Enterprise App Development in a BYOD World

BYOD or Bring Your Own Device is a growing trend among both large enterprises and SMEs, which means they turn a blind eye or even encourage workers to use their own devices for work. But what does BYOD mean for the development and testing of enterprise apps? And how can you maintain security without harming usability?

Since we now live in a security first world, app security is paramount. As such, data protection is a key focus for individuals and organizations alike. With 60% of employees sharing their device with family and friends on a regular basis, it is easier than ever for accidental data breaches to happen. Furthermore, as personal devices are not always connected to a secure VPN, malicious hackers can often find BYOD devices soft targets which are easy to attack. All of which means apps developed for the enterprise need to be secure from both the frontend to the backend to ensure complete data security.

Security measures that are not developed and tested effectively can clearly have an adverse effect on a business and its workers. Apps that are slow, unresponsive or prone to crashes and glitches will be avoided by users who switch to other, sometimes unsecured systems. This not only raises questions regarding security, but also can lead to workers being less productive, the complete reverse of what a business app aims to do.

So how can you secure your app for a BYOD world without harming the user experience? Well, alongside enterprise mobile app development has to come mobile app testing. Continuous testing throughout the development process helps prevent user experience problems and ensures that the backend is just as secure as the front.

In addition, we are also at the dawn of a new device category. Wearables may be in their infancy, but as history has shown before, the rate of development for a new product category is swift.   How enterprise apps and BYOD will fit in with this has yet to be determined. However, app development will still need to bear this in mind, and be flexible to update solutions as and when needed.

No longer are devices specific to business or personal life, and no longer can app developers assume that they are.   BYOD is already causing a dramatic change to how apps are developed. If you are looking at developing a new enterprise app, then you need to be working with people who truly understand this.

Find out more about how Apexon can help with enterprise mobile app development and mobile application testing, contact us here.