinthecaseofacarorinsurance

purchase),whichcanacceleratethesalesclosecycle.WithaMAMsolution,companiescaneasilydeploy

mobile apps to quickly get their app into the hands of their sales team, or set up an enterprise app store for

employeestofindanddownloadapps.

Better resource allocation

Betterallocatingresourcesincreasesprofitability,andcanbedemonstratedinthefieldserviceindustry.Many

mobile solutions exist which can track a technicians status on each job and location, and then can dynamically

reassignworkerstodifferentjobstooptimiseefficiencyandmeetdemand.Thisresultsinimprovedcustomer

satisfaction due to lower wait times, improved employee utilisation, and lower related costs such as mileage

reimbursements and customer credits for late appointments.

Increased visibility to remote operations

Althoughallcompanieswithdisparatelocationsoroperationalfacilitieswillfindthisattractive,thisbenefitis

especiallyusefultotheoilandgasindustry.Witheachprojectlocation(e.g.oilrig)oftenlocatedinaremote

areawithlimitedinfrastructure,itcanbedifficultforcorporatestafftokeeptabsontheprojectsprogressor

to have any knowledge of things that may go wrong. With a good enterprise mobility solution, oil and gas

companies can more effectively monitor operational issues such as delivery of equipment or downtime, and

can be informed of any safety issues before they hit the headlines.


30

More collaboration

Thisbenefit canbeevidencedby theconceptofenterprisesocialnetworking,which,particularly in large

companies with multiple levels of hierarchy, encourages cross-level and role communication to improve cross-

functional teamwork and problem-solving. A real life example of this is Humanas enterprise social system,

which is now used regularly by 26,000 employees to facilitate communication and teamwork. If a solution

likethisismademobile(thinkFacebookonyourphone,butforworkpurposes),theadoptionwillskyrocket.

6.3 ENTERPRISE APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

The task of enterprise app development is extremely challenging, and the trend is towards rapidly increasing

demands. The rapid improvement of computer hardware and software, combined with global economic

competition and opportunities have created an environment in which business systems must respond

quickly and deliver unparalleled levels of performance. As these demands continue, developers must

automate even more of their businesses, build their software even faster, serve more and more users, and

process a rapidly growing mass of data.

Aside from these challenges, the power, complexity, and rate of change of the technology used in building

thesecorporatesolutionsmakesefficientdevelopmentevermoredifficult.

To design an enterprise application you must consider and balance an enormous array of application

requirements, such as:

Itsbusinessgoals.

Howsoonitmustbedelivered.

Itsbudget.

Howmanypeoplewilldevelop,test,andmaintainit.

Howmanyconcurrentusersitmustsupport.

Theimportanceofperformanceandeaseofuse.

Thehardwareitmustrunon.

Whereitwillbedeployed?

Whatsecurityisrequired?

Howlongyouexpecttouseit?

6.4 HOW DO YOU EVALUATE YOUR ENTERPRISE APP?

Not all enterprise app platforms are created equal. Because its a nascent market with a glut of specialist

tools,itcanbedifficulttochoosethebestplatformforyourneedsnowandinthefuture.TohelpguideCIOs

in their vendor research and selection process, we put together the following list of the 5 most important

questions to ask when evaluating enterprise app platforms.

1. How easy is it to build applications?

Can non-developers actively participate in the process? Facing growing demands from the

business for new applications and functionality, CIOs need an app platform that eliminates

traditionaldevelopmentbottlenecks,dramaticallyincreasingspeed,efficiency,andoutput.With


31

that in mind, youll want to pay careful attention to the platforms development environment. Be

wary of proprietary programming languages requiring highly-specialised developers, as they tend

to result in added complexity and cost without delivering much-needed productivity gains.

If youre really keen on accelerating delivery, look for an app platform built around a new paradigm

likevisual,model-drivendevelopment(MDD).Incontrasttotraditionalcode-basedmethods,

MDDissimple,intuitiveandextremelyfast.Theentireprojectteam(includingnon-developersor

businessanalysts)canquicklycreateandcollaborateonexecutableapplicationmodels,intuitively

understand and review the functionality, and easily identify and make changes. Illustrating

theefficiencygains,aCapgeministudyfoundthatMDDtookonly2.5hoursperfunctionpoint

compared to 10.6 hours for Java and 15.5 hours for C#. This productivity improvement alone can

take a 6 month project down to 6 weeks. Imagine what this compression in time could do for your

business.

