Magic Quadrant for Mobile Application Development Platforms · Appian's proprietary container approach provides native performance due to high-level ... focus was UI (Ajax library

G00270267

Magic Quadrant for Mobile ApplicationDevelopment PlatformsPublished: 23 July 2015

Analyst(s): Richard Marshall, Van L. Baker, Ray Valdes, Jason Wong, Adrian Leow

The mobile app development platform market continues to grow, evolve andmature in response to escalating customer requirements. We assess themajor vendors to enable enterprise IT developers, architects and mobiledevelopment leaders to select the right platform partners.

Market Definition/DescriptionThe mobile app development platform (MADP) market offers tools, technologies, components andservices that enable enterprise IT developers to create mobile apps for customers, partners andemployees. A MADP enables an enterprise to design, develop, test, deploy, distribute, analyze andmanage a portfolio of cross-platform mobile apps on a range of devices running Android and iOS,and addressing the requirements of diverse use cases including external-facing and internal-facingscenarios.

Magic QuadrantFigure 1. Magic Quadrant for Mobile Application Development Platforms

Source: Gartner (July 2015)

Vendor Strengths and Cautions

Adobe

Adobe has a number of mobile and Web development tools and platforms, as well as design toolsthat emphasize HTML5 support. Adobe is especially effective with offerings targeting marketing

Page 2 of 39 Gartner, Inc. | G00270267

organizations, and is unique among the vendors in this Magic Quadrant because of its ownership ofthe PhoneGap framework, the hybrid wrapping technology that many players in the MADP sectoruse. The Adobe PhoneGap framework is also available as an open-source offering through theApache Software Foundation as Apache Cordova. The company's commercial MADP offering,Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) Apps, is the core of Adobe's MADP, which includes bothPhoneGap Enterprise (for utility apps) and Adobe Digital Publishing Solution (DPS; for content-centric apps). The PhoneGap Enterprise offering bundles some life cycle support, business user andmarketer authoring tools, support for native apps, and integrations with other parts of the MarketingCloud, including Adobe Analytics. Adobe DPS, integrated with AEM, offers an easy way forenterprises, using their design and creative teams, to create content-centric mobile apps. AdobeExperience Manager Apps, PhoneGap Enterprise and DPS, in combination with Adobe's market-leading analytics capabilities, enable organizations to create, deliver and measure experiencesacross both content-rich mobile apps and the Web with one set of assets.

For enterprise initiatives, the AEM Apps offering provides both PhoneGap Enterprise and DPScapabilities that integrate with the entire AEM platform. Typical costs for an initial mobiledevelopment project, in terms of direct licensing fees and related payments to the vendor, are in theenterprise tier of more than $100,000 per year (see Note 1).

Adobe Experience Manager Apps supports both when a multiplatform hybrid app and/or nativeapps are the required architecture. Additionally, AEM Apps is appropriate for marketers that aredelivering content-centric mobile apps and websites. This is especially true for digital marketersfocused on campaign management capabilities.

Strengths

■ Adobe PhoneGap is the de facto industry standard for hybrid wrapping technology, is widelydeployed in the market, and has established a rich ecosystem of third-party extensions that addto the capabilities of the PhoneGap wrapper technology.

■ Simplicity of development using familiar technologies (HTML, CSS, TypeScript and JavaScript)with choice of frameworks (almost any JavaScript that can run in a Web browser) can lead to aquick start for simple apps.

■ Adobe has enjoyed significant success in publishing and customer-facing solutions, and hastools that are well-suited to business and digital marketing professionals.

Cautions

■ The hybrid wrapper approach, which is one of the options offered by Adobe, has limitations interms of performance and fidelity when used in the most straightforward manner. Theselimitations can be mitigated through native plug-ins and additional native-code development.Use of the Apache Cordova open-source solution can require significant effort on the part ofdevelopers to find and test extensions and third-party JavaScript libraries that address theadditional capabilities required for some app development.

Gartner, Inc. | G00270267 Page 3 of 39

■ The Adobe mobile app development toolchain is less complete than other competitors in thesegment, and connectors for integration with enterprise back-end systems are limited.

