EnlightenEd

Conversations You Need To Have About Mobile Integration

by | Sep 4, 2018

Conversations You Need To Have About Mobile Integration

Light water cooler conversation, this isn’t.

 

It’s probably more of a 2-pots-of-coffee-and-a-box-of-donuts conversation, to be honest.

 

But if you’re looking at mobile integration for your enterprise, there are certain conversations that are crucial to have before jumping in.

 

Most, if not all, problems that arise during and after implementation can be avoided by hashing out vital details beforehand.

 

And the donuts don’t hurt, either.

 

So grab a cuppa, and let’s take a look at the five burning questions you’ll need to address.

 

1-Does your business have an overarching mobility strategy?

 

A couple years ago, Forrester Research came out with a report describing the 4 stages of enterprise “mobile maturity.” The first entails simply applying current PC-based strategies to a smaller screen. The second puts mobile first, considering how your business can use the unique features of mobility to its advantage. The third considers how you can transform your customers’ experience via mobile, so mobile ceases to be a goal in and of itself, and the fourth has businesses developing new products, services, and business models that wouldn’t exist if not for mobile.

Depending on where your business lies in that spectrum, your strategy will differ, but the most important thing is that you have an overarching strategy. Trying to address mobility piecemeal will just make things more complicated for everyone involved, so take the time to make a truly comprehensive plan right from the start – and one that answers each of the following questions, as well.

  

2-How will you ensure data security?

 

This is an aspect of mobile integration that most departments don’t even seem to realize is an issue – but gets IT staff tearing their hair out at the slightest mention. Sure, it’s easy to download and start using an app on your phone – but if it hasn’t been securely integrated with your enterprise data, every mobile user could be putting your business at risk.

 

3-How will you integrate your mobile apps with your enterprise data?

 

Speaking of integration, how will you handle that? Monopolize your in-house IT team’s time for weeks as they work on custom coding? Hire some expensive developers to do the same? Or will you use an API management platform, like N2N’s Illuminate, that allows for secure mobile integration in minutes, no coding required?   

 

4-Will your mobile apps’ user experience ensure high adoption rates?

 

Custom coding gets the job done, but it leaves a convoluted web of connections behind – and one that will only get more complex as you add more apps in future. If there’s one thing Dad taught us, it was that the most complicated a car is, the more likely it is to break down – expensively. The back end of your mobile apps needs to be simply and elegantly integrated with your enterprise data by a platform like Illuminate in order to avoid any costly user experience snafus, and boost adoption.

 

5-Will your mobile integration strategy leave room for future agility, as apps, devices, platforms, and the Internet of Things evolve?

 

It’s one thing to get all your existing systems integrated with the mobile apps you’re using today. But what about the ones you’ll be using tomorrow? Or in 10 years? And that’s not even considering all the new devices and platforms that will be developed by then, too – and what about the IoT? You need to integrate using an API management platform like Illuminate, that makes future additions and changes simple and easy, so that you can stay ahead of the curve and take full advantage of every opportunity new tech presents.  

You know what? You may not need both pots of coffee after all. This discussion is actually pretty simple when it comes down to it. Use Illuminate for your mobile integration, and you’ll be able to securely, quickly, and easily integrate all your enterprise data with your mobile apps without using up resources or risking UX glitches, while leaving the future wide open to pivot and adapt as needed.

 

Pass the donuts. We’re done here.

For more information or a free demo, contact us today!


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