Friday 7 October 2016

Are Custom Enterprise Apps a Better Choice?

 With the surge in iPhone and Android app development over the recent years, enterprises have been rapidly increasing their IT budgets, with the aim to invest more in acquiring an effective mobility solution that suits their business needs.

So when a company decides to take its first step on the road to mobility, the first hurdle that it stumbles upon is deciding between custom mobile apps and off-the-shelf enterprise apps.

While the gap between the two mobile solutions may seem non-existent, the difference between them is undeniable and should not be neglected by enterprises.


 Off-the-shelf mobile apps are widely available in the market and are capable of performing the work of any customized enterprise app. But, designing and developing their own mobile apps may work out better for companies in the long run.

According to CDW’s Enterprise Mobile App Report, the enterprise mobile app market is expected to double its current size by 2018. 48% of the survey respondents reported increasing their mobile app budget from 2013 to 2014.

Let’s take a look at why companies should go for a custom mobile app and what are the key tradeoffs of choosing an off-the-shelf app.

Long Term Value of Initial Investment

The tradeoff, of developing and designing a custom mobile solution is that it costs more than an off-the-shelf app. However, if we look beyond the initial price tag of a custom enterprise app, it turns out to be far less expensive in the long term.

Higher Business Value

Tailored to a company’s business needs with the focus on transforming processes, custom mobile apps deliver higher business value than off-the-shelf ones that are designed for general enterprise needs.

According to a survey report by CDW, many businesses have seen tangible benefits of investing in custom mobile app development and observed substantial increases in efficiency and productivity.

Better Control and Competitive Edge

When you design a custom app, you have sole control over application updates and enhancements that are deployed. With an off-the-shelf enterprise app, businesses usually stick to a general set of features, adding extra functionality every now and then.

Keeping all your long-term objectives in mind, a custom enterprise app is built to accommodate future demands as well. It helps your organization work faster and better, giving you a competitive advantage over others.

Time and Cost Saving

With a custom mobile app for business, employees can work remotely without having to deal with the major risks associated with using third-party apps. Similarly, customers can also engage with your business, giving companies the unique ability to pioneer innovative, business delivery models.

Nearly all the respondents of CDW’s survey reported saving 7.5 hours per employee, per week, with a custom enterprise app solution for their day to day operations. 82% of respondents believed that their businesses generated additional revenue that measured up to 16% with 29% cost saving and 27% customer satisfaction.

Recent years have seen a significant surge in the world of iPhone and Android enterprise app development. A plethora of off-the-shelf applications are already available in the market to cater to general and specific needs of businesses.

What makes a custom mobile solution score over other apps is the value it brings to your business in the long term. While adopting it may appear a bit costly at first, the long-term benefits it yields are undeniable. Choose wisely!

Are you currently using an off-the-shelf enterprise app for your organization? Does it have any limitations? How have they affected your business operations?

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