MBaaS – Mobile Backend as a Service

Presented by: Rinish KN, CTO, RapidValue

10th October 2015
MOBConf, Kochi

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Agenda

• What is Mobile Backend as a Service (MBaaS)?

• Major Building Blocks of MBaaS
• Evolution of MBaaS and Major Drivers
• Typical Use Case – How MBaaS accelerated Enterprise Mobile App Development
• Choosing the Right MBaaS Platform
• Approaches to MBaaS Pricing
• Synergy of MBaaS and PaaS
• Future of MBaaS and Key Partnerships
• Conclusion

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What is Mobile Backend as a
Service (MBaaS) ?

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Ever thought why Mobile Development time lines are lengthy and hardly met ?

Challenges for Developers

• Large effort spend on Back end Integration
App Design
& UX • Unable to focus on Application Development
& Design
• Stuck with existing development tools used
in company
Mob App • Lot of development tools for each
Development component, but not a single tool for all the
components
Backend App
Management
Integration Policy

Typical Components of Mobile Application Development

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Backend Requirements are turning Complex and Time Consuming

The Customer needs to locate each

“Field technicians” on map view and
start Video chat with them

Up to 80% of my efforts are

consumed in Backend
development

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 Leverage the power of MBaaS

“The backend requirements and functionalities are multitude”

User Enterprise
Management Integration

Push Offline
Notification Behavior

Outsource
MBaaS
MBaaS
Social
Analytics
Integration

GPS &
Local
Context
Caching
Aware

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To Summarize MBaaS – What, Why, When and How

• Provides Mobile App developers a way to connect their application to

What backend cloud storage and processing

• Abstract away complexities of launching and managing own

Why infrastructure
• Focus more on front end development instead of back end functions

• Multiple apps, Multiple back ends, Multiple developers

When • Multiple Mobile platforms, Multiple integrations, Multiple 3rd Party
systems & tools

• Meaningful resources for app development acceleration – 3rd party

How API, Device SDK’s, Enterprise Connectors, Social integration,
Cloud storage

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Major Building Blocks of MBaaS

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 Blueprint of MBaaS Components

Enterprise Connectors –
Image – Mobile specific SDK – Android,
Geo
Instagram, iOS, Windows
Oracle, SAP, MS Location
Flickr

Social – API – Custom, Query,

Caching
Custom Code and
& Offline Promotio
FB, REST-ful Objects
Working nal Tools
Twitter

User Communication Services - Chat, email, Push Notification, Cloud

Manageme
nt Messaging, Chat, Video Conferencing Storage

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Evolution and Driver’s of MBaaS

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MBaaS – Nascent to Potential Platform

2017
$ 7.7 b

2012 Huge leap in the

$216.5 m market expected
for MBaaS. This is
signaled by strong
acquisitions and
2011
Gained Quick VC investments in
Traction due to MBaaS platforms
MBaaS concept several driver’s
launched and necessitating
companies and MBaaS for
vendors started accelerating mobile
sprouting app development

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 What drives MBaaS?

Time and Enterprise

Skills Quality
Cost Scale

Shortage of High demand for Reduce mobile Demand for

Mobile Developer high quality app development enterprise scale
Skills to develop mobile time frames. mobile application
complex back end applications, Re-focus back with back end
integrations across device end integration integration
platforms efforts to Front
end development

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Business Benefit Drivers of MBaaS

Faster
Development
Cycle

More
Better App
Margins &
Performance
Profitability

BUSINESS
BENEFIT
DRIVERS

Enhanced
Customer Lower TCO
Satisfaction

Higher
Reliability &
Scalability

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 Use Case:
MBaaS driving Enterprise Mobile
Application Development

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Developing a “Field Service” Enterprise Scale Mobile Application

We want to develop a mobile application for our field service

technicians who goes on to repair & service our products at
customer premises.

