Technology Guide

Business sector has always been rather conservative in respect of new technologies, such as mobile solutions or cloud computing services. But today they invest large sums in mobile software development and launch their own applications for business and marketing purposes. 

Experienced mobile developers became sought-after and extremely valuable on the job market, and the talks have been heard that this industry is suffering from the lack of talents, which is most likely untrue. The number of mobile developers is increasing from day to day, and many of them are devoted experts and true enthusiasts of mobile development.

Many custom software projects include development of additional mobile applications that support the functionality of the main product. Nearly every software company now has its own mobile department ready to fulfil the requirements of corporate clients. 

Usual services include Android application development and iPhone programming, while some clients also need Windows Phone and Blackberry mobile development, depending on the corporate policy towards working devices. 

Some business applications are created specially for use on tablet computers, including iPad, and such mobile apps often have the full functionality of enterprise desktop applications.

Popularity of business applications increased recently thanks to the corporate policy that encourages bringing personal devices to the workplace (?bring your own device?).Usage of personal tablets or smartphones for fulfilment of working duties is a significant cost-saver. 

The easiest way to engage employees in work on their own devices is to install corporate applications developed for job purposes and working communication. Custom software development of such applications is not particularly difficult but profitable business, as enterprises are willing to pay for development, integration and maintenance of them.

The tendency to mobilize the workflow in medium-scale and big corporations positively affects both businesses and software vendors. Building apps for businesses is often much better deal than creating consumer applications, because there is stable demand and often fixed price of mobile programming services. 

From the other side, enterprises enjoy optimized business processes, increased productivity, and, as a result, more profit. After gaining some experience in developing enterprise apps on demand, many software companies start developing their own products aimed at business sphere, and many of such projects become successful startups.

What is the main difference between consumer and enterprise applications? Consumer apps are designed for external use, they face customers directly and provide them with information or shopping facilities. These mobile solutions act as marketing instruments and sales channels, promoting the brand and bringing direct profit from additional sales.

Enterprise applications, from the other side, serve internal organisational needs, which can vary in different industries. For example, accounting departments are usually the first to deploy new technologies, because accuracy is crucial for their operation. Their constant need in financial software helps driving the state-of-the-art technologies in every industry, even such slow-changing as manufacturing enterprises.

Finally, mobile CRM solutions are in big demand in sales departments of many big companies. This kind of applications allows sales managers to check all important customer information when they are on the way to their potential client. It helps to use working hours more productively, especially when the job of sales agent demands a lot of travel. On-the-go communication becomes possible thanks to integration of the application with corporate software.

This is the short overview of the reasons why enterprises make requests for their own mobile applications for business. Mobility is conquering the enterprise sector, spreading at a fast pace. Organizations, large and small, implement mobile solutions to serve various aspects of their business, and the results they receive impress to say the least. Soon every company will have its own app or several of them - and technology vendors do their best to make this time come even sooner.