Enterprise Mobility is lot more than bits on a device and delineating between Platform and ecosystem

Topic: Enterprise Mobility is lot more than bits on a device and delineating between Platform and ecosystem and yes Mobile apps have to be pretty and smart as a design imperative.

Folks this post is long overdue, so I will attempt to pack as much of my learning as I can in this post, and try to make it meaningful.

I spend a month in UAE to better understand mGov (Mobile Government Project), and  I wanted to share some experiences and learning’s. But before I start I must applaud the UAE government for Hyper focus on government services, where rest of the world is cutting back on government services UAE is raising the bar on government services. For instance, UAE has 24 hours  government services (criminal defense, Immigration, Visa services etc) via phone, all services are online and their next quest is to mobilize all government services by 2014. So Kudo’s for the initiatives and a reminder for all of us on opportunities in UAE to be lead by examples and references.

It is evident that  any Enterprise Mobility is lot more than a bits on a device and it does challenge an enterprise on Mobile readiness. There are many considerations such as existing services, the payload of the existing services, (as many of them are designed for Web), security models (less invasive but adherence to same enterprise security standards), and inclusion of things like Maps (decision to use Google or enterprise ARCGis maps or even cloud ARCGis services. So on..

The Mobile Application design considerations spans from:

a. Intelligence (this includes data, integration and enterprise awareness – all required for least amount of data entry by the user on a mobile app/device) …to

b. Beauty – The Mobile apps would have to be pretty with regard to color, UI design, functionality and include Map services etc.

and

Everything else in between – hosting, middleware, network, integration, external services, and all related IT functions.

This where I would like to take an opportunity to distinguish between

1.     Platform AND

2.     (External) Eco-system

Now Eco-system is a complex community of frameworks, MobileOS, Mobile services (telecom, SMS, LBS Push etc) and its environment functioning as an ecological unit. This is something we do not have control over. An enterprise can survive, even thrive and play in this eco-system by adopting frameworks and adapting to the evolution. Think about it…”Evolution” --- which is at a very rapid pace in the Mobile ecosystem.

Platform on the other hand is something an enterprise uses as a standard to launch technology, services and applications. A platform can a Operating system like Unix or Middleware like WebSphere Application services that provides and avenue to connect, integrate and consume other “Platform” hosted services or legacy services via some sort of transformation. For instance their a few fundamental ways we connect and integrate various platforms (database, web services and JMS (Messaging)). Platform is something we have full control over as the enterprise develops, deploys and manages application, services and integration.

I make this distinction, for the following reasons:

1.     Client discussions – we need to discuss what we can influence and what we cannot. This keeps the project discussions realistic and productive.

2.     Because we now in Mobility space, we need to better understand the eco system and how our platform and MobileFirst Portfolio differentiates and absorb the eco-system and as a single enterprise ecologic unit.

3.     Define the ability of a Platform (full control) to adapt to the ever changing eco-system. This is vital discussion point and a competitive differentiator.

4.     Unlike and traditional enterprise application space, the Eco-system is playing a more dominant role as the mobile OS vendors and device manufacturer are setting the tone of innovation and technology landscape. The faster a platform can adopt and adapt to the change, an enterprise can gain a competitive advantage in marketplace.

And…

Sound smart --- our knowledge of the eco system will help us better position products and solution.

The role of Mobile Middelware:(Ideal characteristics)

1. Mobile Middleware provides a layer of indirection, which allows for the back end services to be shifted without affecting the end point. - Flexibility 
2.Ability to surgically enable and disable Application specific to a platform, administratively provide platform specific messages - Control. 
3.Mobile Middleware also arms the enterprise to adapt and fit into to current Enterprise Security platform (authentication, authorization and security policy enforcement etc) - Security 
4.Mobile Middleware also provides an avenue to exploit existing services (SOA Model) and since these services were design for Web Application, Mobile middleware allows for filtering and altering the content, prior to sending the response back to end use. - Flexibility, control and reuse and Optimization of existing enterprise services. 
5.Mobile Specific Services - Unified push notification, SMS and devices specific notifications etc; provide an avenue to address these via platform.

AND

Ecosystem provides the value add services to the app that is developed and managed in our environment can "Play well" or Integrate well with that eco system. like ISIS/GDW etc. So we need to think in terms of API services or API Management ( we have a product, but I am focused on concept here) that amalgamates that service tier.

As always I welcome your thought and critique ..either on this forum or via e-mail.

Have a great week ahead.

:)

Nitin