■ PhoneGap has attained widespread adoption among developers focused on customer-facingmobile apps, but Adobe has limited relationships with IT development organizations focused ondeveloping business-to-employee (B2E) mobile apps.

Appcelerator

Appcelerator is a pioneer in modern cross-platform mobile development. It has built a community ofover 600,000 developers for its free open-source Titanium offering, and it is seeking to leverage thisdeveloper base to advance its more recent enterprise-oriented Appcelerator Platform.

Appcelerator pursues a broader-scope, platform-centric approach to the enterprise market.Acquisitions and partnerships have added breadth and depth to the initial offering, which was builton a JavaScript framework that compiled to native Android and iOS apps. Additions include cloud-based mobile back-end-as-a-service offering, testing and analytics, all of which can be leveragedfor both apps built with Appcelerator, as well as apps built using Objective-C on iOS and Java onAndroid. The result is a relatively well-integrated and cohesive set of capabilities.

Appcelerator's pricing strategy is twofold: maximize adoption through free or low-cost pricing ofopen-source Titanium, and build sustainable business through enterprise-level pricing ofAppcelerator Platform. Typical costs for an initial mobile development project, in terms of directlicensing fees and related costs, are at the low end of the spectrum (less than $25,000 per year) forTitanium-based projects, and more than that for platform projects (see Note 1).

Appcelerator Platform is suited for a portfolio of enterprise apps internally and externally facing thatrequire different approaches (hybrid, Web or native) connecting with a robust set of back-endservices.

Strengths

■ Appcelerator offers a full portfolio of mobile back-end services and front-end tools andframeworks that can address diverse scenarios.

■ The company has demonstrated the ability to respond quickly in a cohesive, integrated mannerto a changing market.

■ Although the vendor is relatively small, it has been able to achieve a position of prominence inthe dynamic and rapidly evolving MADP marketplace, as evidenced by showing up regularly onshortlists and proofs of concept.

Cautions

■ Appcelerator is relatively small compared with established enterprise software vendors, posingchallenges for selling at the strategic level, especially to organizations that don't track themobile sector closely and look to established vendors.


■ Appcelerator has lost momentum and mind share among the independent developers that werea mainstay of its bottom-up strategy.

■ Appcelerator's technology is code-centric, emphasizing programming in JavaScript on bothclient and server. This emphasis on JavaScript can be perceived as a negative by someenterprise app development organizations whose teams lack depth in JavaScript, and whichprefer approaches that minimize coding and are familiar with traditional enterprise server-sidelanguages (Java and .NET).

Appian

Primarily known as a business process management (BPM) software vendor with offerings that alsosupport data-driven and case-management-style applications, Appian has adopted a unifiedplatform approach, allowing a single process definition to be delivered across a range of deviceswithout additional development.

Appian's enterprise mobility platform extends the reach of its existing BPM product to iOS, Androidand Windows Phone devices, as well as mobile Web and early support for wearables. This allowsforms and processes to be delivered consistently across all employee touchpoints. Processes aredelivered on mobile via proprietary container apps that include offline capabilities and built-inencryption.

Apps are supported by a broad range of cloud-based services, including analytics, location andstorage, but with the notable exception of push notifications. APIs are available to expose thesefunctions via REST for consumption by custom apps. The Appian development process issupported by a good range of test and application life cycle management (ALM) capabilities,including a test cloud, user experience (UX) test support and continuous integration.

Appian's licensing objective is to include mobile as part of all its engagements. This is supported bya range of cost models based on monthly per named user, per occasional user and app-specificuser fees. These user-based prices include both front-end and back-end services. Typical projectsize is at the enterprise end of the scale (more than $100,000 per year; see Note 1).

Appian is best suited for process-oriented organizations looking to deploy those processes as appsacross a range of devices, including Web and desktop, and is also suited for data-driven and event-driven apps. Appian's unified approach reduces the risk of process fragmentation due toimplementation variations, but does not necessarily allow per-device optimization.

Strengths

■ Appian offers a comprehensive set of unified capabilities for organizations wishing to developprocess-based apps.

