Cloud computing has emerged as one of the most significant technologies to influence the IT industry in recent memory. In addition to helping companies of all sizes increase efficiency, improve employee collaboration and boost productivity, the solution has also greatly impacted the evolution of mobile business applications.
Employees are using powerful gadgets like smartphones and tablets, along with laptops, inside and outside of the office. Firms that support cloud-based environments can allow staff members to access corporate data or collaborate with colleagues anywhere using these devices, since the cloud is available through the Internet.
The mobile applications boom began with recreational offerings, but has since evolved to include more business-specific ones. Before the cloud, creating mobile applications demanded immense skill sets and programming knowledge. Today, however, the cloud has made the process more suitable for those without such backgrounds, and it's easier than ever for firms to create their very own apps based on popular platforms such as Android, iOS and Windows Phone.
Solutions like Android controls and iOS controls also make the task of creating applications native to these platforms easier, allowing companies to take full advantage of unique apps that fit their specific corporate demands.
Cloud-based Mobile Applications are Becoming the Norm
A Gartner report said that 40 percent of mobile applications will include cloud-based back-end services by 2016. The research firm explained that these offerings help develop mobile apps and code more easily.
Gordon Van Huizen, Gartner research director, said these back-end services have become key components in the greater application development landscape. However, firms must also ensure that security is not overlooked when implementing such tools.
"As a result, a given organization may begin using them without first developing the requisite understanding of the issues and risks associated with employing cloud services for application infrastructure. What's needed, then, is something of a crash course in the fundamental concerns of deploying application functionality in the cloud," Van Huizen said.
The bring-your-own-device (BYOD) phenomenon is expected to remain an important cog in the corporate machine as it moves forward. As more workers use their personal smartphones, tablets and other gadgets for work-related purposes, the use of cloud-based environments to support a mobile workforce with business-specific applications is sure to follow.
