The numbers are more than impressive: 4.8 billion mobile handsets currently in use — and 19% of those are smartphones, up 2% from just last year.
Then there’s the Internet, which now claims some 2.2 billion users , 1.3 billion of whom access it via some sort of personal computer (desktop, laptop, ultrabook, netbook, tablet).
Hackers have many ways to exploit even the smallest vulnerabilities in your application environment and too often you’re compromised even before you grasp that there’s a problem.
Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be this way. The solution is an application security scan conducted by a services provider adept at dealing with issues related to application development, support — and, of course, security.
With all the security your IT operations (should) have, you’d think this question would be moot — but it isn’t. The applications your business and your employees rely on could be time-bombs poised to destroy your ability to function.
That’s because the vast majority of applications used in business today are connected to the Internet, often in a variety of ways.
Besides application security testing — which I’ll be taking a closer look at next time — I want to focus now on three capabilities that can make all the difference when it comes to getting the most from an application support services provider:
Database performance and stability monitoring
Beta and test environment architecture, and
Documentation solutions
Given all the costs associated with custom application development , it’s too easy to overlook application support and maintenance expenses — but if you do, you’ll blow your ROI.
That’s why it makes sense to engage an application development services provider with app support capabilities that are both comprehensive and flexible. These capabilities — from database and application maintenance through the entire life-cycle of updates and enhancements — need to be customizable.
Upending a business model that you’ve lived by for years is very tough. It can be hard to believe that just a short distance from where you’re standing there’s a more stable, more lucrative approach to selling technology.
So I offer a list of reasons for shifting to a solutions model. This is only a part of the journey — but understanding these payoffs is a crucial and necessary first step.