■ A visual composition approach helps process experts work with IT toward the delivery of mobileapps, eliminating the need for coding and reducing app management overheads.


■ Appian's proprietary container approach provides native performance due to high-level processinterpretation, as well as providing agility via the easy updating of the process definitions.

Cautions

■ While Appian has invested heavily in mobile and data-centric capabilities, Appian is bettersuited for process-centric and case-management-driven apps.

■ While the unified approach is excellent for enterprises that require broad reach, there aremobile-specific optimized features not available, such as offline capabilities and pushnotifications.

■ Appian's user-based pricing model means that organizations with large numbers of employeesneed to be careful in understanding usage predictions to keep costs under control.

Backbase

Backbase's initial focus was UI (Ajax library), which broadened to "lean portal" technology andMADPs. The current core offering is the Backbase Customer Experience Platform (CXP), whichcombines presentation management with content management, customer analytics, personalizedcampaign management, forms management and mobile platform support. In addition to CXP,Backbase has a vertical offering targeting the banking and financial services sector.

Backbase CXP offers a set of omnichannel experience management capabilities (security, enterpriseintegration, cross-device rendering, content management, personalization, targeting, messaging,publishing, orchestration, and so on) in a single, fully integrated platform. It is based on leanarchitecture principles (widgets, Web-oriented architecture [WOA], REST, mobile-OS-agnostic,mobile back end as a service [MBaaS] API gateway). CXP Manager offers a GUI for business userswithout programming skills to edit mobile apps, including functions such as content editing, layoutand navigation, setting targeting rules to run sales campaigns and integrated analytics, and A/Bmultivariate testing.

On the client side, there is the Backbase Mobile Software Development Kit (SDK). The BackbaseMobile SDK is a collection of components allowing organizations to quickly build mobile appsbased on out-of-the-box templates and apps (widgets). These are fully functional apps that in mostcases are a starting point for building (or extending) mobile apps. Among others, the mobile SDKacts as a bridge between CXP Server (MBaaS) and the mobile app. The mobile SDK also containstools to build, test, deploy and manage apps. The server side has CXP Server with robust(micro)services for security and permission management, enterprise app integration, contentmanagement, personalization and targeting, workflow, publishing, and editorial management. AllCXP Server services are exposed via a robust API gateway delivering REST endpoints.

Backbase CXP enterprise licensing has two options — unlimited (server and client) instancescapped on the number of registered app users or an unlimited end-user license capped on thenumber of CXP server instances. Data center and cloud pricing is fee per user, per month. Typicalcosts for an initial mobile development project, in terms of direct licensing fees and relatedpayments to the vendor, are at the enterprise end of the spectrum (more than $100,000 per year).


Backbase CXP is well-suited for midsize to large organizations in any vertical that want toimplement an omnichannel experience with a strong background in prebuilt solutions for financialinstitutions.

Strengths

■ Apps built on top of the CXP platform, regardless of the channel, are a collection of miniapps(widgets) hosted in a container (for example, mobile app or website). A benefit of this is that itallows easy reuse of functionality between channels to create a true omnichannel solution.

■ CXP integration services can take care of loosely coupled integration between apps/widgetsand various back-end systems. This allows agile development teams to work on separatedfunctionality, test each component separately, and distribute mobile apps almost independentof each other.

■ Backbase divides the app life cycle into two tracks: the development track and the businesstrack. The business track is enabling business users to update content on a daily basis withouthaving to redeploy the app. In order to have content management as streamlined as possible,this track is well-defined and less flexible than the development track.

Cautions

■ Customer feedback has indicated that content reuse of responsive widgets works well, butperformance optimization of the widgets has been an issue in some instances, as the companyhas focused resources on new features and its Launchpad — a set of prebuilt templates,widgets and apps.

■ Backbase has a relatively small presence and ecosystem outside of the U.S. and Europe, sosome self-supporting customers — those not relying on third-party professional services —report subpar support and relative lack of insight or influence in Backbase's roadmap anddevelopment.

■ Backbase's lack of a track record in some industries, combined with its low profile comparedwith portal leaders, limits its appeal to customers outside the financial services market.

