The mobile user experience demands that applications provide simpler, more efficient user interfaces. In addition, intermittent connectivity means that applications and business processes must be designed to support users that are not always connected. Explore how integration must adapt to support the new requirements imposed by mobility.

1. INTEGRATION
STRATEGIES
FOR SUCCESSFUL
MOBILE APPLICATIONS
Gordon Van Huizen
Chief Technology Officer, DSI

2. 2
1WHAT’S DIFFERENT
ABOUT MOBILE?

3. 3
ROLE AND ENVIRONMENT DRIVE REQUIREMENTS

4. 4
ROLE AND ENVIRONMENT DRIVE REQUIREMENTS
Feature Breadth and Depth

5. 5
ROLE AND ENVIRONMENT DRIVE REQUIREMENTS
Feature Breadth and Depth Interaction Model

6. 6
ROLE AND ENVIRONMENT DRIVE REQUIREMENTS
Feature Breadth and Depth Interaction Model
Connectivity Modes

7. 7
ROLE AND ENVIRONMENT DRIVE REQUIREMENTS
Feature Breadth and Depth Interaction Model
Connectivity ModesDevice Selection

8. COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES
‣ Variable Bandwidth
‣ Network Latency
‣ Intermittent Connectivity
‣ Extended Periods Off-line

9. 9
Sense, Interpret and Leverage Better Signals
INTERNET OF THINGS: SENSORS & M2M
‣ Optimized use of materials,
inventory and assets
‣ Better, more dynamic
planning and decision
making
‣ M2M and IoT integration
today is almost entirely
bespoke
‣ Standards are coming, but
slowly

10. 10
2WHAT ARE TODAY’S
BEST PRACTICES FOR
MOBILE INTEGRATION?

11. 11
LAYERS OF AN OMNI-CHANNEL ARCHITECTURE
Source: Gartner “Address the Limitations of a Mobile-First Application Strategy With a Multichannel
Architecture” (December 2013)
Devices
Smartphones, Tablets, Desktop PCs
Interaction Layer
Provide Channel-Optimized User Experiences
Composition Layer
Provide Channel-Independent Services
Back-End Services
Enterprise Systems, Third-Party Services

12. 12
Mobile Must Adapt and Evolve while Systems of Record Must
Remain Rock Solid
MOBILITY REQUIRES A BI-MODAL APPROACH
Source: Gartner “Achieving Digital Agility With Bimodal IT — Without Making a Mess” (March 2015)

13. 13
Also Improves Responsiveness of “Always-Connected” Apps
ADDRESSING OFF-LINE REQUIREMENTS
DATA SYNCHRONIZATION TRANSACTION QUEUING
Between mobile devices and
middleware tier or back end
Between mobile devices and
middleware tier
Required for full off-line mode
of mobile apps
Can be augmented with
transactional queuing to
update back-end systems
Supports functional
integration with back-end
systems
Can be more complicated to
implement

14. 14
A Range of Options – No One Size Fits All
INTEGRATION MECHANISMS
DATA ACCESS
FUNCTIONAL
CONNECTORS WEB SERVICES / APIs
• Simple and expedient
• Standardized interfaces and
approach
• Easiest to synchronize across
multiple tiers
• Weakest for validation and
ensuring integrity
• Typically highest
performance
• Not standardized
• Connector provider must
certify against new
releases
• Can support validation
and transaction queuing
• Typically simpler
• Standards-based
• Dominant model for Cloud
• Typically does not support
synchronization or queuing

15. 15
CONFLICTS CAN AND WILL OCCUR OFF-LINE
ANTICIPATE AND ADDRESS OFF-LINE
CONFLICTS
‣ Detect synchronization conflicts
‣ Unwind actions taken, as needed
‣ Inform all appropriate parties

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THE KEYS TO SUCCESS
‣ Plan from the beginning to support multiple devices, form
factors and interaction models
‣ Perform integration and create business logic in a channel-
independent layers
‣ Select the integration mechanism(s) to meet business and
mobile user requirements
‣ Address connectivity challenges, including conflicts than will
occur when users continue to work off-line
‣ Anticipate that M2M and IoT integraton will become
increasingly necessary, beneficial and viable

17. VISIT US AT dsiglobal.com
Gordon Van Huizen
Gordon.VanHuizen@dsiglobal.com