There are two commonly used approaches for building integrated mobility solutions: Point-to-point integration and Mobile Enterprise Application Platform (MEAP). This paper explains why an enterprise mobility integration solution is needed, describes and compares the two approaches, and provides a guide for how to choose the right mobility integration technique for your organization. The paper also examines various MEAP platforms available and the key differences between popular platforms - Kony and SAP Unwired Platform. From a mobile application development standpoint, there is another widely used approach: cross-platform development frameworks. These frameworks allow developers to build once and deploy across multiple device platforms. However, these frameworks lack integration and mobile device management capabilities, and therefore we have excluded them from consideration for the purposes of this whitepaper. To learn more about cross-platform development, download our whitepaper: “How to Choose the Right Architecture for your Mobile Application” - http://www.rapidvaluesolutions.com/whitepaper/

1. POINT-TO-POINT vs. MEAP
THE RIGHT APPROACH FOR AN INTEGRATED
MOBILITY SOLUTION
A RapidValue Solutions Whitepaper

2. ©RapidValue Solutions
020202
Executive Summary
There are two commonly used approaches for building
integrated mobility solutions: Point-to-point integration
and Mobile Enterprise Application Platform (MEAP).
This paper explains why an enterprise mobility
integration solution is needed, describes and compares
the two approaches, and provides a guide for how to
choose the right mobility integration technique for your
organization. The paper also examines various MEAP
platforms available and the key differences between
popular platforms.
From a mobile application development standpoint,
there is another widely used approach: cross-platform
development frameworks. These frameworks allow
developers to build once and deploy across multiple
device platforms. However, these frameworks lack
integration and mobile device management capabilities,
and therefore we have excluded them from
consideration for the purposes of this whitepaper. To
learn more about cross-platform development,
download our whitepaper: “How to Choose the Right
Architecture for your Mobile Application” -
http://www.rapidvaluesolutions.com/whitepaper/
Enterprise mobility has
transformed the way
businesses engage with
customers, partners and staff
while exchanging critical
information. Innovative
applications are only part of
an overall mobility solution –
integrating them with existing
systems in a scalable manner
is equally important and can
be even more challenging.

3. 0202020203020203
Enterprise Mobility Solutions
Gone are the days when employees would sit in front of their desktop computers all day to do their
work and communicate with coworkers and clients. More and more companies are adapting enterprise
mobility solutions to make it easier for their employees to work out of the office using mobile devices
and cloud services to perform business tasks.
Point-to-Point: An application deployment technique which allows mobile users
within the organization to perform a business operation and engage with co-workers
and customers. It is mainly designed for smaller organizations.
The two most popular enterprise mobility deployment techniques are:
01
Mobile Enterprise Application Platform (MEAP): An application middleware
designed specifically for mobile enterprise application users. It allows controlled access
to all mobile applications hosted on a particular platform. Employees and enterprise
customers can access and exchange data from any mobile device to perform a number
of business operations.
02
Definition of MEAP
There is a general tendency to combine MEAP/middleware tools with cross-platform mobile
development tools. We would define MEAP as a platform that includes:
– Comprehensive integration capabilities – Connectivity to corporate systems such as ERP, CRM,
etc.
– Mobile application development – Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for building mobile
applications
– Mobile Device Management (MDM) capabilities – Support for device provisioning, secure
transmission of data, remote configuration, mobile asset tracking, policy identification and
adaptation, etc.
– Mobile Application Management (MAM) capabilities – Support for provisioning and access control
to mobile applications used in business settings (configuration settings, user authentication, push
notification services, application usage analytics, etc.)
©RapidValue Solutions

