Resources Worklight as a Mobile Consumer Application Platform
A Mobile Consumer Application Platform, or MCAP, provides a set of tools and mechanisms that allow companies to create, run and manage multiple mobile applications from a single solution stack. The MCAP consists of a development environment, an integration layer and a management component that together support the secure channeling of relevant data and back-end services to the hands of consumers on a variety of mobile environments.
In a recent study of the mobile maturity of companies, IDC estimates that in 2011 approximately 55% of organizations will shift their mobile strategy from initial exploration to an accelerated mode.  As part of this transition, companies are expected to develop more mobile apps that are supported by a growing number of operating systems, leverage technologies that consist of reusable native components and, most importantly, design applications that engage the users and address their expectations.
 
The Worklight Mobile Platform has been uniquely designed to address these strategic needs of the organization. As opposed to pre-packaged apps and other solutions that utilize proprietary client components that significantly limit the functionality of the app, Worklight’s open approach allows developers to choose between four development methodologies, namely HTML5, hybrid-web, hybrid-mixed and native.
The ability to implement mobile apps using one or all of these approaches, allows developers to create rich mobile apps designed specifically for the innovative needs of the organization; leverage multiple distribution channels such as public and private enterprise app stores; and manage the growing portfolio of deployed apps and integration adapters in a secure and centralized manner.
Applications built using the Worklight Platform deliver a rich user experience based on the native look and feel of individual devices and support multiple interaction scenarios such authenticated offline access and a unified push notification architecture. The platform provides an administrative console that allows the organization to monitor and control applications deployed in the wild and disable them remotely based on pre-set version and device ID rules.
When choosing a strategic mobile solution, companies must consider the evolving trends in the mobile market such as device fragmentation, growing adoption and capabilities of HTML5 (learn more about Worklight’s support of HTML5) and new application use cases driven by complementing technologies such as NFC, Geo-location services, AR and others. Worklight’s 3rd-party library integration capacity, standards-based approach and multiplatform architecture take the uncertainty out of the game as companies are able to secure their investment and purchase a mobile consumer application platform that is quick to support the new trends in the market.
Learn more about Worklight as a Mobile Enterprise Application Platform.