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APIS & MBAAS: HOW TO EXTEND YOUR ARCHITECTURE FOR A MOBILE WORLD
12
The challenges of mobile connection have brought a rush of new
(or repurposed) solution capabilities to fill the gap: MEAPs, API
Management, MBaaS, new kinds of web services… But how do these
things stack up against one another?
There are essentially four approaches to mobilizing data:
Client-to-source (direct): Connecting the app via a web services layer
Mobile Enterprise Application Platforms (MEAPs): on-premises
solution for enterprise data access
API management (mobile APIs specifically): API cataloging and
administration services
Mobile Backend-as-a-Service (MBaaS): mobile-specific data
exposure and services. We make a distinction here between
"traditional" MBaaS—which focus primarily on solving B2C use
cases and connecting to public systems—and enterprise MBaaS,
which include the capabilities of traditional MBaaS alongside
enterprise connection and the security hardening (e.g. private
deployment options) required by most companies.
The following table summarizes the pros and cons of each.
APPENDIX
Comparing the
Approaches for
Mobilizing Data
CLIENT-TO-SOURCE
(via Web Services)
N/A Mobile web apps
Content-driven apps (e.g.
newspaper, magazines,
music)
APPROACH SAMPLE VENDORS GOOD FOR NOT SO GOOD FOR
Apps requiring data
beyond what is exposed
on the web site
Offline data access
Apps that collect data from
the mobile device/user
Response time and
performance
MEAPS
Antenna (now
Pegasystems)
Verivio
IBM
Kony
Connecting to enterprise
data sources behind the
firewall
Secure data source
exposure in a consistent,
managed way
Alignment with existing
enterprise technology's
(integrated MAM, web or
desktop app integration,
etc.)
Connecting to data
sources that are either
public or outside the
enterprise firewall
Rapid availability of new
device or cloud capabilities
Volume use, scalability
