Cloud applications can be counted among the most important developments in modern business. The cloud gives businesses access to resources far beyond what they can manage or obtain on their own, making it possible for a business of any size to scale exponentially.
This also means that companies who rely on apps must find a way to adapt and develop their own app resources to stay competitive. Here is what you need to know about modern cloud application development to keep your business ahead of the competition.
How is the Cloud Used In Business
The cloud is the common name for a series of remote resources used to store data and run programs. Essentially, a company that offers a cloud service houses the computer systems and lets other companies have access to those resources.
For many businesses, this is the defining reason why cloud computing is so important. It gives those companies access to resources without the high overhead costs of developing and maintaining them.
In business, companies use cloud resources for data storage and software access. Because they are remote, cloud systems can be accessed from almost anywhere. This lets employees work from anywhere and also lets companies access services hosted by other businesses.
In fact, it is not uncommon to see companies building their IT infrastructure and operations around services offered by third-party app developers hosting their apps in the cloud.
The Cloud and Big Data
The biggest reason why companies gravitate toward cloud systems is because they are more reliant on data than ever. Big data, the trend of companies collecting massive amounts of data for business use, is only possible because companies have access to cloud-based storage systems.
Systems like Dropbox and Google Drive are perfect examples of this. Companies can use these systems to not only store all of their important data, but also to access third-party systems to analyze and use that data to support business grow plans.
This often leads to companies finding ways of putting more and more data to use, which requires help from third-party applications. Even managing such large amounts of data means that a company should build its own cloud-based app. Doing so allows the company to control things like security, data analysis processes, and other crucial business practices.
The Cloud App Development Process
Cloud apps are such a staple in modern businesses that there is a defined process for building them. Whether the work is done in-house or with a third-party team, the process remains the same. Here is how your company should go about building an app.
Define What Your App Does
At the very beginning of the process, before anything else is created, bring your team together to define what your app does. Make a list of the things that you want your app to do, and order that list by what features are most important.
Here is an example of a prioritized list of features for a bank’s app:
- Provide customers access to their account information and banking services
- Create secure connections so customers can bank remotely with confidence
- Collect user data needed for KPI management and resource planning
- Onboard new customers by letting them create bank accounts through the app
All of these features are what you might expect from a bank app, but the important thing is the order in which they are prioritized. If the list of features becomes so long that it is not feasible, then focus on only the top priorities. This makes management decisions much easier later.
Plan Integrations with Third-Party Cloud Resources
When planning your app, consider any integrations with third-party resources. SaaS resources are an effective way to add new functionality to your app, especially if your company already relies on those systems.
Salesforce is a good example of this since it is a common system that companies need third-party access to in their apps. Having Salesforce feed information to a different system prevents the need to move everything off of the Salesforce platform and essentially start over.
Design the User Experience, Then the user Interface
Next, define what it should be like to use the app in general terms. Create workflows for each process that users can follow in the app, including how you can make it easy for customers to do specific things.
When you know what the experience should be like, you can start to develop a user interface for that experience. The interface should be simple and intuitive so that customers will want to use it.
Build Using Modern Frameworks
Finally, choose modern cloud app frameworks to build with. There are plenty of technologies to work with. However, there are several major cloud resource providers to consider, including Amazon AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. Working with these established systems gives you major advantages, and you should decide which option to build your app around.
Get Help Building Your App
Most companies don’t work alone to build their apps. That’s because it can be difficult to keep up with the changes in technologies, as well as all of the issues that need to be solved for a positive experience. Find a partner that can help you build the app that you need. At KitelyTech, we work with companies to vastly improve their chances of staying ahead in markets by building new technologies. Call us at (800) 274-2908 to discuss your app development project.