These are the bare minimum requirements for a powerful field app

Enterprise Integration with Oracle Apps ERP

Technicians got both iPhone and Android Mobiles

We need support for Offline Usage and Sync

Push Notification is essential for alerting new tasks

Geo Location is important to see where the technicians are for

work scheduling

Chat and Video Conferencing are value added features that

Service Manager increase productivity

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To Custom Develop all Backend Integration will be Cumbersome

To include “Offline
behavior and Cache Not sure how I am going
How can I services” needs at least to complete “Chat and
implement an end to 500 lines of code in Geo Location” services
end user management Android in limited time
in limited time

Mobile Developer
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Achieve the Complex Backend Functions using MBaaS

Architecture for MBaaS integration

MBaaS - Middleware

Push Notification Geo Location

Oracle custom
connector
Chat Offline behavior

Video
Sync
Conference

Custom business logic

Authenticate

MBaaS sdk

Native Mobile App

Mobile
Application
ERP
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Here is What we Achieved

Leveraging Geo Location Services:

Viewing the technicians on Google Maps

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Here is What we Achieved (Contd…)

Chat and Messaging Services Implemented:

Send real time messages to technicians on mobile

Backend Mobile App

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Choosing the Right MBaaS Platform

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MBaaS can be Grouped into Multiple Types

MBaaS

Business Licensing and

Requirement Support

Enterprise Consumer Open Source Licensed

MBaaS MBaaS MBaaS MBaaS

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…. And so are Multitude of MBaaS Providers

Licensed MBaaS Open Source MBaaS

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There is no Single Vendor which Fits all Size

Choose an MBaaS by “Mix and Match” of your requirements

Common features to Consider Specialized features to consider

• User Management API’s • Support for device platforms –

• Push Notification Android, iOS, Windows etc.
• Social Network Integrations • Support for different authentication
• Geo Location Services mechanisms for enterprise and
consumer apps
• File management
• Mobile app performance data and
analytics
• Support Custom Business Logic
• Data Storage mechanisms like
Schema less storage or Relational
data support or special storage
mechanisms for geo spatial data ,
photo etc.
• Data Analysis capability on various
areas for evaluating user activities

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Approaches to MBaaS Pricing

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MBaaS Pricing: Flexible Options

Number of API Calls

Type and Size of Storage

Active User Pricing

Number of Applications Build

Premium fee for Analytics

Feature based Pricing – Push Notification, Chat, email, Sync, Offline etc.

Support and Maintenance Pricing

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Synergy between MBaaS and PaaS

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Ask these questions…. Don’t fall short of the extra mile

Is MBaaS the end ? Can we make MBaaS platform more robust?

“When it Comes to Enterprise Systems and data, it requires

a complete platform to address the complex challenges”

MBaaS PaaS

ENT ERPRISE DATA

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Why MBaaS falls Short when Addressing Enterprise App development

Limited set of
Transaction
Complex data connectors
Limited auth links management,
Business Logic and access to
Scheduling
legacy systems

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Understand the Synergy with a Great Partnership

Complex Business Logic

Code in Multiple Back end mobile services

Languages

Use Large Set of Built in App SDKs

GAE APIs

Application scalability and E x e c u t e MAM / MDM

performance

Enterprise Connectors

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Future of MBaaS and Key Trends

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Major Acquisitions and Hand Shakes

Mobile
SDK

MBaaS Usergrid

Azure
Extension

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Embedding MBaaS into the Digital Architecture

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ESB - Enterprise Service Bus

• MBaaS is to a great extend overlapping with another technology which is the Enterprise
Service Bus (ESB).
• ESB is used to integrate with multiple backend services.

The EBS Approach

MADP MADP
Develop and Package Mobile App Development layer Xamarin, Native, PhoneGap

MBaaS MBaaS
Offline sync, Analytics, Push Mobile Integration Layer AnyPresence, Kinvey etc.
notifications, Light weight mobile
services

ESB ESB
Multiple Adapters, Orchestration, Integration Layer IBM ESB, Mule ESB, Tibco etc.
Transformation, Business Services

Source Services
Database, Web Services,
Legacy, Queuing Systems

Mobile Platforms
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Exploring Mobile App Backend Cloud Options

Cloud

MBaaS

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 About RapidValue
RapidValue is a leading provider of end-to-end mobility, omni-channel and cloud solutions to enterprises
worldwide. Armed with a large team of experts in consulting, UX design, and application development,
along with experience delivering global projects, we offer a range of services across industry verticals.
RapidValue delivers its services to the world’s top brands and Fortune 1000 companies, and has offices in
the United States and India.

www.rapidvaluesolutions.com www.rapidvaluesolutions.com/blog

+1 877.643.1850 [email protected]

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