apps, apis & analytics: what "mobile first" really means
DESCRIPTION
BYOD for tablets and smartphones represents only the first shock of the mobile explosion. There is an even larger change coming, one defined by greater (not less) heterogeneity in device and OS, combined with myriad of new data sources. Driving all of it is a demand for ever-richer user experiences - a new kind of "experience economy", where the winners are those companies that deliver the most compelling experiences to the user's device of choice. In this presentation to the Washington Area CTO Roundtable, Appcelerator co-founder and CTO Nolan Wright investigates what these changes mean to the ways we build apps, connect them to public and enterprise data, and measure the results - as well as what it all suggests for the future of enterprise IT.TRANSCRIPT
Apps, APIs & Analytics: What “Mobile First” Really MeansNOLAN WRIGHT, CO-FOUNDER & CTOappcelerator@twitter
Mobile phones are now more ubiquitous than indoor plumbing.“DEPUTY UN CHIEF CALLS FOR URGENT ACTION TO TACKLE GLOBAL SANITATION CRISIS." UN NEWS CENTER. UN, 21 MAR. 2013
The Emerging IT World?
PAST:
“PLANNED ECONOMY”
Centrally planned, centrally sourcedOne size fits all‘Bread lines’Product = Industrial strengthProduct < > Inspiring
PRESENT:
“FREE-FOR-ALL”
Nominal central controlBYOD/A, rise of shadow ITSilos, inevitable redundanciesVariable results (usability, security, performance, etc.)
Major Technology Shifts1990s TO TODAY
CLIENT SERVEREarly 1990s
One-to-oneRich UX (GUI)Distributed computingLocal Network
INTERNETLate 1990s
One-to-manyWeak UX (HTML-Based)Server-centric computingGlobal network
MOBILEToday
Many-to-manyRich UX (driven by mobile OSs)Distributed computingInternet of Things
Needs for Mobile Success
Optimized payloadsOnline/offline syncElastic scaleSecure access
Great experience across platformsMaximum reuseFlex sourcing of skills
Performance metricsUsage patternsAdoption ratesLifecycle efficacy
The explosion that killed the PC
Hard truth #1: The user is king. User chooses the app, not you.
Expectation is for smart, purposeful, context-aware experiences. (Forget “user error” jokes.)
88% of enterprises agree B2B/E require the same caliber UX as B2C.1
Hard truth #2: Release velocity is (largely) beyond enterprise control.
Users want what they want, when they want it.
Apple wants what it wants, when it wants it.
The other platform vendors aren’t sitting still.
Hard truth #3: HTML 5 can’t save us.30% feature differential across browsers.2
Access to a small fraction of the native APIs.
Not a priority for the platform providers (see e.g. iOS 7).
R.I.P. Wintel.
1Q3 2013 Appcelerator Enterprise Mobile Survey
of enterprises support three or more mobile operating systems.1
62%
2"BII REPORT: Why Facebook Defriended HTML5-For Now." Business Insider. N.p., 24 Oct. 2012.
Data, data everywhere
Why legacy middleware won’t cut it:
Mobile is driving another tier into enterprise architectures.
And not a drop to drink?
1Q3 2013 Appcelerator Enterprise Mobile Survey
rank mobile- optimized APIs as their top investment priority.1
40%
WEB MOBILE
API format XML, SOAP JSON
Data payload
Large and static, optimized for PC display and feature-
driven applications
Niche and orchestrated, optimized for small screen
and purpose-built apps
Number of data sources Few Many
Data source location Behind the firewall
Behind the firewall, SaaS virtual private clouds,
public cloud
Client device profile
Powerful device with few constraints (e.g. large
battery), stationary access
Battery- and bandwidth-constrained (by network
and/or fees), roaming
Client-to-data
connectivitySteady, broadband
Intermittent & variable speed, driving need for
online/offline syncing and rate limiting
Usage profile
More predictable peak hours (i.e., 9-to-5, 8-to-10)
Anywhere, anytime access
The lifeblood of great user experienceA move from lagging to leading indicators.
1Q3 2013 Appcelerator Enterprise Mobile Survey
report their apps fail to meet the needs of end users.1
⅓
IT Mobile Maturity Model
“Innovation Exchange”
“ROI ensured”: unified analytics: experience, adoption, diagnostics, etc.
No limits to scale (number of apps, device & platform type, etc.)
Sourcing ecosystem: vetted, best-of-breed contributors (internal or external)
Continuous mobile innovation
Shared services, CoE experiments
“ROI expectant”: leading indicators for success
Upwards of 30 apps, B2x, all major platforms
3rd party sourcing where necessary (exception)
App-oriented design, tooling, processes
IT & LoBs pursue own ends
Little or no success metrics
< 5 apps, primarily B2C
3rd party sourcing
Legacy “application” thinking: design, tools, processes
Some IT & LoB coordination (e.g. security)
“ROI aware”: lagging success measures (e.g. public reviews), ad hoc outcomes
5-10 apps, B2C and some B2E, limited platforms
3rd party sourcing for B2C, in-house for B2E
Legacy “application” thinking: design, tools, processes
STRATEGICDIFFERENTIATE,
OPEN NEW MARKETS
PROACTIVEOPTIMIZE SPEED,
COST AND EXPERIENCEEXPERIMENTAL
LEARN
REACTIVEMITIGATE RISK
STRATEGICTACTICAL
PRESENT:
“FREE-FOR-ALL”
Nominal central controlLoBs go it aloneVariable results (usability, security, performance, etc.)Inevitable redundancies
Mobile Drives a New IT Innovation Model
FUTURE:
“INNOVATION EXCHANGE”
Nimble and specialized, fit for purposeLooser coupling, higher cohesionExpanded ecosystem = more innovationNew market opportunities
www.appcelerator.com/enterprisesurvey/
FOR MORE:
THANK YOU.