Technology Today
There is a constant increase in the number of people who have adopted to the mobile world, and the numbers are only going to be more with time. I'll not be surprised, if in the near future we will have just the IT pros use a PC/Mac/Desktop, rest of the community will be on tablet, smartphones or smartphones that behave as tablets.
Technology has always been moving at tremendous speed, but was not open to public view. It was constrained by technical parameters that a few geeks alone can understand and interact. Turn back in time, and see the changes in the last 5 - 10 years.There has been in numerous technology changes, how much of impact did it have on common man, you 'd sigh and say not much. Now just look at the last couple of years, from the time APPLE came up with their iPhones', iPod's and iPad's the world seems to look things different. People have access to things they did not imagine they could, unless they manage to get their rotten desktops/laptops up in less than a min (no pun intended on windows startup time).
I'll be surprised if there is anyone who walks into (y)our office without one of the following - a multi-capable music system (iPod and its like's), a tablet, smartphone. With all these devices they have access to data. When you read this, you look at yourself and say, 'big deal' I have been using this for a couple of years, and hell yeah I have access to all the information I need from my finger tips (or should we say swipe). When an IT Administrator reads this line, interpretation is totally different. Senior management in an enterprise looks at it with annoyance, because employees can connect their device to WiFi networks and then the device is no longer an anonymous device. It behaves like the one authorized by organization for daily use. Employees can now take all confidential information (they are authorized to) and walk out of the office with no restriction. How will the organization monitor what been done with those data or the device. What if the device is stolen and falls in the hands of a perpetrator. What if the user installs an application that steals data from the tablet and ships it secretly with the user unaware. That's were EAS needs to be understood
For developers and IT Managers, next line of technology improvement will be in this area. MAM (Mobile Application Management) and EAS will the core for IT Admins. Domain is new and technology is fast, meaning solutions have to come fast, else it will be like the cops hunting for a thief to eternity.
What is EAS?
EAS(Enterprise Mobile Appstore) is an app store that enables enteprises to create, distribute and manage mobile versions of applications and a platform through which employees can access with different devices of their choice
Why do we need EAS?
I have explained this in the introduction, hence will make it brief. EAS is the best way to handle BYOD(Bring Your Own Device) in enterprise scenario. BYOD trend has gained some fuelage due to well known reasons, rise of small and easy to carry devices - smart phones, tablets, ultrabooks, watches (glasses too). The result is high accessibility that in turn results in higher productivity. If accessibility and producitity increases what's the problem, why not every enterprise just don't get started with it. Well, if you get high accessibility, then you open up security and maintenance issues too. How do we mix and match both for the best? Well that's what EAS is all about
When the reality strikes
Cisco found that 75 percent of IT managers in the United States say there needs to be new rules and policies for security and device use. However, many seem to be ignoring the issue: 48 percent of respondents said their companies would never authorize employees to bring their own devices, while 57 percent admitted that some employees use personal devices without consent. But a survey by Avanade found that about 60 percent of companies are adapting their IT infrastructures to deal with the BYOD trend
Where is the store
Appstore is hosted at a service provider location, and offers emplyees a portal to download companies mobile apps. Advantage over this store is enterprises can manage it by themselves, instead og going through the long-haul process to launch it in a public store.
What more
Multistore capabilities let employees browse application that they are entitles to (by location, job type etc). They can have amanagement tools to report on usage that allows enterprises to make the most used applications better and easier to view, in sort make it more available
First, to control; who have access to what apps with in the enterprise, and second entyerprise con control what apps go into the device. Even public apps that go into the device can be controlled. Having employees go through EAS does not mean they should host all the applications. They can essentially redirect to public app store
Building an EAS
There are 2 categories
1. Vendors that provide tools and softwares
2. Build your custom solution
Some vendors for reference
Appwatch, AppCebtral, Apperian, Citrix, Good Technology, Juniper, MobileIron, zenprice are just a few
