How many mobile devices do you think the average college student brings to campus today?
Let’s see…a laptop, a phone, a tablet, maybe an e-reader?
But if you guessed 3 or 4, you’d be wrong.
Back in 2015, according toan article in EdTech Magazine, students were bringing an average of seven internet-connected devices to college. Seven! In 2015!
Today, all bets are off. New tech is constantly being developed, and new types of devices continue to gain ground. Wearables, anyone?
Just about every new gadget that comes out is wifi-enabled and using its own branded apps to communicate with other devices.
Which seems really awesome to a college student…
…but not so much to their college’s IT department.
Sure, your university may have boosted your network bandwidth, added some mobile apps for students, faculty, and staff, and then done some intensive coding to allow those apps to communicate with your student databases and other existing systems.
But what happens when the next wave of mobile devices comes out, with brand new capabilities and possibilities?
What happens when those new apps aren’t so new anymore, and need to be replaced by the latest best-of-breed SaaS apps?
What happens when students need to connect their VR headsets or drone cameras or smartglasses to the university network to turn in homework or experience a class?
Can you honestly say your campus IT is ready for this future?
You may not be as future-ready as you think – but N2N’s Illuminate API Management Platform can help in every single one of those scenarios. Here’s how:
New Mobile Devices: Whether it’s the latest incarnation of the iPhone, or a brand new gadget that has yet to be dreamed up, with Illuminate you can rest assured that your IT department will be able to create and manage APIs to integrate that device with your campus data when students start showing up to campus with it. N2N’s Illuminate makes it possible (and easy!) to create APIs to integrate any device into your network, from mobile to wearables and beyond.
New Apps: And the new apps those new-fangled devices will be able to run – or any new apps that any device will be able to run, for that matter – will also be a non-issue for IT with Illuminate. Faculty need to start using a new app for grades? A great new tuition payment app is developed for student use? A new parent app is rolled out? No big deal. Illuminate’s API Management Platform makes it possible to build APIs to seamlessly integrate those apps with your existing systems in minutes, no coding necessary.
New Approaches to Higher Ed: Colleges and universities are already pushing the limits and exploring new ways to educate students, from online classes to augmented and virtual reality environments. And N2N is right there, too, developing innovative uses for blockchain technology, such as the Lifelong Learning Ledger, that will change the way higher ed works forever. Illuminate gives colleges and universities the agility not only to adapt to whatever changes come down the pipeline – but to be on the cutting edge of higher ed innovation.
Illuminate takes the burden and worry out of meeting the future – and leaves nothing but the excitement and promise.
Remember when VR and AR seemed like futuristic fantasies, really only suited for video games and kids’ apps?
Or when smartwatches seemed kinda cool, but not all that useful?
Remember when Google Glass came out to huge fanfare…and then fizzled out soon after?
Unless you’re in certain industries, like medicine or engineering, your perception of wearable tech and the possibilities for its use in the business world have probably been colored by those much-publicized early offerings.
But talk to someone in one of the fields where wearables are rapidly becoming de rigueur, and you’ll get a much different view.
Doctors and med students alike are donning VR goggles and gloves for surgical training using the latest tools and procedures – benefitting both the doctors and the companies manufacturing those tools.
Engineers and architects are able to test out design changes in a VR environment using wearables – and their customers can then in turn take virtual tours and test drives.
Real-time translation earbuds are now available that allow international business meetings to take place seamlessly, without the need for a human translator or bilingual employees. (And yes, this reminded us of science fiction’s universal translators, too – Star Trek, Doctor Who, Hitchhiker’s Guide – take your pick!)
Smart glasses are guiding employees along the most efficient paths in warehouses hands-free, to boost productivity.
Smartwatches and even smart clothing are helping companies monitor employee safety and prevent workplace accidents.
Wearables are not just for consumers anymore.
And the reason is this: Sure, wearables are cool on their own – but what makes them really cool is the fact that they can be used to send and receive enterprise data.
Integrated into your company’s systems, they can boost productivity, speed up and simplify processes, reduce costs due to downtime, and allow your business to fully realize all the advantages of the latest innovations in your industry.
But the key word there is – integrated.
In order to integrate multiple different wearable devices, and all the apps they run, into your enterprise systems and databases, you need APIs created. And to have those APIs custom coded takes time and money.
