Enterprise Mobile Application Development: Choosing the Right Platform

One of the challenges for enterprise mobile management (EMM) and enterprise mobile application development is finding the right platform. In the past, the obvious choice was BlackBerry®, as it was the best developed and most popular solution because it was designed around the business user and IT management.

This gave IT managers lots of tools to help ensure that mobile access was done securely, while limiting excess server load and preventing data loss in the event that a phone was lost or stolen.

Now however, there are many other options and BlackBerry is less of a sure choice. This is partially a factor of BlackBerry’s future uncertainty, as well as the prevalence and growth of competitive alternatives.

Finding the Right Platform

There are four main platforms in the mobile space, which all have their benefits and potential risks. When looking at potential platforms, the most important question to ask is "what am I trying to accomplish?"

For most enterprise systems the answer is to give key employees access to internal information while maintaining security and privacy for the individual and for the company. In cases where the company is also providing the hardware (the phones), it is also important to maintain control and security of each device, which requires setting additional restrictions.

This includes authentication compliance enforcement which ensures that each device is as secure as possible, and that they do not become a pathway to introducing exploits into larger systems into internal systems. This may include ensuring that certain features on the phones cannot be used, such as Wi-Fi or the camera. It also gives IT managers remote management of the devices which can help them recover forgotten passwords or remotely wipe data on a lost or stolen device.

Each of these platforms has its own features, as well as benefits and risks, which makes some a more preferential choice and others a more risky choice. As with all of the platforms, external Enterprise Mobile Management (EMM) options are available, but some platforms are just better suited to easy enterprise systems.

BlackBerry

As previously mentioned, BlackBerry is still the primary platform for enterprise mobile management. From an IT standpoint, the BlackBerry server and software provides a lot of remote management, security and control that is still leading the market, but it costs extra.

The challenge with BlackBerry is that it is a challenging sale for new users. There is a large investment required (a few thousand dollars, or more depending on the number of users) for the server software which is not necessary on other devices. Though for companies that have already made that investment, it is also a tough sell to get them to switch.

The other challenge is uncertainty. More than any other mobile platform, it is unclear where BlackBerry will stand in the next few years or if it will even be left standing. They could be bought out, convert to another operating system (Android™, perhaps), or even become obsolete as they lose the cash flow to keep up in a competitive market and create top of the line devices (like being unable to launch a phone with a dual-core processor anytime within the next few years, according to a recent interview).

Right now, BlackBerry is still a strong platform, which is why it still retains a third of the smartphone market, but it is a questionable long-term investment that presents a lot of uncertainty. The difference between BlackBerry and other platforms is that large companies converting to Android, for example, would receive a lot of press and attention as early adopters, whereas companies adopting BlackBerry would be lucky to receive a footnote on Wikipedia.

iPhone

The Apple® iPhone™ does many things right and it revolutionized the mobile market. However, it may actually be the weakest Smartphone option when it comes to enterprise development. That of course comes with a few caveats, but Apple currently has no clear interest or intention to natively support enterprise applications or enterprise mobile management.

To Apple’s defense, they have enabled the ability to install enterprise applications outside of the App Store, but it would be difficult to interpret that as providing adequate enterprise support. The other challenge is that the iPhone only comes in one size, one style, and one price (though now on two US networks). Of course the iPhone is a great phone, but some people prefer different features, such as a physical keyboard or larger screen.

What Apple does right is that it has mastered "the app." In many cases third party apps can be used in an enterprise-type setting, especially for smaller companies or individual users. However for a company-wide mobile enterprise program, this presents many problems, including major security issues, as well as compatibility issues. The other advantage is the Apple still leads in the tablet market with the iPad, which gives it some hardware advantage for those looking to include enterprise tablet applications as a part of their mobile strategy.

Converting your business staff to all iPhones from BlackBerrys would definitely get a company noticed, but you would be trading the variety of BlackBerry sizes, styles, and form factors for the power of "the app" and EMM would be much more difficult.

Android

Unlike other mobile operating systems, Android is notorious for its variety. This means two things: 1.) not all Android phones are equal, and 2.) not all Android phones are designed for the same customer.

Specifically, Android phones come in all different shapes and sizes, with more diversity than any other smartphone OS. Some of these, like Motorola’s Droid Pro, are designed and built specifically for enterprise users. Android is also available across all carriers and internationally as well.

Some Android phones (most notably the Droid Pro) come with additional software features that make it easy to manage the phones from an IT standpoint. This includes better security, ability to easily wipe lost or stolen phones remotely (including data on the SD cards) and easily work with Enterprise Mobile Management (EMM) systems or even through Exchange, which can determine other security features. For example, EMM systems could disable the camera feature, or prevent unsigned apps from being installed.

Another benefit is that Android is much more open and allows you to create more powerful software that integrates better into existing systems (in most cases), which is helpful if you are looking to create custom enterprise applications as well.

It may be slightly early to convert your company to Android (especially from BlackBerry) and would brand you as an early adopter, but it is currently the best alternative to BlackBerry and looks like it will only become stronger in the long term.

Windows Phone 7

The newest entry into the mobile space, Windows® Phone 7 is actually disappointing from an enterprise standpoint. Oddly enough, the new operating system actually has less enterprise capability than previous versions, specifically Windows Mobile 6.5. For a company that specializes in Enterprise software, it is a glaring absence that is missing from the new OS.

Microsoft® says that enterprise upgrades and improvements are coming, but it is unclear exactly what they will be or how well they will be implemented. Microsoft’s past dedication to the enterprise market provides some hope, but so far Windows Phone 7 seems to be designed primarily as an iPhone competitor and consumer device, so enterprise customers may always be in second place.

In short, using Windows Phone 7 as an enterprise platform will get your company a lot of press attention for being an early adopter (if you are big enough), but there will be a lot of uncertainty as to what enterprise support will ever be provided.

For now, it may be best to wait and see; especially if you already have a working mobile management system in place. Microsoft is expected to announce new enterprise features in the next few months (including implementing the ability to install apps outside of the market), which could quickly launch it into the forefront of enterprise systems.

Unfortunately for now, BlackBerry is the only company that really owns the enterprise space, and it will be interesting to see if anyone else is interested in really going after it. In the meantime, each platform does at least allow custom mobile applications that can be installed by approved employees (Microsoft will be releasing this feature soon).