2. Can the platform be used to build new apps and extend existing systems? Can it

seamlessly integrate with any system?

Businesses typically leverage an enterprise app platform in two main scenarios: developing new

custom applications and extending existing systems with new business-driven functionality. Thus,

itsimportanttosolveforboth.Whilecertainplatformsmaybegearedspecificallytowards

extendingspecificsystems(i.e.CRM),theymayfallshortinaddressingyourfullrangeof

application delivery needs.

Whether youre building new apps or extending existing systems, ease of integration is a crucial

factor that must be carefully vetted. The reality is that for most businesses, integration needs

extendfarbeyondasingleapplication.Thekeythenistoidentifyaflexibleplatformthatnot

only helps you build applications, but also allows you to quickly and seamlessly integrate the

applicationwithanyexistingprocessandsystem.Lookforcapabilitieslikeworkflowintegration,

open APIs, pre-packaged connectors and how easy or cumbersome it is to build the integration

points you need. Also, in addition to the application level, dont forget integrated development

within your IT organisation and existing development tools.

3. Are there capabilities to facilitate IT/business collaboration?

IT Business collaboration can make or break the success of a custom

application. Unfortunately, far too many app platforms focus narrowly on the development

environment, overlooking key collaboration capabilities that can increase communication,

productivity, and successful IT outcomes.

To keep all stakeholders aligned and engaged throughout the development process, look for an

app platform with social collaboration and project management capabilities. Examples include

Facebook-like activity streams for all users and projects; built-in chat for instant communication

with the team; agile project management capabilities for creating user stories/requirements,

assigning tasks and priorities, and tracking progress with scrum boards and burn-down charts;

and fully-integrated, closed-loop feedback from end users thats sent directly to the development

team.

An easy-to-use and social collaboration environment, combined with a model-driven development

approach that allows all project team members to speak the same language, will dramatically

increase project outcomes.


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4. Can the platform deliver truly multi-device applications?

Enterprise mobile applications are hot right now. In the rush to meet surging business demands

for mobile apps, it can be easy to forget that mobile is not and should never be an island. For

starters, mobile apps typically require integration with one or more back-end systems. And

becauseofdifferentuserneedsandprofiles,theyalmostalwaysneedtobeaccessedfrom

multipledevices(web,tablet,smartphone).

Thus, CIOs must look for app platforms that are capable of delivering true multi-device

applications that are integrated seamlessly with back-end systems. In other words, your team

should be able to build an application once and then make it accessible to the necessary users

viathenecessarydevices(andwithsimple,intuitiveUIs).Intheend,yourbusinessusers

all need the same app; they just consume it and interact with it in different ways. Having to

reprogram or rebuild apps for different devices or operating systems simply isnt effective or

scalable.

5. How fast and flexible is the process of deploying applications?

Deployment issues should not slow a project down or even really concern your development

team. When evaluating app platforms, make sure that application deployment is as fast and easy

as plugging an appliance into a power outlet. For instance, with platforms that use executable

models(seequestion#1),youcandeploytheapplicationtothecloudliterallywithasingleclick.

Inadditiontospeedandsimplicity,flexibilityisanotherimportantfactorwhenitcomesto

applicationdeployment.Whilethecloudisoftensufficient,therearemanybusinessandtechnical

needs that necessitate alternate deployment options, whether private cloud, on-premise, or

hybrid. Thus, its important to evaluate whether the app platform can effectively support multiple

deployment models. Even if this is not an immediate need, requirements often change so having

thisflexibilitycansaveyoumajorheadachesandhassledowntheroad.

7 OVERCOMING OBSTACLES: A HOW-TO GUIDE

7.1 CHALLENGES IN DEVELOPING ENTERPRISE APPS

Time to market is perhaps the number 1 issue. Demand for new or updated mobile apps is outstripping the

capacity and capabilities of the IT organisation, creating a backup. Competitive pressures, the launch of new

products, the need to update existing applications and new platform releases all cause an increase in the

demandformobileapps.Thisissuchasignificantissueforbusinessesthatmanylineorbusinessexecutives

are building their own mobile development teams or outsourcing the development projects. We hear horror

stories about outdated apps sitting in the app stores waiting to be updated. Or about the need to port existing

iOS apps to Android. Its a never-ending process.

