2. Enterprise Mobile Development: What kind?
App architecture balances cost, capability and usability:
− Prefer mobile web (HTML5)
− Native when necessary
− Avoiding hybrid and MEAPs for now
Most apps access enterprise data
Focus is on apps for employees, but branching out into apps
for consumers
Innovation: creatively leverage the Mobile Context
− Always on and always on person
− Multiple radios & wireless networks (e.g. Wi-Fi, 3G/4G, Bluetooth, NFC)
− Location & positioning (i.e. GPS)
− Rich input & output (audio, voice, images, video, motion)
− Multiple modes of communication: Voice, Push, SMS, Email, IM, …
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3. Selling to the Enterprise: Why?
Target a problem, build a solution
− In Detroit, everyone has an idea how the auto companies can work better
− Looking for not only enterprise-connected apps, but best-in-class utility and
general productivity apps too
− Cheaper ways of accomplishing functionality offered by BigSoftware Co.’s
− More secure versions of cool things offered to the general public
Not the App Store Lottery, but you can charge > $0.99
− Avoid artificial pricing for “Enterprise Edition”
• Charge for the complexity and extra features
− Upgrades and Tech Support can be extra, but must be offered
• Understand what this means to a global company (e.g. time zones)
− May place your app in our internal app store rather than buy directly
• No contracts, no support required; offer an employee discount
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4. Selling to the Enterprise: Basic Requirements
Design for security
− Assume encryption is required in-transit and at-rest
− Mix of public and private networks, personal and company devices
Support more than one platform
− If mobile web, offer premise and cloud options
− Blackberry, iOS and Android
Support authenticating proxy servers and SSL reverse proxies
− Don’t assume direct connectivity (i.e. VPN)
Support some kind of enterprise authentication
− AD, OSSO, SAML 2.0
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5. Selling to the Enterprise: Basic Requirements
Internationalize
− Language, currency, time and date format, address and phone
number formats
− English (US/UK), German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese,
Korean
Appropriate licensing
− Avoid cute language or pet restrictions in license agreement
− Enterprise still finds open source scary, but willing to try
Let us help you beta test – we’re good at breaking software
Be willing to modify your product
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6. Selling to the Enterprise: How to Engage
Make contacts where enterprise people go
− LinkedIn, conferences, trade shows, user groups
Make announcements where enterprise people read
− CIO Magazine, InformationWeek, ComputerWorld, Network
Computing
Contact research services
− Gartner, Burton, Forrester, IDC
Work for us
− Make contacts and see what it’s like on the inside with a contract gig
− Now hiring mobile developers (see careers.gm.com)
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7. Questions?
Matt Hovey
matt.hovey@gm.com
@matthovey
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