ClickSoftware

ClickSoftware is a leading independent vendor of mobile workforce management solutions fortechnician and field-resource-heavy industries, such as communications, utilities, energy, healthcareand capital equipment. The company has recently moved into private ownership under fundsmanaged by Francisco Partners.

ClickSoftware's mobile app development platform includes visual forms build, which can usecomponents from an open library, and an enterprise-focused runtime platform that includes datasynchronization and role-based security. While often used to customize ClickSoftware's packagedsolutions, it can also create completely new mobile apps.


The ClickAppStore offers prebuilt apps that integrate with other capabilities within the overallsolution. Innovative capabilities are evident in ClickSoftware's AI-based ClickButler agent, the Shoutsocial technology and extensive use of gamification.

The ClickSoftware platform's data integration capabilities are robust for an independent vendor,having been proven in the field through years of enterprise deployments. Client apps are based onan HTML5-hybrid architecture. ClickSoftware was one of the first mobile workforce app vendors tooffer cloud-based hosting options for its mobile middleware.

ClickSoftware offers a variety of licensing options, including SaaS, perpetual licenses andtransaction-based. Pricing strategy is to build a sustainable software tool/platform business throughbase solutions targeting specific roles, to which individual apps can be added, with different pricingmodels (per-user subscription fees and transaction-based fees). Typical costs for an initial mobiledevelopment project, in terms of direct licensing fees and related payments to the vendor, are at themidrange portion of the spectrum (more than $25,000 per year and less than $100,000 per year; seeNote 1).

ClickSoftware's platform primarily meets the B2E needs of organizations that require custom mobileworkforce management apps. ClickSoftware's extended platform capabilities, such as collaborativeworkflow or intelligent agent technology, can be of wider interest for additional departments androles in an organization.

Strengths

■ Continued innovation is apparent in the company's offerings, including early support forwearables, and building on existing features such as the collaborative workflow engine, socialcapabilities, intelligent automated agents and gamification.

■ The company continues to develop its strong strategic partnerships with SAP, Salesforce andIBM, as well as offering wide geographic coverage and a growing network of service partners.

■ ClickSoftware was one of the earliest tool companies to recognize the need for the rapiddevelopment of functionally rich mobile workforce apps. Existing integration to its workforceplatform reduces the need for development in field service organizations.

Cautions

■ ClickSoftware's mobile tools currently are best suited for use with its packaged workforcemanagement solutions. Organizations must confirm that the platform will provide the featuresand licensing models needed for general mobile development.

■ While ClickSoftware is strong in innovation, it is weak in some areas, including app life cyclemanagement and consumer apps.

■ As with all smaller, independent vendors, potential customers should ensure thatClickSoftware's global support options are aligned with their requirements.


DSI

DSI focuses on the needs of mobility in the supply chain processes of businesses. The DSI MobileEnterprise Platform integrates with existing enterprise systems to mobilize and optimize supplychain functions, while preserving data and process integrity across existing systems of record.

DSI's metadata-driven development approach supports multichannel development, managingdesign layouts for multiple device form factors. The platform offers a visual development tool thatcreates apps and websites on Windows Phone/Windows Mobile/Windows 8, iOS, Android andBlackBerry devices. DSI also offers a set of prebuilt business process flows, or accelerators, forapps such as mobile inventory, field service, field sales, procurement and delivery. DSI has alsoopened up its platform to support any front-end SDK to develop the mobile client using its openAPIs. The company also acquired RareWire, a small mobile software and services vendor, toleverage its UX expertise and proprietary tools to address cross-platform consumer-grade mobileapp use cases.

DSI offers transaction-based connectivity into major systems of record (SAP, Oracle E-BusinessSuite, JD Edwards EnterpriseOne, JD Edwards World, Microsoft Dynamics AX, Infor Lawson) withvalidated and certified mobile-optimized functional interfaces. In addition, DSI supports RESTfulAPIs, SOAP-based Web services and use of custom connectors. Many DSI deployments featuremobile-to-machine integration, incorporating industrial equipment such as automated scales andconveyor belts. DSI offers private, hybrid and public cloud (via Amazon) deployment options, butthe vast majority of customers are deployed on-premises.

