Does iOS 10 enable businesses to fully embrace a mobile workforce? What follows are a few insights to help your organization decide whether Apple’s latest mobile OS makes sense in your office.

Apple’s Corporate Partners Help Enable Enterprise Mobility

Despite Android’s larger market share, Apple enjoys a more robust corporate partner community with its mobile operating system. iOS 10 led to an expansion of these partnerships. Enterprise customers are able to easily find many quality business apps for deployment to their employees’ iPhones and iPads.

Designed to match interested enterprises with software from business application providers, Apple’s Mobility Partner Program (MPP) lets organizations outfit their inventory of iOS devices with the necessary apps to run their business. This includes mobile software from companies like IBM, Docusign, MobileIron and more.

Ultimately, organizations are able to get their staff operational and productive as quickly as possible, without spending hours perusing the iOS App Store.

iOS 10 Facilitates Enterprise MDM

Apple also recently entered a partnership with Cisco that facilitates iOS MDM (Mobile Device Management) at businesses. Developers writing iOS-compatible business apps as well as network administrators responsible for device management benefit from a more efficient environment.

Even without using the Cisco management tool, network administrators are able to perform version updates on both Mac OS and iOS devices using one MDM application. iOS 10 also expands on iOS 9.3’s security features – including “supervisor” mode – helping  keep corporate data and applications safe across the entire mobile device inventory.

Other iOS 10 enhancements include improved device interconnectivity with the Universal Clipboard, allowing employees to easily share work on each other’s devices. Support for VPN IKEv2 EAP-only mode offers secure VPN access. This wide range of new security features and additional functionality make iOS 10 worthy of consideration for any organization looking to embrace enterprise mobility.

When your organization is searching for help with an application idea or possibly some co-sourced technology talent, look no further than the professionals at SDE. An experienced and innovative software development company, we can help your company’s project be a success. Connect with us as soon as possible.

As the preeminent smartphone operating system, the Android platform offers enterprises a chance to supercharge their operations by taking advantage of mobility. Let’s look more closely at how Google’s mobile OS can make a difference at your office.

Mobile Devices Already Being Used for Business

A 2014 study by IDG Enterprise Mobility revealed two-thirds of all smartphone users and nearly half of tablet users perform work-related tasks on their devices. It is easy to assume those numbers have risen over the past two years. The business world is definitely embracing mobile technology.

With companies increasingly adopting a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) strategy, combined with strong MDM (Mobile Device Management) and governance policies, employees feel empowered to use their own mobile devices at the office. In fact, the enterprise mobility market is expected to grow to over $266 billion by the end of the decade.

Android Use Growing at Enterprises

Despite Android’s relative dominance in the smartphone market, Apple’s iOS still garners more business use in this post-Blackberry era. Those numbers are beginning to change. Earlier Android versions suffered from security issues, but recent updates fixed many of those problems by leveraging data encryption and providing safer access to an organization’s IT services using Security Enabled Linux.

SE Linux enables sandboxing, which prevents nefarious malware from accessing important applications and data. This makes network administrators more comfortable about employees using their Android devices on the company network.

Best Android MDM Practices

Google recommends administrators responsible for the office MDM policy restrict users from downloading applications from sources other than the Google Play store. Ensure any devices in use at the office regularly receive Android security updates. Additionally, segregate all user and business data on each device so personal apps can’t access company data, and employees’ own photos and content remain private.

Most importantly, all corporate data needs to be encrypted across the network, along with each employee’s personal mobile device. Requiring a password or PIN when logging in to a smartphone or tablet provides another security layer. Following these insights helps your organization take advantage of Android at the enterprise.

If your organization needs co-sourcing help to bring an application idea to fruition, talk to the technology experts at SDE USA. Our talented staff is well versed in the latest software development methodologies, ensuring a successful project outcome. Speak with us at your earliest convenience to work with a leading software solutions company.

Here are a few valid reasons to forego staff augmentation as part of your business’s HR policy. Take these concerns into account before deciding on a plan of action for 2017.

Training the New Team Members

While technology professionals acquired on a temporary basis are typically quite skilled in software engineering, database design and more, they still need to come up to speed with how your company works. This requires training in your coding standards, the requirements of a current project, etc. – knowledge which is essentially wasted once they leave. Consider the extra time and resources spent on temp worker training.

Internal Analysis Is Also Required

Even before bringing these temporary employees on board, your current team needs to perform some due diligence and analysis on what internal knowledge, processes and procedures to transfer to the new talent. Is there anything that requires a non-disclosure agreement? What about proprietary knowledge and/or security concerns?

These are questions to be answered before going the staff augmentation route.

Additional Managerial Overhead Is Necessary

Whatever means you use to bring in new IT talent – staff augmentation or permanent hires – additional managerial staff is also needed. This adds overhead and expenses to your company’s financial statement. Make sure this is part of your analysis before finalizing your staffing plan.

There Are No Guarantees When It Comes to Staff Augmentation Talent

Even when considering the lower overall expenses incurred when using staff augmentation workers compared to permanent staff, remember there are no guarantees of a successful project outcome. You are able to mitigate this risk somewhat by choosing a staff augmentation or co-sourcing company with a sterling track record. Still, it is sometimes easier to trust your permanent employees.

Hopefully, analyzing these potential downsides to staff augmentation – along with the numerous positives – helps your organization make a well-considered decision.

Whenever you need some help bringing a great application idea to life, consider the IT co-sourcing experts at SDE. Well versed in state-of-the-art technologies and methodologies, we can help ensure your company’s success. Schedule some time with us at your earliest convenience.

Let’s take a look at some of the positive aspects derived from co-sourcing a software development project. They are sure to provide a few insights to help make a final decision.

Lets You Focus on Your Core Business

Co-sourcing a software development project allows you to focus on running the company’s business. That benefit is also one of the major reasons Cloud-based services are popular today at many organizations. It is a point carrying even more weight if your organization isn’t in the technology industry.

Letting the development experts handle complex software engineering projects is generally a smart strategy.

Software Development Firms Provide Expertise and Innovation

The best software development organizations boast significant technical expertise; able to provide the innovative solutions that stand out in the modern business landscape. It really doesn’t matter if your application is designed for mobile devices, desktop computers, the web, or all three. Leading development firms also leverage the latest methodologies, tools, and techniques allowing them to work quickly and efficiently.

Even working with your in-house development team, co-sourcing a project with a top co-sourcing firm helps you close a technology skills gap.  In short, it is important to choose a company boasting both tangible experience and close familiarity with the high-tech state of the art.

Cost Effective over the Long Haul

Sure, it is possible to build a software project for your company in-house. But is that truly cost effective over the long term? The expenses incurred in hiring software development talent and building the internal technical infrastructure to support the software engineering process are large, especially for smaller companies.

Co-sourcing provides a measure of cost certainty compared to the potential black hole of building your own in-house development team.

Successfully Managing Risk

Any software development project comes with its own measure of risk. In this scenario, isn’t it better to rely on an experienced co-sourcing team used to the development process? Successfully managing risk involves the understanding of what tasks are better left to the experts.

The advantages to co-sourcing a software development project are numerous. Consider these points while formulating your company’s ultimate decision.

When searching for a talented and innovative software development company for your application, look no further than SDE. Our co-sourcing model ensures a transparent and cost-effective project aimed at the success of your organization. Connect with us at your earliest convenience.