Backend integration has always been a challenge in enterprise development. How do you integrate with all

the legacy backend systems? And with the advent of mobile and the cloud, integration can be even more

complex. Apps need to integrate not only to systems within the enterprise, but also services that are in the

cloud, from enterprise SaaS systems to social networks.


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Mobile security is critical for many enterprise applications especially given that phones can be easily lost

or stolen. To improve performance many apps leverage the locale storage on devices that could be easily

compromised. In addition, code that runs in the browser such as HTML5 and JavaScript is easily exposed to

potential attackers who can then exploit the codes vulnerabilities.

7.2 HOW TO OVERCOME CHALLENGES/RISKSHow can you overcome challenges, and create a strategy that enables your enterprise to successfully reap

thebenefitsofbecomingmobile?

Michael Ziegler, Director of Enterprise Mobile Solutions at IBM shares four steps that can be used as a

framework to overcome such challenges:

1. optimise by integrating mobile into the fabric of your organisation

2. buildapplicationsthatcanbenefittheoverallbusinessdirectionandgoal

3. engage with employees and customers with context in mind

4. transform your enterprise by creating new values

The risk of data loss and security breaches from mobile computing is substantial, whether its lost devices,

hackers gaining entry via mobile employees or the steady stream of new threats coming out. The good news

isthatorganisationscanstillreapthebenefitsofmobilecomputingbycombiningsoundsecuritypolicieswith

end user training, intelligent device selection and by taking steps to secure their most valuable data:

1. Train, train, train - Most end users want to do their part to address mobile security problems,

not cause them. However research from the Ponemon Institute shows that unintended user error

accountsfor35%ofalldatabreaches,secondonlytomaliciousattacks.Thisisadirectreflection

Why NOT have an enterprise app plan?

33%

17%

50%Cost

Heritage IT systems

Security


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of a lack of effective training and policies that help end users ensure data security. Regular

updates and more effective basic training are critical.

2. Implement a comprehensive directory of employees and contractors - One of the most

difficulttasksforITintheenterpriseistokeepanaccurate,uptodatelistofendusersand

their privileges that can be applied to mobile users. Active Directory is the most common tool

companies use. While its a capable system, Active Directory requires frequent updates and

attention to keep it current.

3. Implement Corporate Tools for Collaboration and File Sharing. One of the most disconcerting

mobility trends is end users putting sensitive or private corporate information in uncontrolled

consumer-gradecollaborationandfilesharingsitessuchasDropBox,GoogleDriveandthelike.

4. Develop links to HR systems for employee and contractor management so changes can be

made in real time. The ability to generate an accurate and comprehensive IT directory is directly

tiedtotheinputfromtheHRandadministrativesystems.ITrequiresnotificationofanyemployee

or contractor change in status so that their mobile privileges can be updated in real time.

5. Enlist end users by helping protect their private data - Rather than relying solely on policy

and training, many enterprises are enlisting end users in their security efforts by reminding them

they have important personal information on their mobile devices, and steps they take to protect

corporate data also protects their own. This resonates with the vast majority of end users and

helps enlist their adherence to training and acceptable use policies.

6. Encryption is non-negotiable - The risk of loss or theft of mobile devices is well documented,

so its only logical to insist that any data resident on the devices be encrypted. Encrypting data

ensures that data is protected from unauthorised use even if the storage medium is moved to

another system.

7. Adding IT support resources is a must - Like any other aspect of IT, mobile computing requires

staff to support end users, applications and infrastructure. In a multidevice, multi-OS environment,

youcanbelookingatonefulltimeequivalent(FTE)employeeper5,000devices.Whateverthe

ratio you decide on, these resources need to be in the budget. Most end users want to do their

part to address mobile security problems, not cause them.

8. For company provided devices, choose vendors with broad product lines - Common

sense dictates that the more types of devices you have in use from different vendors, the greater

the complexity in implementing mobile security. Some enterprises are addressing the issue by

encouraging users to choose their device from a limited number of vendors.

9. Choose devices with two factor authentication. Mobile devices are easily misplaced or stolen,

which potentially puts corporate data at risk. A simple password isnt enough to protect data

because hackers have tools that can easily crack them. To fully protect corporate and personal

assets,enterprisesaredeployingtwo-factorauthenticationsolutions(somethingyouhaveand

somethingyouknow).Agoodexampleistouseasecuritytokenorfingerprintalongwitha

password.

