Questions CIOs Ask About Rapid Mobile App Development

Rapid Mobile App Development (RMAD) tools let “citizen developers” outside of IT’s control write powerful mobile apps. Because of RMAD, Gartner says that by 2018 more than half of all B2E mobile apps won’t be built by IT. Rather, they’ll be created by enterprise business analysts and citizen developers using rapid mobile app development tools.

This scares plenty of CIOs. Will apps written by citizen developers using rapid mobile app development tools be secure? Why bother with citizen developers, when CIOs already have highly trained developers on staff? George Mashini, in his blog “The key questions CIOs will have about rapid mobile app development – and the answers,” lays out answers that can soothe the fears of CIOs and guide them in choosing the right rapid mobile app development tools. Following is a brief rundown of questions CIOs ask about rapid mobile app development and the related answers.

How Can CIOs Know Data Will Be Protected?

CIOs are concerned, above all, with security, and particularly data security. And they worry what will happen when citizen developers with little knowledge about security write apps using rapid mobile app development tools. So Mashini recommends, “As with any tool created to access enterprise data, an RMAD platform should use a closed security approach. A closed security approach ensures that only bits and pieces relevant to that person’s job will be accessible in the app’s user experience.”

Why Use RMAD Tools When There Are Plenty of Developers on Staff?

Many CIOs have sizable development staffs, and they worry that they can face cutbacks if non-IT staff beings writing mobile apps. But Mashini says that’s nothing to worry about — and that RMAD tools can help staff, not hurt them. He writes: “RMAD platforms should be able to enable quicker creation of apps, but also have the flexibility and open architecture to integrate with standards-based approaches. It is unlikely that RMAD will cannibalise all development in an enterprise. Rather, it should be viewed as a supplemental tool to help tackle the app backlog, increasing the pool of available talent that can create apps.”

How Does RMAD Help CIOs Prepare for Future Technologies and Types of Devices?

In a fast-changing mobile world, CIOs want to make sure that they’re prepared for the future. How can they make sure that RMAD tools help? Mashini says that they should make sure their enterprise choose the right RMAD tool, one whose code can be easily managed and that works with a wide variety of devices and platforms.