Many businesses might question whether it’s worth the gains, to have to dedicate so many resources to API development every time a new device or new wearable app needs to be added into the mix – and they’d be right to do so.
That’s where N2N’s Illuminate API Management Platform comes into play.
Illuminate allows enterprises to quickly and easily integrate any mobile or wearable device, along with all its apps, with their existing systems – no coding necessary.
And not only that – it also prepares the way for any future integration needs. Adding innovative new apps, and whatever yet-to-be-developed wearable devices appear down the line, simply becomes a non-issue with Illuminate, because it takes only minutes to build the API you need to connect it with the rest of your apps, devices, and systems.
Alright, it’s time for a little dream sequence. Cue the wavy lines and harp music.
In this dream, you’re in charge of SaaS migration for your organization. And you’re on the beach. (Hey, it’s a dream, so why not?)
As you lounge in a hammock between two palm trees, you lift your phone, scroll through the app store, and download the SaaS apps that will benefit your organization the most.
And…done!
You put your phone down to a rousing round of applause from your entire company, nodding and waving to acknowledge their gratitude, and then roll over to continue your nap.
Wouldn’t it be amazing if SaaS migration could actually be that easy (and involve a hammock)?
If it didn’t involve weeks of coding to enable data transfer between new apps and legacy systems?
If it didn’t call for extensive research as to which approaches, platforms, and tools would work best?
And if it didn’t promise more headaches down the line, every time new apps are added to the mix?
Well, SaaS migration may not be as simple as downloading a new app onto your phone, but there are definitely some steps you can take and some questions you can consider in order to streamline the process, make your life a lot easier – and at the same time, yield even greater benefits for your organization than you anticipated.
Determine the purpose of your SaaS migration.
There are plenty of clear and compelling reasons for SaaS migration – but what’s the main goal you’re looking to achieve? If you keep that overarching purpose firmly in mind as you move through the process, all your research, efforts, and choices will be much more strategic, and you’ll ensure that each piece of the puzzle will be working towards that same goal.
Create new rules to fit the new set-up.
Data governance can’t be an afterthought. What new rules will you need to put in place upfront, in order to comply with your organization’s guidelines on data security and app usage?
Decide on an integration method.
How will you integrate your existing data and systems with the new SaaS apps, and make sure they can communicate seamlessly? Will your IT department spend weeks coding new APIs to sync each one with the others? Will you hire programmers to do the same? Or will you choose an API management platform that lets your business developers create the necessary APIs in minutes, so that quick and seamless integration becomes a given, and a non-issue?
Keep your future needs in mind.
Once you’ve finished this SaaS migration, what are your plans for future SaaS app additions? Are you using an API management platform that makes it easy – again, truly a non-issue – to add new SaaS apps to the mix later on, as your needs and goals evolve? Or are you just planning to put the IT department to work again, for each and every new SaaS app your organization decides they need?
Look for strategic partners.
Are you working with an expert who can serve as a trusted partner in case you need individualized help, now or in the future? The only path that leads towards that hammock involves using Illuminate, an award-winning API management platform, to facilitate your SaaS migration, and partnering with N2N, trusted partner to big names like Ellucian, Salesforce, Barnes & Noble, and more.
N2N’s Illuminate allows quick and easy integration of new SaaS apps with existing legacy systems, saving you time and money, standing your organization in good stead for the future, and making your SaaS migration a resounding success.
If that doesn’t call for a round of applause and a well-deserved nap, we don’t know what does.
And you think you’ve found the perfect tool to do just that – a low-code development platform.
It’ll allow your business developers to quickly, easily, and affordably create the custom app you need.
Seems like the perfect solution, right?
But then you read the recent Forrester report on low-code platforms, from January 2018.
Aaaaand you start to worry.
The report shares survey data gathered from users of low-code platforms, and does present them as effective tools delivering positive results: speed, flexibility, and cost savings among them.
But it also shares the issues that those users have encountered in using these platforms – and they’re not insignificant.
In fact, the three top problems cited almost seem to defeat the purpose of using the platforms in the first place. Let’s take a look.