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As the name implies, cross-platform development frameworks provide the ability to develop once and
deploy across multiple platforms, but mainly on the client/device side with minimal support for
integration. Since this paper is about integrated mobility solutions, we focus on the MEAP approach,
with the view that cross-platform frameworks are outside the scope of the discussion.
MEAP
Examples
Cross- Platform Development
Frameworks Examples
Point-to-Point Solutions vs. MEAP
Point-to-Point Approach
NATIVE APPS AS
REQUIRED AND
BASED ON LOCATION
MULTIPLE
MIDDLEWARE
FOR EACH
APPLICATION
DATA WAREHOUSE
POINT-TO-POINT DEPLOYMENT ARCHITECTURE
Typically, a Point-to-Point (P2P)
integration solution is used to develop
an independent native application for
each business requirement, using
individual resources/middleware to
handle the data and control layer of the
application. This solution is useful when
data segregation is possible and
independent security for the application
is required.
©RapidValue Solutions

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P2P Solution User experience is rich (typically
based on native application
development).
Less expensive to build compared to
MEAP if the features required are
straightforward.
Performance is higher compared to
MEAP since there are fewer
applications to handle.
Requires additional integration with identity
management.
Requires third-party connectors to integrate
with external systems.
Need to build each application based on the
specific business requirement, with limited
reusability.
Any changes required in the application need
developer involvement.
ProsApproach Cons
MEAP Approach
MOBILE ENTERPRISE
APPLICATION
PLATFORM (MEAP)
Gartner Group has developed a concept called the Rule of Three for determining when to use a Mobile
Enterprise Application Platform (MEAP). According to the rule, you should use the MEAP approach for
enterprise mobility if the business requirements include (i) Three or more mobile applications, (ii)
Three or more mobile OS (Operating Systems) and (iii) Integration with at least three back-end data
sources.
IPAD
DESKTOP
IPHONE
BLACKBERRY
MEAP DEPLOYMENT ARCHITECTURE
©RapidValue Solutions

6. 0202020203020206
MEAP ARCHITECTURE BLOCK DIAGRAM
MOBILE DEVICE
MANAGEMENT
INTEGRATED
DEVELOPMENT
ENVIRONMENT
AUTH
EAI ADAPTERS |
SERVICE BUS
WEB SERVICES
DATABASE
CONNECTIONS
HTTP(S)
VPN
HTTP(S)
VPN
)ESIMERP-NORODUOLC(REVRESECIVED
POLICY
ENFORCEMENT
SOFTWARE
DISTRIBUTION
CLIENT AGENT
SERVER
APPLICATION
LOGIC
CLIENT
APPLICATION
UI+ LOGIC
EAI TOOLS +
LOGIC
DIRECTORY
SERVICES
WEB
APPLICATION
SERVER
MULTICHANNEL
ACCESS
GATEWAY
OFFLINE NATIVE
STORAGE
CLIENT
APPLICATION
RUNTIME
HTML5
BROWSER
OFFLINE
BROWSER
STORAGE
RELATIONAL
NoSQL
DATABASE
ENTERPRISE
PACKAGES
DATA SOURCES
MEAP Highly scalable architecture.
Pre-integrated to identity
management system.
Supports multiple platforms – native
(iOS, Android, Windows Mobile,
BlackBerry), web (XHTML browsers)
and hybrid applications.
Can leverage device features
seamlessly.
Plug-in or connectors are available to
communicate with systems such as
SAP, Oracle, CRMs, etc.
Web service layer runs on DMZ to
secure the entire infrastructure.
The solution can be deployed on
premises or in a cloud.
User interface and usability are
sub-optimal.
Initial implementation time is higher.
Initial investment is high – requires upfront
payment for the solution, maintenance fee
and user based fee.
Dedicated administrator is required to
maintain the MEAP server.
ProsApproach Cons
©RapidValue Solutions
Source: robtiffany.com

