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moBack Inc., an enterprise Mobile Backend-as-a-Service (MBaaS) startup, launched moBack Enterprise, a self-deployable cloud-service platform that helps developers build and deploy mobile and Web apps faster and at a lower cost. The new toolset is designed to take the difficulty and complexity out of DevOps and infrastructure provisioning at the same time.
Using moBack’s new-generation platform, enterprises can obtain instant access to an intuitive, secure, and scalable backend platform to develop mobile apps, while maintaining full control throughout the process, CEO Dev Gandhi told eWEEK.
The announcement marks the launch of a multi-phase roll out of the cloud-based platform, which allows large enterprises and startups to enable their existing infrastructure to scale out with mobile and Web apps.
“We’ve had a mobile development studio doing application management development for many years, doing large projects for customers like Verizon Wireless, Zynga, Samsung, Salesforce — even Google — and 120 other startups,” Gandhi said.
“What we saw in doing app development for 130 to 140 customers on 200 projects, with a team of 60 people here in Sunnyvale, is that with the apps, 70 percent or more of the backend code was the same. So we decided to take the common denominators to optimize the app development process, put a framework around it, and make it available via SDK (software development kit).”
Enables Reuse of Current Apps
A useful feature for IT managers is that the moBack MBaaS platform enables reuse of current apps. Developers can integrate their current apps with backend functions that manage users, data, files and authentication via REST APIs. The feature-rich native iOS, Android and JavaScript SDKs allow easy integration of social media features, push notifications and location-mapping into the apps.
Other features in the new moBack service offering include:
—Cloud interoperability: Enterprises have the flexibility to either use moBack’s public cloud infrastructure or deploy their own hybrid or private cloud systems.
—Scalable infrastructure services: Flexibility to scale up or reduce application infrastructure needs, while centralizing services delivery on a highly secure platform.
—Enterprise security: includes the highest standards of data encryption for both data in motion and data at rest, privacy controls, ACL based privilege controls, and fine-grained logging including security audits.
—App-lifecycle management: Promotes agile app development with dedicated development and production environments for rapid prototyping and seamless feature upgrades.
moBack commissioned a survey recently of about 200 IT decision-makers and asked them about mobile app development issues. More than 80 percent of the respondents, including large and small businesses, said they consider mobile app development very important and essential for their business, with 65 percent currently using cloud-based platforms such as Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS) or MBaaS to develop mobile apps.
Some of the main challenges they face include sourcing the right technical skills, speed of delivery and flexibility for rapid app development. Survey data also found that budgetary concerns are the key trigger in the decisions made around mobile development initiatives in the enterprise.
Of those surveyed, 40 percent said they plan to develop approximately 10 applications over the next three years, and nearly one quarter are planning to develop between 26 to 50 mobile applications over this same time period.
Gandhi previously founded mobile advertising startup Nexage. He served as CEO there for more than four years, then founded Pinterest marketing startup Dobango before starting moBack.