DSI's on-premises licensing model is based on app servers for development and deployment, whileits cloud-based platform is licensed on a per-user subscription basis. There is no charge associatedwith the development tooling itself. DSI also requires licensing of the requisite connector interfacesinto back-end systems. Typical costs for an initial mobile development project, in terms of directlicensing fees and related payments to the vendor, are in the enterprise tier of pricing (more than$100,000 per year; see Note 1).

DSI is well-suited for building and operating custom mobile apps for B2E/B2B scenarios,particularly for supply chain data-driven processes, including those with significant mobile-to-machine requirements.

Strengths

■ DSI's rapid, visual development tool provides customer self-sufficiency, allowing nondevelopersto build and maintain rich mobile apps without deep technical knowledge or support of third-party developers.

■ DSI offers an extensive set of solution accelerators that can significantly reduce the time andrisk of deploying tailored, mobile-optimized supply chain solutions, particularly formanufacturing, energy, utilities, retail and healthcare.


■ DSI provides one of the most robust back-end integration capabilities available in the MADPmarket, with many independent software vendors (ISVs) reselling connectors. Its Cloud Connectwizard tool significantly cuts installation and configuration time.

Cautions

■ DSI's strength in focusing on mobile supply chain is also its weakness in terms of being abroad, all-purpose MADP. Although it has started to gain traction with building consumer-facingapps using Wire, the core DSI platform still lacks some functionality to provide the highest-quality consumer-grade mobile experiences.

■ DSI has a relatively small presence and ecosystem outside of the U.S., so finding servicedelivery partners may be a challenge for some customers not in the U.S.

■ DSI uses a proprietary metadata-driven container approach to build apps, and its acquisition ofRareWire introduces another proprietary XML-based scripting language called Wire language.However, Wire is extensible with JavaScript today, and DSI intends to embrace HTML5 in thefuture.

Embarcadero

Embarcadero has multiple product lines that target enterprise developers, architects and databasedesigners.

Its RAD Studio XE8 is an integrated development environment (IDE) and app framework thatdevelopers have used to build Windows apps using the Object Pascal and C/C++ languages thatalso comes with support for HTML5 and JavaScript. RAD Studio supports natively compiled appsthat can be deployed to iOS, Android and Windows tablets (Microsoft Surface Pro), as well asdesktop Windows and Mac OS X. The FireUI feature allows developers to create user interfacesacross multiple devices using a master form to share all user interface code, then optimize inheritedviews for each target platform and device. Views can be customized for each target platform,including Windows desktop, Surface Pro Tablet, Mac desktop, iPhone, iPad, Android tablets, andsmartphones and wearables such as smartwatches.

RAD Studio provides true compilation to machine code without a virtual machine layer ormiddleware, unlike most other multiplatform approaches. It uses established languages (primarily C++ but also Pascal) that many enterprise developers are familiar with, providing high performance atruntime and also during the development cycle.

Embarcadero offers two middleware solutions for on-premises or virtual private cloud hosting tocreate and manage remote APIs — one is SDK-based and the other contains prebuilt services witha runtime fee. Embarcadero also provides REST client connectors to connect to virtually any backend.

Embarcadero's pricing strategy is to build a sustainable packaged software tool business throughlow-cost pricing and online sales to developers. Typical costs for an initial mobile developmentproject, in terms of direct licensing fees and related payments to the vendor, are at the low end ofthe spectrum (less than $25,000 per year; see Note 1).


Enterprises with B2C and employee-facing cross-platform apps that require high performance, thatneed to leverage existing C, C++ or Pascal skills, and that can run on both desktop and mobileplatforms should consider RAD Studio.

Strengths

■ RAD Studio XE8 has a focus on the Internet of Things (IoT) by introducing features such as AppTethering, Bluetooth LE, and proximity-awareness beacons to add proximity and locationawareness to existing apps.

■ True compilation, combined with a fast compiler, provides both high performance at runtimeand a rapid development cycle.

■ Embarcadero tools provide multidevice form-factor preview, which features live previews formobile platforms (for example, iOS and Android) and desktop platforms (for example, 64-bitWindows and Mac OS X).

