Meaning of mobile backend as a service, its features, how vendors differentiate and a comparison with MEAP and MADP products in the market. This presentation is meant to clearly explain what mBaaS is all about

1. Quick guide to mobile Backend
as a Service (mBaaS)
Vishal Jain
www.EnterpriseAppsReview.com

2. mBaaS features
•
User Management
•
Data Management
•
File Storage, cloud storage
•
Push Notifications
•
Geolocation
•
Analytics/Payments/Advertising
•
Out-of-box server provisioning for
Erlang, JavaScript, Perl, PHP, Python, Ruby and Scala, in addition
to Java
•
Multiplatform code
•
Custom server extensions

3. How the code compares – e.g. user management
Android
iOS
JavaScript
var username = "user123456";
var password = "123ABC";
String username = "user_123456";
NSString *username = @"user123456";
String password = "123ABC";
NSString *password = @"123ABC";
KiiUser user =
KiiUser.createWithUsername(userna
me);
KiiUser *user = [KiiUser
userWithUsername:username
try{
user.register(password);
andPassword:password];
// Create the KiiUser object
var user =
KiiUser.userWithUsername(username, passwo
rd);
// Register the user, defining callbacks for
when the process completes
user.register({
} catch (IOException e) {
// Sign-up failed for some reasons
// Please check IOExecption to see
what went wrong...
} catch (AppException e) {
// Sign-up failed for some reasons
// Please check AppException to
see what went wrong...
}
// Called on successful registration
KiiError *error = nil;
success: function(theUser) {
[user
performRegistrationSynchronous:&error
];
// Print some info to the log
console.log("User registered!");
console.log(theUser);
},
if (error != nil) {
// Called on a failed registration
// Sign-up failed for some reasons.
failure: function(theUser, errorString) {
// Please check error to see what went
wrong...
}
// Print some info to the log
console.log("Error registering: " +
errorString);
}
});

4. Evolution of mBaaS
Business
Enterprise Backends
Record Management
Data Stores
Data Warehouse
PaaS
Data Integration
Out-of-Box
libraries
Identity
Management
Analytics
Out-of-box server code
Consumer
Custom Business
Logic
3rd party integration
Data
Store
2010
2011
2012-2013

5. So who are we talking about
Disruptors
Converts
Adopters
Clones

6. mBaaS Positioning
API Enablement and
Management
Mobile Backend as a
Service
Mobile Enterprise
Application Platforms
Or
Mobile App
Development Platforms
Mobile App
Management

7. Distinguishing against MEAP/MCAP/MADP
Features
mBaaS
MEAP/MCAP/MADP
Middleware
capability
It is now that mBaaS vendors are increasingly providing
middleware server capabilities, similar to MEAP. In its early
days mBaaS was primarily meant for providing a standalone
server with out-of-box code for push notifications, object
handling and services like payments, advertising and
access.
MADP has and always been a middleware app
server meant to expose backend data and
also integrate third-party services
Client-side tools
Not generally provided although a few do provide
They come integrated with client side
development tools, often with support for
multi-platform development
Polyglot
programming
supports any kind of backend stack i.e. anything from Java,
to PHP to Ruby on Rails.
These platforms are generally agnostic but so
far I have seen platform that have been either
built on .NET or Java
Deployment
mBaas is usually built around cloud deployments
Available in various flavours – on-prem,
virtual appliance and cloud
Enterprise
integration
Integration is offered standalone and often competes with
an API enablement and management platform
MEAP/MCAP/MADP has long been offering
out-of-box integration but they are very
focussed around specific application backend
and integration methods.
Pricing
Vendors use a combination of criteria that includes - per
app, per transaction, per storage, per users and per service
enabled
Platforms licenced on annual or perpetual
basis however, they are increasingly changing
to a transaction-based pricing.

8. Thank You
For any questions write to me at
Vishal.jain@enterpriseappsreview.com