10. Password management tools are essential. Mobile users often have numerous personal and

businessapplicationsandsitesthattheyuseregularly.Unfortunately,itgetsdifficultforthemto

remember passwords for all of them. So they tend to use the same password over and over, write


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down passwords or, worse, store them in a spreadsheet. This represents a huge vulnerability.

11. Like it or not, IT needs some access to user devices. As more mobile users download and

store corporate data, it becomes incumbent upon them to allow IT limited access to their personal

devices to protect that data. In the case where a device is compromised, this allows IT to wipe

corporate data from it. In just the past year weve seen substantial advances in the wipe

function. Whereas once it cleared out the entire device, its now possible to selectively wipe

the device. Another option to use virtualisation technology so no data is resident on the mobile

device, but there are some applications where this is not an acceptable solution for performance

or connectivity reasons. A simple password isnt enough to protect data on mobile devices. The

third area of mobile security that must be in place to insure protection is to focus on the corporate

applications and sensitive corporate data. These steps will help identify the key processes and

approaches that should be considered.

12. Use virtualisation and cloud solutions to reduce risk. Virtualisation or secure cloud access,

where data remains in the data centre or cloud, can help keep such information secure. These

tools may present some performance issues, but that issue may be offset by security demands.

13. Be rigorous about managing application access and privileges. Too many enterprises

manage application access on a simple permission basis. You ask for permission, and you get

it. Thats not going to keep your critical information secure. At a minimum, your organisation

should have role-based privileges, and ideally another level of granularity based on a different

metric, such as job title. And these privileges should be updated as the business changes and as

employee roles change. One of the best ways to keep applications and data secure is to ensure

theyre only used by those who should have access.

14. Implement Mobile Device Management (MDM) - MDM tools come from many vendors and have

varying levels of security, but even basic products provide important security functions. Ensuring

that you can authenticate the device, and that it hasnt been compromised or jail broken, is critical

to protecting corporate data. MDM has become a necessity for managing access from employee-

owned devices and provides important protection for employer-provided devices as well.

15. Document a backup and restore process. Protecting data with an effective backup and restore

process is just as important in a BYOD world as it is for PCs. And the issue still revolves around

having backup and restore functionality thats easy to deploy, manage and use.

7.3 TIPS TO LOWER SECURITY BUDGETS WHEN BUILDING ENTERPRISE APPS:1. Transfer a portion of your mobile risk portfolio to business partners

2. Be aware: educated staff will reduce the number of security incidents

3. Withdrawal of authorisations and access rights will reduce the probability and potential impact of

your business partners rogue actions

4. Screenbusinesspartnerswithadvancedsystemprivileges(probabilityreduction)

5. Enhance monitoring of business partners / employees with an impeding or ongoing issue

6. Protect the device, sandbox or virtualise apps, encrypt data or the device and add mdm software

with passwords

7. Monitorlogsand/orsubscribetomonitoringanddefenceparty(probabilityandimpactreduction)


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7.4 10 STRATEGIES TO FOLLOW WHEN LAUNCHING APPS TO THE ENTERPRISEBefore you launch your app, consider:

1. App security - App security encompasses the measures taken pre-launch and throughout the

applications lifecycle to tighten security and prevent hiccups in the policies of an app. Flaws in the

design, development, deployment, upgrade or maintenance of the application come as a result of

faulty security policies.

2. Encryption - Furthermore, companies need to choose apps with advanced encryption, just as we

see with PCs. IT needs full control over how and where employees are using the app in order to

ensure enterprise network safety.

3. Compliance - Compliance with major regulatory initiatives is necessary to help keep information

shared via the app safe.

4. Device compatibility - With a wide range of devicesincluding diverse operating systems and

form factorsentering enterprise networks, applications compatible across multiple computing

platformsareideal.ItssignificancerevolvesaroundthewebofBYODandcompany-owned

devices. For instance, if an employee is issued a company-owned smartphone, but wishes to use

a personal tablet of a different operating system additionally, all mobile apps must allow for cross-

device compatibility and functionality. Today, most enterprise apps are available across op

AppAdVenture Mobile Report 2014

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