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Comparing Point-to-Point and MEAP
The following table summarizes the key differences between Point-to-Point solutions and MEAP.
User Interface
Cross-device
platform support
One solution across a wide range of mobile
devices
Point-to-Point SolutionParameters Mobile Middleware/MEAP
Not as great as point-to-pointTypically a native application – rich user
experience
Unique solution for every mobile device/
mobile OS
Device
Management
Each device update needs to be man-
aged individually
– Each application update needs to be
managed separately
– Multiple proprietary tool sets are
required for managing & monitoring
applications, security and devices
– New applications can be placed in a
pre-defined shared location in the
middleware
– Centralized management of data
– Single tool for managing all devices,
applications and security
– Builds are specific to each type of
device
– Remote locking of mobile devices and
remote wiping of data are supported
– Data resides in a centralized server
– Controlled at one location with single
console
– Flexibility in expanding mobility
– Seamless user experience with
increase in number of users and/or
mobile applications on the platform
Flexibility &
Change
Management
Remote
Installation and
Updates
Connectivity
Security
Scalability &
Redundancy
Implementation
Cost
Multiple integrations required to connect
all backend systems
Initial investment is low
Each point-to-point solution has its own
security controls
Decreases as number of hosted mobile
applications increases
High, with optimized services between
client and server networks
Requires additional hardware and software
to support additional users and/or mobile
applications
Not part of the solution but possible to
distribute them over the air individually
Allows OTA provisioning to many devices
and mobile operating systems
simultaneously
Pre-integrated with all kinds of backend
databases and other applications
Initial investment is high
Performance
©RapidValue Solutions

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Summary Comparison Between Two Key MEAPs
The table below summarizes the differences between two popular MEAPs: Kony and SAP Unwired. We
have selected only these two MEAPs for comparison to illustrate key parameters you should evaluate
before deciding on the right MEAP for your enterprise.
Kony
NATIVE APPLICATION CAPABILITIES
PLATFORMS SUPPORTED
Parameters SAP Unwired
Yes
Yes
Yes
Single code base for all native
UI components
Access to all native capabilities
Native code generation
Native UI components have to be
developed specific to each platform using
native languages
Supported with code written in native
Not at present
Rich UXUser experience Browser-dependent. Code must be
written specifically for each native
platform
iPhone, Android, BlackBerry
(4.2.1 and above), Win-
dows Phone (5.0 up to
Windows 8), Symbian,
Palm, J2ME
Windows 7
Device platforms
Desktop clients/kiosks
Windows Mobile 6.0, 6.1, 6.5 (Standard
and Professional), Windows XP, Vista and
7 (32 bit and 64 bit), BlackBerry 5.0 and
6.0, iOS 4.2 and 4.3
Windows XP, Vista and 7
Eight dedicated websites for
15+ browsers, five form
factors, from WML to
HTML5
Device-optimized mobile web Not at present
Overall Cost Customizations are expensive. IT cost
increases with increase in team size
(mobile enterprise app users)
– Lower administrative, maintenance
and support costs
– Cost-effective if many mobile
enterprise applications are to be
supported supported
©RapidValue Solutions

9. 0202020203020209
PLATFORM FEATURES
7+Number of operating systems
for native applications
supported
7+
YesAccess to HTML5 capabilities Yes
Lua/JavascriptLanguage used Mainly Java, .Net and Objective C are
also used
YesCross-platform debugger Not at present
YesQuick UI preview on all
platforms
None. Need to build and compile the
projects to view the UI
YesForeign function support from
single codebase
Not at present
YesAbility to seamlessly create
native deployable binaries for
all platforms
Requires usage of platform specific
native SDK tools (to be configured and
understood)
Yes, all glue code is
auto-generated
Extensions – ability to augment
existing APIs without
knowledge of underlying SDK
Yes, but glue code has to be manually
written for each of native SDK
YesDrag & drop widgets for UI
development
Needs to be done outside the developer
platform
Not requiredCoding required for consuming
data from network services and
mapping it to the UI widgets
(80% of the application
codebase)
Yes, all data mapping code has to be
handwritten
By default purely native,
optionally WebUI can be
used for rendering
Wrapper-based solution (uses
WebView for rendering)
Yes, a hybrid web based container
approach
Yes. Also supports offline
sync
Synchronization capabilities Yes. Also supports offline sync
YesAbility to download a new
version of the application
without accessing app stores
Yes
Yes, supported via Kony App
Store and Kony App
Management Container
Mobile Application Management
with App management
capability
Requires additional license and compo-
nent via Afaria
©RapidValue Solutions