Cautions

■ The Embarcadero offerings are missing some aspects of full life cycle support, such as devicecloud testing and a mobile back-end-as-a-service offering. Appmethod and RAD Studio XE8 dosupport integration through REST to leading MBaaS services, such as from Kinvey.

■ Some customers have expressed issues with the lack of supporting information for thecomponents Embarcadero supplies, and the only way to know which one is right is to spendhours experimenting with each one. Some components have been found to contain propertyand method design errors.

■ RAD Studio has had limited adoption, and, therefore, finding mobile app developers that haveexperience with these tools may be difficult.

Globo

Globo provides a range of enterprise mobility solutions beyond MAPDs, including an enterprisemobility management (EMM) solution that is included on the relevant Magic Quadrant.

The GO!AppZone platform contains tools for the creation of native and proprietary container-basedapps via GO!AppZone Studio. This uses HTML5 for cross-platform development, including offlinecapability and built-in FIPS-140-2 validated security. SDKs are provided to enable native plug-insfor Android, iOS and Windows Phone. Development is accelerated by GO!Apps configurableindustry-specific app templates. Globo's global network of development partners can and doesdevelop additional GO!Apps templates.

Back-end options include cloud and on-premises options via GO!AppZone Deploy and GO!Enterprise Server, respectively. These offer MBaaS capabilities such as integration, authentication,push notifications, basic analytics, logging and data synchronization to support the app offline


capability, as well as user and app management. These capabilities are linked to the GO!EnterpriseServer, but do not require it.

Globo offers a variety of licensing options combining its products, including a combined license forboth the EMM and MADP products. Some components are offered on a freemium basis,encouraging adoption; others are available with subscription or perpetual-basis scaling with thenumber of devices used. Back-end products include a variety of options, including volume, deviceand server options. Engagement pricing is typically in the midsize and enterprise tiers (greater than$25,000 per year; see Note 1).

Globo and its GO! family of products is best suited to companies looking to use a single vendor'stechnology to build and manage a portfolio of secure apps integrated with back-end systems.

Strengths

■ Globo offers an end-to-end mobility solution for those looking for a single vendor coveringMADPs and EMM.

■ Strong, certified security and offline capabilities are included as part of the base package.

■ Extensive back-end capabilities can be delivered in the cloud, on-premises or hybrid.

Cautions

■ While GO!Apps can be configured, Globo does not yet offer true rapid mobile app development(RMAD).

■ Software development life cycle (SDLC) capabilities are currently limited.

■ While GO!AppZone can be used to build initial stand-alone apps, best value will be achievedwhen used to build a portfolio of apps.

IBM

IBM has integrated and packaged several acquired companies and technologies under theMobileFirst Platform, notably Worklight (2012) and Cloudant (2014).

The IBM MobileFirst Platform has transitioned to emphasize an open architecture that enablesdevelopers to build apps using its Eclipse-based development tool or any other front-enddevelopment tool, including Xcode and Android SDK. It includes platform services that can beleveraged via SDK and API and, by building on its platform and connecting with its Bluemix MBaaS,the apps can leverage MobileFirst's scale, security, integration and management capabilities. TheMobileFirst Platform provides SDKs for its MBaaS for front-end development tools, and it has alsopartnered with several popular development tool vendors, including Xamarin, jQuery and Drifty(Ionic). Additionally, IBM offers mobile solutions that embed the MobileFirst Platform software,including Maximo and MobileFirst for iOS apps developed as part of the partnership with Apple.

Bluemix MBaaS services can be consumed in any app through APIs and enable the addition ofcapabilities such as cloud data store, notifications, workflow and authentication, plus specific iOS


services for the apps built with Apple. Through its SDKs and those of partners, IBM enablesintegrations, mobile services and hosting for customers moving to the cloud. Bluemix runs on IBM'sown global scalable SoftLayer cloud platform, and an on-premises version called Bluemix Local.