1. Extensive coding is often required after all. Paradoxically, users say that the use of low-code platforms often results in the need for more coding. Building the application is one thing – but then integrating that app with each and every other app, program, and system your business uses means using your IT resources or bringing in programmers to handle that herculean task. And isn’t that cost and hassle exactly what you were trying to avoid? 2. Reporting features are usually inadequate. And it’s not just integration that calls for more programming. Users also find that their analytics and reporting needs aren’t being met by low-code platforms’ offerings. So once again, custom coding is necessary in order to get at that all-important data. 3. Outside help is often necessary in order to overcome challenges. Finally, a majority of the respondents to the survey admit that they had to resort to hiring outside help in order to implement their new app. User-interface issues, adoption scaling, and of course, the integration and reporting issues mentioned above are all areas where vendors and systems integrators are brought in.
So what does this mean for your enterprise? Should you throw your hands up in despair and go back to coding everything from scratch?
Illuminate allows you to get all the benefits of that low-code platform, while eliminating all the issues that the users surveyed experienced:
Build that app quickly and easily – and then use Illuminate to integrate it just as quickly and easily (no coding necessary!).
Use Illuminate’s robust analytics and simple user interface to get the data you need without resorting to more custom coding.
And if you do need any help with an issue that pops up, N2N can help – just as we’ve helped over 150 other organizations.
That low-code platform may be the solution you’re looking for after all – but in order to realize all the benefits and none of the problems, be sure to couple it with Illuminate.
And their creative genius, unique perspectives and insights, and ability to make tough decisions are crucial to moving your business forward.
There’s a funny thing about businesses, too, though.
Enterprises today are coming to rely more and more on automated processes for just about every aspect of business.
But the people choosing and using those apps still have a huge impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of those automated processes.
It’s something that’s not often talked about, but understanding and addressing the human element of business process automation and SaaS migration is the key to unlocking its full potential.
Independence and the Quest for Improvement
How many SaaS apps does your organization use right now? And can you answer that with complete confidence?
The ease of downloading and trying out SaaS apps means that employees in any given department might be testing out or even outright adopting new apps at any time, without necessarily going through the proper channels or letting all the right people know.
And while their goals of increased efficiency and productivity are laudable, the fact that these employees haven’t integrated these SaaS apps with the rest of your organization’s systems means one of two things. Either your team is wasting time manually transferring data from your databases to that app and back, or your IT department is going to have to get to work again writing custom APIs to integrate that app with all your existing systems.
This is happening every. single. time. someone else thinks to themselves, “Hey! This app looks like a great way to save time and improve processes! I’m going to try it out!”
It’s almost enough to make CIOs want to stifle that constant drive for improvement – which is exactly what you don’t want in business!
Integration Is Key So what can organizations do to address this human element of business process automation?
5 different departments wanting to try out 5 different new apps? Go for it.
Programmers too busy to get around to the custom coding it’d take to integrate 2 new apps you’re adding to the mix? Not a problem.
Illuminate is the simple, elegant way to integrate not only your new apps and your existing systems – but your processes and your people.
Here’s how it works.
Illuminate automatically configures APIs that integrate each and every SaaS app and program your business uses, so that your programmers don’t have to.
This means that popping a new SaaS app in to try it out, or adopting several new apps at once, isn’t a hassle or a waste of time at all. It’s just a matter of tossing them into the API management platform, and letting it do its thing.
And that means that the people on your team can keep up that search for improvement, indulge that independent streak, and embrace that beautiful human unpredictability – because that’s exactly what will help your organization thrive.
N2N was recently featured in a Forbes Brandvoice article from Oracle highlighting the Blockchain-Based ‘Lifelong Learning Ledger’ initiative.
The article details Brandman University and the application of competency based learning toward adult degrees. Using a cloud software platform developed by N2N services, Brandman University has built a set of microservices that enables students to earn a master’s of business administration degree from their mobile phones. As part of this effort, the university has developed a game-based learning microservice, which allows students to take a series of tests to demonstrate their competency. As students pass each test, they are automatically (and progressively) moved to the next level of the program. “Traditional courses take around six-months to complete,” says N2N CEO and founder, Kiran Kodithala. “Now, universities can break down courses into multiple rubrics, test student competencies at each level, and then place students within an academic program according to their proficiencies.”
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