As Mobility becomes an integral part of the business & technology strategy, an mBaaS (Mobile Backend-as-a-Service) or some form of BaaS is a 'Must-Have' requirement to ramp up and manage an organization's mobile initiatives.
However, in the ever evolving (and consolidating) world of Enterprise Mobility, organizations need to look beyond business system connectivity, data storage and notifications that are essentially provided by almost all vendors with varied degrees of maturity.
The 7S Framework:
1. Seamless - Across channels:
The Backend software service should be Omni channel - Mobile, Web, Wearables and more. The era of 'Mobile only' systems is numbered - the backend system should be able to provide a way for companies to build seamless experience across ALL Digital Apps & properties.
2. Secure:
Security is of paramount importance to any Enterprise. Unlike consumer BaaS providers, an Enterprise BaaS platform must address security across Devices, Apps, Users and Data. The provider should support security standards like SAML & OAuth 2.0
3. Stable:
With the recent consolidations in the Enterprise Mobility industry, financial stability and the overall stability of the software vendor has become a significant factor while deciding on the mBaaS/ BaaS vendor.
4. Simple:
Primary function of a BaaS is to simplify. Configuring, Building, managing and monitoring of Apps. Simple intuitive self-serve user interface as well as simple pricing methodology for all App scenarios (ephemeral apps, high data usage apps etc.) are key factors that one should look for in a Backend Service provider.
5. Scalable:
With the proliferation of Apps across channels, usage of some apps could grow exponentially. The BaaS provider MUST have a scalable software architecture as well as infrastructure readiness to provide scale as the company launches more initiatives.
6. Support:
Choosing a BaaS/mBaaS means building a long term relationship with the platform provider. While a good software should be self serving and intuitive to use, SLA backed support and infrastructure provides a peace of mind to the organization.
7. Services:
Artificial Intelligence, Bots, Augmented & Virtual Reality, Big Data, Beacons and new Payment Systems are soon going to reshape the Enterprise App landscape. To maximize the investments made in a BaaS software, the provider should have full scale Professional Services, either on it's own or through a growing ecosystem of Service providers.