We have experienced a major transformation in the last few years. From landline devices for communication, we have made a move to mobile devices. The mobile platform, however, is not just being used to make phone calls or send messages; people are now interacting with the world through mobile devices and using them to perform a range of tasks.
According to a McKinsey & Company study, it expects over 1.7 billion mobile users to be using the internet in the current year, 2014. Because of such popularity and rise in eminence of mobile technology, the mobile app ecosystem has come into existence.
What is Mobile App Ecosystem?
The large number of applications on mobile devices has created a complex web of mobile ecosystem. It is nothing but the collation of all those entities that have to come together to make this mobile system thrive. The objective of the ecosystem is to bridge the gap between mobile and desktop. People might still prefer to use the desktops for the convenience that they offer, but the objective of a smooth mobile ecosystem is to offer optimum experience to the mobile users. It includes a variety of different aspects of the mobile industry, and they include:
- Mobile Content Providers: These are the people who provide content for mobile devices. These can include mobile apps developers, enterprise mobile applications developers, and others.
- Mobile Enablers: These are those companies and individuals that provide the necessary services and infrastructure in the value chain.
Infrastructure Providers: The need of infrastructure is very high too, when it comes to sustaining a complex mobile ecosystem. - Network Providers: Network providers offer the telephony services on which mobile devices are run. With the advent of smart phones, the need for proper network services has increased manifolds.
- Device Manufacturers: The manufacturers of smart phone devices are an integral part of the ecosystem too. They are the ones who innovate with the phones and come up with unique services for their device users.
Key Elements of Mobile App Ecosystem:
- Mobile Analytics: Popular analytics platforms provide the users with reviews and responses about products and services. Some popular analytics platforms are Google Analytics, Distimo and Localytics.
- Mobile Map Integration: Integrating your applications with maps is considered to be a substantial value addition and is said to enhance the value of the app. They can help you serve your app users better.
- Mobile A/B Testing: In the modern world of competition, it is absolutely essential to take applications through various forms of testing. This also increases the demand for mobile A/B testing application developers. The apps might also include mobile crash reporting and various other elements of the same. The major platforms for A/B testing, analysis and marking purposes are Artisan, Taplytics and Optimizely.
- Mobile Performance Management: Managing the performance of mobile apps is another key element of the ecosystem.
All these members of the mobile ecosystem play their own role. For example, the application developers create applications; the testers perform mobile analytics and mobile A/B testing, mobile app rating, etc.
Benefits of Mobile Ecosystem To Enterprises:
1. Ease of Use: When a mobile app ecosystem is established for enterprise applications, the users just need to download the app and begin to use it. All the onboarding of the same along with app registration and bootstrapping needs to be performed by the enterprise mobility management platform.
2. Role Based Configuration: When a proper mobile app world is in place for the enterprise, it becomes simpler to offer secured content to the users on the basis of their roles and position in the hierarchy.
3. Flexibility: Enterprises always have the option of deciding whether they want their apps (and their content) to be stored on the cloud or on the premise. In some cases, a hybrid system might also be created which can help the organizations in maintaining these apps better.
4. Control over Devices: I.T. can generate complete control over the devices. The team can create lockable configuration and security policies. This means that the date of the mobile application and the devices can be centrally managed by the I.T. department of the enterprise.
5. Cross-Platform Possibilities: A detailed and well-tested mobile app ecosystem can help create cross-platform possibilities. Apps can be downloaded on and controlled through multiple devices.
6. Increases efficiency – Saves time and money.
Future of Mobile App Ecosystem:
Going forward, one can expect many changes and improvements to drive into the system. Following are some of the advancements that we might want to see in mobile ecosystems:
1. Security: Mobile app ecosystems are already quite secure, but we expect them to further fortify in order to meet some of the new challenges that are being posed at them.
2. Integration: New systems shall come up, and mobile ecosystems will have to learn to integrate with those too. That is where the prominence of mobile integration platforms comes into the picture.
3. App Performance: Application performance is expected to enhance even further and make the user experience go sky hugging. Application performance monitoring platforms might have a say in this too.
Hence, there are changes happening in the system and we believe that Mobile Ecosystems that transform the way in which enterprises conducted their businesses. They shall be more robust, better connected, and more secure. That is all that they look for, don’t they?
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