10. 0202020203020210
Eclipse plugin from KonyIntegrated Development
Environment (IDE)
Eclipse IDE
Web Services support –
REST/SOAP
Backend system integration Sybase ASE 12.x and 15.x, Sybase SQL
Anywhere 11.x, Oracle 10g and 11g, MS
SQL Server 2005 and 2008, UDB 9.1,
SAP R/3 4.6 and higher, SOAP and REST
(XML) Services
YesExtensible connectors to
consume data from SAP, web
services, XML, Java API
Yes
YesOracle backend support Yes
YesConnectors to Siebel,
PeopleSoft and SharePoint
Information not available
Five ways to connect to
SAP JCO, Gateway (OData),
Web Services, HTTP, iWay ,
and SAP Namespace (inside
SAP) – i.e. no middleware
Connectors to SAP Supports JCO, Gateway and Web
Services
SMS/MMS – 2-Way and
common push APIs
SMS/MMS (2-Way & push) Not supported
INTEGRATION AND CONNECTORS
©RapidValue Solutions

11. 0202020203020211
Choosing the Right Approach
What approach works best for your enterprise? While each organization will have a different mobility
strategy, when it comes to selecting mobile enterprise applications, you will reach a point where you
have to decide between a point-to-point solution and MEAP. As always, the right solution for your
organization depends on your business requirements. The following figure illustrates key factors that
will help you decide on a mobility solution that’s appropriate for your organization.
POINT-TO-POINT
SOLUTION
– Focus is on building a small number of applications to run on a few
mobile operating systems only (Blackberry, iOS, Android, Windows mobile)
– Out-of-the-box solution is acceptable, and does not require much
customization
– Requires very few internal updates
MEAP
(MOBILE
MIDDLE WARE)
– Requires device-agnostic solution
– Host multiple mobile applications across multiple mobile operating
systems
– Simplifies integration to back-end systems
– Cost-effective over the long term
POINT-TO-POINT SOLUTION VS. MEAP
DECISION MAKING CHART
According to industry experts, a MEAP
solution works best for organizations looking
for over three mobile applications or above
150 users. This decision-making chart will
help you select between the two enterprise
mobility approaches. However, before making
a decision, you need to understand the pros
and cons of both types of enterprise mobility
solutions and the cost involved in switching
between the two solutions in the future
should that become necessary.
50 100 150 200
1 2 3 4
Lo
Hi MEAP PERFORMANCE
MEAP TCO
POINT SOLUTION
PERFORMANCE
POINT
SOLUTION TCO
PERFORMANCE
TCO PER USER
Users
Applications
Source: [Sybase White Paper]: What’s the point? Comparison
of Middleware Vs. Point Solutions
©RapidValue Solutions

12. 0202020203020212©RapidValue Solutions
Conclusion
Of all the factors driving the need for mobility, the main parameters to consider are the number of
applications, the device platforms to be supported, the amount of flexibility and control you need for
managing the servers and how quickly you plan to scale up. A point-to-point solution is the most
cost-effective and fastest approach for an immediate, single mobile application deployment. MEAP is
best suited for organizations with a well-defined mobility strategy and a vision for expanding their use
of mobile applications.
If you have any questions or need more information about building an integrated mobility
solution, please write to the author Kavyanidhi Narayan, Director - Marketing at
kavyanidhin@rapidvaluesolutions.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

13. About RapidValue
A global leader in digital transformation for enterprise providing end-to-end mobility,
omni-channel, IoT and cloud solutions. Armed with a large team of experts in
consulting, UX design, application development, integration and testing, along with
experience delivering projects worldwide, in mobility and cloud, we offer a wide range
of services across industry verticals. We deliver services to the world’s top brands,
fortune 1000 companies, Multinational companies and emerging start-ups. We have
www.rapidvaluesolutions.com www.rapidvaluesolutions.com/blog
+1 877.643.1850 contactus@rapidvaluesolutions.com
Feb - 2013
offices in the United States, the United Kingdom and India.