We’re giving a tip of the MAM cap to our peers at Apperian for getting in to the free enterprise app store game. The always insightful Ryan Faas gave them a nice writeup on Cult of Mac comparable to the one he authored on our behalf about a year-and-a-half ago.
After a year of offering a free app store setup and MAM platform for analytics and app performance management, we’re going to be audacious enough to share some insights with Apperian on the realities of enterprise expectations when it comes to those complementary app stores.
Free is Good (which can be bad)
It’s a blessing and a curse. We’ve found that making something free isn’t quite the incentive to the enterprise like it is with consumer apps. The enterprise is looking for enterprise-grade solutions, and is not uncomfortable with paying for solutions that perform.
It’s Not a One-App World
Enterprise clients aren’t just looking to distribute and manage a single, marquee native app. Our clients, across industries from pro sports to pharmaceutical, mass media to beer distribution, want to arm their employees with powerful, deep suites of apps applicable to any number of company departments. Dozens, often hundreds of apps are in the inventory.
Web App Optimization Required
Battle lines are being drawn between native mobile app development and mobile re-direct to web apps, and the most accommodating app stores know that they need to play nice with both. A simple mobile interface can take users right to a trusted web app (a great way to intro mobile to an organization), and it’s a common transitional step for large organizations, and another reason why one app is not enough.
Again, welcome to the free app store arena, Apperian. Hope you appreciate our bit of shared experience.
