AT&T just announced that it is offering a managed version of its Mobile Enterprise Application Platform (MEAP), which enables enterprises to offer applications across a range of devices, including PCs, smartphones and tablets.
For those interested, MEAPs address some of the difficulties of developing mobile software by managing the diversity of devices, networks and user groups at the time of deployment and throughout the mobile solution’s lifecycle, providing a long-term approach to deploying mobility.
Cross-platform or device considerations – specifically when you consider the fragmentation present across the mobile industry – is one of the big drivers behind using MEAPs. For example, a company can use a MEAP to develop the mobile application once and deploy it to a variety of mobile devices (including smart phones, tablets, notebooks and ruggedized handhelds) with no changes to the underlying business logic. However, testing, customization and monitoring are still required.
According to Gartner, using a common mobility platform like a MEAP brings considerable savings and strategic advantages in this situation, especially with the Rule of Three:
- Support three or more mobile applications
- Support three or more mobile operating systems (OS)
- Integrate with at least three back-end data sources