When To Use Mobile Enterprise Application Platforms

With a number of emerging and competing standards for all the various mobile devices, it's tempting to look for a quick fix for your enterprise mobile needs. Mobile Enterprise Application Platforms (MEAPs) try to leverage established back-ends making them available to both iOS and Android (and theoretically, BlackBerry and WP7). This is a lofty goal and at some level MEAPs can be successful, but there are some important considerations while evaluating a MEAP-based solution.

Clearly define what you hope to accomplish with your mobile endeavor. If your goals require even a moderate amount of interaction between the device and the user, then a MEAP-based solution will probably fall short of user expectations. MEAPs have to function across multiple platforms with minor customization, and because of this "lowest common denominator" design requirement, the experience typically seems flat or cumbersome. A MEAP can't take advantage of architecture or conventions not common to all devices and it's those differences that attract people to iOS or Android or BlackBerry devices. Whether it's the full lexicon of gestures or some of the hardware advantages, none of these are available for a MEAP to use.

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Be care when investing in specialized development. MEAPs are often proprietary, and customizing and maintaining them can be a specialized skill. Organizations will either have to rely on the vendor for help or invest in teaching these skills to personnel. Adding a new technology to your stack (even one that is supposed save you some work) comes with long-term ramifications. If what you're trying to accomplish is core to your business, a MEAP-based solution might be too much of a risk.

HTML 5 is coming. Because HTML5 is a standard that every mobile device will eventually have to support, it could be considered a MEAP. It's an evolving standard and doesn't take advantage of mobile device native features, but it's not proprietary and HTML5 skills will be easier to find in the future. The question with HTML5 is "when?" When will the standard solidify enough for the open source community to build the tools and features to make HTML5 development more than a curiosity?

When should you use a mobile enterprise application platform? MEAPs can be a good fit when you're trying to produce a simple mobile content portal for end users. The focus should be a quick, cost-effective way to leverage documentation and media from a mobile device. Avoid customization and keep user interaction minimal. Utilize the strength of the chosen MEAP, but don't be overly ambitious. Realize that when you're ready to move into a more serious enterprise mobile solution, you'll probably have to start from scratch to get it right.

When To Use Mobile Enterprise Application Platforms

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