This post is part I of III in the App47 series on mobility use cases we introduced last week. Today, we’re covering a B2C/consumer use case with Gannett/USA Today.
We know what you’re thinking: Gannet/USA Today sells newspapers and news to consumers—so what could they possibly need an enterprise mobility management (EMM) platform for?
While on the surface it may seem like Gannett would only be interested in our analytics, in reality, they use the full breadth of all our features.
Gannett not only produces the USA Today app; it also has a number of affiliates, all of which have their own brands and apps. They all share a common infrastructure: App47. Though they do eventually use App47 for analytics, App47 also gives them a platform for distributing builds, managing security, testing and vetting apps, onboarding users, and ultimately, centralized management.
When building an app for either USA Today or any of their affiliates, Gannett uses our API to connect their build systems to automatically distribute builds. With such a large ecosystem, Gannett needs full control over which affiliates can test which apps. The end user may be a consumer, but through the development process, these affiliates operate almost exactly like users in an enterprise.
Only users within Gannett or its affiliated brands can access test versions. Those apps are fully secure through download and execution, and only specific users are allowed to use them. New versions automatically download, and it’s possible to remotely shut down versions or apps—much like you would with enterprise users. What’s more, the App47 platform ties specific users to their own unique crash logs, meaning that Gannett can trace crash logs to users and resolve problems, whether or not they’re widespread.
All through testing, Gannett remains in full control of the app, allowing them to build their apps in a controlled, managed way. And once they’re finally ready to go into production, the release it into iTunes or Google Play just like anyone else. The only difference is, once their app is released, they use App47 for analytics to improve user experience, track usage, and more.
After release, interest shifts from managing which testers have which versions and which apps are being used where, to how users are using their app. What’s the makeup of Gannett’s audience for their new app? What features in the app are they using? How often? How long are they staying engaged? All of that information is offered in our portal, which allows Gannett to continually improve their app, making a more positive experience for everyone.
Once an app is released into the wild, analytics are a key element in continuous improvement. Long before the app is released, however, Gannett uses the App47 platform to fully manage development and testing across what would otherwise be a difficult environment in which to develop an app.
Even if your business is primarily consumer-facing, during your app testing and developing phase, you’re effectively an enterprise customer and thus can benefit from an EMM platform. App47 presents you with one platform for developing, testing, and production, so there’s no need to sync up multiple software solutions—it’s plug and play.
As it turns out, enterprise mobility management solutions aren’t just for the enterprise mobile app. Gannett is a great example of a mobility use case for an application that isn’t technically an enterprise mobile app, but which mimics one in a lot of ways.
Check in next week, when we’ll continue our series on mobility use cases. In the mean time, let us know your thoughts by contacting us directly through the comments, or via our Twitter feed @App47. We’d love to hear from you!