For the MobileFirst Platform software, IBM charges client device and app license fees, plus softwaresubscription and support fees. Bluemix cloud services are available with both pay-as-you-go andenterprise licenses. Typical costs for an initial mobile development project, in terms of directlicensing fees and related payments to the vendor, are at the enterprise end of the spectrum (morethan $100,000 per year; see Note 1).

IBM MobileFirst is best-suited for midsize and large development organizations that want a front-end-agnostic MADP approach to developing Web, hybrid and native apps across multiple deviceplatforms.

Strengths

■ IBM is a significant supporter and contributor to open-source activities and widely uses openstandards in its platform, such as HTML5, Apache Cordova and Node.js.

■ The MobileFirst Platform offers one of the most comprehensive portfolios of ALM, testing,security and MBaaS capabilities.

■ MobileFirst offers a strong and growing set of prebuilt, customizable apps and iOS-specificback-end services for organizations that are iOS-centric. However, overall adoption of theseapps still appears to be low.

Cautions

■ Enterprises looking for rapid app development for simple apps may find that the platform ismore than they need in terms of capabilities and expense. Gartner data indicates dissatisfactionfrom some clients on platform licensing as projects expand. Enterprise buyers should identifythe appropriate IBM licensing terms for projects to keep costs at a manageable level.

■ Since IBM has opened up MobileFirst to partner with and support multiple front-enddevelopment tools, customers need to ensure that the Eclipsed-based hybrid app developmenttool continues to keep pace functionally, such as improving its RMAD capabilities.

■ While IBM is developing significant MBaaS and cloud capabilities in Bluemix, these are still newand unproven.

Kony

Kony offerings span the full SDLC, from design to enterprise mobility management. The Konyplatform includes a set of foundational services that can be deployed on-premises, in a hostedprivate cloud or in the public cloud. It offers scalable cloud services that can be adjusted ondemand with testing tools and analytics embedded in the platform.


The platform consists of three systems. First, the Kony Visualizer offers design capabilitiesintegrated into the development environment and includes real-time preview capabilities andrequirements-gathering capabilities. Second, Kony Studio includes visual developer tools that canimport UX designs from Kony Visualizer and allows developers to add cross-platform JavaScriptcode and to connect to back-end APIs. Third, Kony Management offers capabilities for deploymentand management of mobile devices and apps, including basic device management, role-basedenrollment and app deployment.

Kony MobileFabric is a hosted set of MBaaS offerings that can be used by any client-sidedevelopment tools, including native and hybrid. Kony MobileFabric offers REST APIs and SDKs forservices including identity, line-of-business integration, basic API management, data orchestration,offline data synchronization and location-based messaging.

Kony has introduced a set of quick-start templates and representative task-based apps for theenterprise. These include Kony Sales (for sales force automation), Kony Services (for fieldtechnicians), Kony HR (for workforce management), Kony Healthcare (for member management)and Kony Retail Banking.

Kony's pricing strategy is to build a sustainable software tool/platform business through differentpricing models (session-based pricing for B2C and user-based subscriptions for B2E). Typical costsfor an initial mobile development project, in terms of direct licensing fees and related payments tothe vendor, are at the enterprise end of the spectrum (more than $100,000 per year; see Note 1).

Kony is well-suited for projects in which large, diverse device populations must support a range ofcomplex, long-lived apps needing strong integration with enterprise back ends. Enterprises thatneed to integrate with SAP and Oracle back ends and want a flexible development, deployment andmanagement platform will find a good fit with Kony.

Strengths

■ With a focus on full enterprise life cycle and multichannel enablement, Kony continues todevelop into a strong enterprise player.

■ Kony keeps up with the high rate of evolution in the mobile space. The company has been ableto leverage its offshore development centers to maintain a steady flow of product releases andenhancements, making use of a larger developer head count than competitors.

■ The direction of Kony MobileFabric and Kony Apps is consistent with evolving enterprise needs,and reflects trends in the MADP sector as well as helping to shape those trends.

Cautions

■ Gartner has heard concerns from some Kony clients that the platform becomes expensive asmobile development efforts grow, although use of Kony MobileFabric offers a lower-priced entrypoint for smaller projects.


