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.
So. Mobile integration. Nice to have in place. Definitely cool. But necessary?
Maybe it seems like something you can take care of in the future – something that isn’t urgent.
Maybe it doesn’t seem necessary at all – you’re getting along fine without it now, so why add one more project to your IT department’s workload?
Maybe you feel like you’re basically mobile already – a couple of the apps you and your team use for work can be accessed on your phone, and that’s enough to keep you going when you’re not in the office.
So why would mobile integration be a necessity for your enterprise?
Let’s take a look at your business goals and break it down from there.
Pretty much every company out there has the same basic goals, right? High productivity, low costs, and the ability to beat out the competition. That’s the path to success, right?
So when a tool is developed that helps enterprises significantly in achieving those goals, it quickly becomes standard in the business world – a necessity, truly, in order to keep up.
Just think how much apps like Basecamp, Trello, and Asana have improved project management processes – and how much of a disadvantage companies are at who don’t use a similar app.
Or what about Agile methodology? While it doesn’t work for everyone, for startups and tech companies, Agile is without question the way to get things done today.
The cloud is another example of something that many businesses were skeptical of at first – and now it’s the companies who don’t use the cloud in some capacity that are the odd ones out.
But how does mobile integration contribute to those basic business goals we mentioned above?
Let’s break that down, too:
1 – Productivity
Sure, you probably use some apps already that you can access from your phone no matter where you are. But not every enterprise application is accessible as a mobile app – especially not legacy systems with massive databases and labyrinthine webs of point-to-point connections with every other unwieldy application used. Wouldn’t it be great if they were? Full access to your company’s data and systems, anytime, anywhere – and a corresponding spike in productivity and possibilities.
That’s where mobile integration comes into play – and specifically, N2N’s Illuminate API Management Platform. Illuminate enables enterprises to quickly and easily build out APIs that can make that enterprise data available securely via mobile – no coding necessary.
2 – Cost Reduction
Wondering how much mobile integration is gonna cost you? You should be thinking about how much you’d be shelling out if you choose a different path to mobility. Starting over and building new mobile apps to replace legacy systems…painstakingly transferring data from old systems to new ones…custom coding APIs for every new incarnation of an app, for every new mobile device or operating system that’s developed in the future… It’s not for the faint of heart – or the pincher of pennies.
Mobile integration via Illuminate eliminates every single one of those issues – and their associated costs. No need to create new apps – just integrate the existing ones for seamless communication in minutes. Be prepared for any new device the future may hold, confident that you’ll be able to integrate it into your system in a snap. You’ll be saving yourself money both now and in the future.
3 – Competitiveness
When every other company is using computers, you don’t want to be the company stuck using a typewriter. Putting mobile integration into place now means that you’ll be prepared for the future, agile enough to pivot and adapt to any changing circumstances – and strategically take advantage of any innovations before your competition does.
Illuminate future-proofs your company by giving you the ability to integrate any future apps with your existing systems, quickly, easily, and affordably. While others struggle to catch up with mobility, or expend resources custom coding their way to integration, you’ll be no more than a few minutes away from a quick pivot that can mean the difference between being an industry leader…or an also-ran.
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.
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