Mobile enterprise application platform

A Mobile Enterprise Application Platform (MEAP) is a type of mobile application development platform (MADP) that includes a suite of frameworks, services, and toolkits to assist in developing mobile applications.[1] MEAP platforms enable organizations and businesses to develop, test, and deploy applications using standardization and protocols.[2]

A MEAP/MADP ideally includes tools for testing, debugging, and maintaining existing applications, as well as API calls for back-end databases and middleware for linting, parsing, and compiling.[3]

The term's origin is attributed to a Gartner Magic Quadrant report in 2008 and was formerly referred to as the "Multichannel Access Gateway Market."[4]

Purpose and function

Mobile Enterprise Application Platforms (MEAPs) claim to address the challenges of developing mobile software across a variety of devices, networks, and user groups during deployment and throughout the mobile computing technology lifecycle. Unlike standalone applications, MEAPs aim to provide a comprehensive and long-term solution for both developers and end users.

A key advantage that MEAPs advocate for is their cross-platform capabilities. These platforms enable the development of a single mobile application that can be deployed across various devices with different operating systems, such as Android smartphones, iOS devices, tablets, notebooks, and even modified handheld gaming consoles. MEAPs facilitate seamless cross-platform functionality without modifying to the underlying machine or business logic.

The primary audience for MEAPs includes organizations rapidly developing and deploying multiple applications on a unified infrastructure. This infrastructure can be hosted on-premises (offline), in the cloud (online), or a hybrid environment combining both options. MEAPs also support ongoing maintenance and testing, ensuring applications remain functional and up-to-date.[5][3]

Gartner observed [6] that companies consider the MEAP approach when their platform's needs include:

1. Support for three or more mobile applications
2. Support for three or more mobile operating systems (OS)
3. Integration with at least three back-end data sources

Components and features

Structure

A cloud-based MEAP typically consists of two main components: a mobile middleware server and a mobile client application. The middleware server manages system integration, security, communication, scalability, cross-platform support, and other essential functionalities. It does not store data itself; instead, it facilitates the flow of data between back-end systems and mobile devices.

Mobile client applications are software programs that connect to the middleware server, driving both the user interface and the back-end logic on the device. These applications are designed to be cross-platform tools that can launch on various mobile operating systems. Mobile apps are generally deployed as "thick" or "native" applications, which are installed directly on the device. Alternatively, they may be implemented as "thin" applications, rendered through browser-based technologies such as HTML5.

Features and Capabilities

To minimize the need for extensive coding, many MEAPs incorporate industry-standard integrated development environments (IDEs), to simplify the app development process. Some MEAPs also support hybrid development modes, allowing developers to utilize UI design software development kits (SDKs). By integrating with frameworks, these tools encapsulate various device-specific APIs, such as geolocation, connectivity, accelerometer, camera, and file system, within the IDE.

MEAPs have evolved from traditional 4GL tools to graphical environments, dedicated scripting languages, and facilitating mobile business support.[7] They integrate with multiple server data sources, allowing businesses to utilize Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) services from backend systems. Additionally, centralized management is a key feature of MEAPs, particularly in business-to-employee (B2E) scenarios.

Many MEAPs are cloud-enabled, offering flexibility in deployment and scalability.[8] Some platforms include low-code or no-code tools to further simplify app development, while others offer remote device management and offline capabilities. However, MEAPs also present limitations, such as vendor lock-in and restrictions on customization, which organizations must consider when adopting these platforms.

The implementation of Semantic Web Technology within MEAPs has enhanced their ability to handle complex mobile commerce applications. These platforms utilize semantic integration techniques, applying domain-specific ontologies and XML-based standards such as OWL and RDF to manage diverse business information resources. Their platform architecture generally includes multiple functional layers, such as a service layer for handling incoming queries and reasoning, a semantic layer for maintaining static knowledge bases, a mapping layer for converting enterprise data into structured formats, and a resource layer that integrates heterogeneous enterprise resources like databases, files, and web services.

Additionally, advanced MEAPs leverage reasoning and auto-discovery mechanisms using inference engines to enable automatic resource discovery and dynamic decision-making processes.[9]

See also

• Cross-platform software
• Field service management
• Application server
• Low-code development platforms
• Mobile application development
• Multi-channel app development

References

1. Steele, Colin. "What is mobile application development platform (MADP)? | Definition from TechTarget". TechTarget. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
2. Guy-Ifergan, Nili; Pikus, Dmitri; Ben-Harrush, Idan; Eisenberg, Vadim (May 2017). "Configuration Service for Mobile Apps". 2017 IEEE/ACM 4th International Conference on Mobile Software Engineering and Systems (MOBILESoft). pp. 209–210. doi:10.1109/MOBILESoft.2017.16. ISBN 978-1-5386-2669-6.
3. Brandenburg, Michael. "Mobile enterprise application platforms: A primer". Searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
4. "We've renamed the multichannel access gateway market to the mobile enterprise application platform market, reflecting its maturation, Apple's entry, and the move of mobile tools and platforms to the application development mainstream." Michael J. King, William Clark, "Magic Quadrant for Mobile Enterprise Application", Gartner Note G00162969, 18 December 2008. The following year Gartner added the "mobile consumer application platform" category in another magic quadrant report Archived 12 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine.
5. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 March 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
6. Gartner RAS Core Research Note G00211688, Michael J. King, William Clark, 20 April 2011
7. "MSP, Mobile Service Platform". i-Rose, Ltd. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
8. Wei, Z (2008). "A Semantic Web-Based Enterprise Information Integration Platform for Mobile Commerce". 2008 International Conference on Management of e-Commerce and e-Government. IEEE. pp. 57–60 (4). doi:10.1109/ICMECG.2008.13. ISBN 978-0-7695-3366-7. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
9. Wei, Zhiqiang; Kang, Mijun; Zhou, Wei (October 2008). "A Semantic Web-Based Enterprise Information Integration Platform for Mobile Commerce". 2008 International Conference on Management of e-Commerce and e-Government. pp. 57–60. doi:10.1109/ICMECG.2008.13. ISBN 978-0-7695-3366-7.