■ Enterprises looking for rapid app development of a few simple apps may find Kony is targetedat more advanced use cases and hence is more than they need in terms of complexity andexpense.

■ Kony's overall growth is partially dependent on its ability to deliver apps in conjunction with itsprofessional services, causing some friction with Kony's channel partners, but recent changesmay ameliorate this situation.

Mendix

Mendix is one of the rare companies that recognizes the rise of digital business and provides toolsto support that initiative across all channels. The Mendix App Platform enables rapid, model-drivendevelopment of hybrid apps within the context of a larger Mendix platform. Process-based modelsare compiled to HTML5 and execute within the Apache Cordova container. The codelessdevelopment process can be extended with code extensions in Java, JavaScript and Scala asrequired.

Describing its product as cloud-native, Mendix is a member of the Cloud Foundry Foundation. Inaddition to the hosted Mendix App Platform, there are on-premises and hybrid options. Dataintegration facilities include interfaces to common back-end systems including SAP and Salesforce,as well as Open Data Protocol (OData), SOAP, REST and, unusually, Java Message Service (JMS).Other capabilities include push notifications, local storage and identity management, but do notinclude any analytics.

Mendix aims at the upper middle enterprise market as a broad platform for innovation and digitalbusiness. This means that engagements are typically in the midsize and enterprise tiers (greaterthan $25,000 per year; see Note 1).

The Mendix App Platform is most suitable for companies looking to adopt a cross-platform, cross-channel app. Organizations with a strong cloud focus will find Mendix's application platform as aservice (aPaaS) credentials particularly of interest.

Strengths

■ Mendix software and consultancy together offer strong strategic consultancy support forbusiness innovation around continuous interaction.

■ Model-driven development allows developers and business analysts to create apps withoutcoding while retaining a rigorous approach.

■ Mendix offers cloud-native architecture and strong aPaaS support, supported by themembership of the Cloud Foundry Foundation.


Cautions

■ The Mendix App Platform currently has no built-in mobile analytics capabilities, so is notsuitable for monitoring user activity and process efficiency. Mendix addresses these needs viaintegration with third-party products including New Relic.

■ The Mendix App Platform is not recommended for mobile-only or single app development.

■ Mendix offers limited security certifications, but has ISAE 3402 Type II service compliancecertification, including security auditing.

Microsoft

Microsoft is taking its first steps into a multiplatform world. Microsoft Azure App Service providescloud-hosted back-end services for mobile apps on multiple client-side operating systems (iOS,Android and Windows), with endpoints for a variety of architectural approaches (native iOS/Objective-C, native Android/Java, Xamarin, HTML5 with PhoneGap/Cordova). Microsoft continuesto evolve its cross-platform, standards-compliant, and open-source capabilities via additions toVisual Studio. In addition to support for building Universal Windows applications, Visual Studio nowhas built-in support for creating cross-platform applications using HTML5 (Cordova), C# (Xamarin),or cross-platform C++ by including support for Clang, GCC and GDB. Further embracing the cross-platform strategy, Microsoft also introduced Visual Studio Code, a code editor that runs on Linux,Mac OS X and Windows. Microsoft also offers an emulator for the Android operating system.

Microsoft has also added capabilities to import and edit Java and Objective-C code andstrengthened its partnership with Xamarin, incorporating Xamarin's cross-platform extension forVisual Studio into the standard setup. This extension of Microsoft tools to support a singledevelopment environment and links to enterprise SDLC and ALM are likely to prove attractive for C#and .NET developers.

With Visual Studio Tools for Apache Cordova, developers can build cross-platform hybrid appswritten with HTML5, JavaScript and CSS that can be deployed to iOS, Android and Windows.Hybrid apps in Visual Studio can also be created using TypeScript, a strongly typed extension ofJavaScript that makes it easier to reason about large-scale applications. Developing mobileapplications targeting iOS and Android with C#/.NET requires tools from vendor partner Xamarin.

Microsoft Azure has a leading position in cloud platforms and, with Azure App Service, growingadoption in the enterprise MBaaS category. Azure App Service includes capabilities such as pushnotifications, offline sync, identity management, SQL and NoSQL database integration, social mediaintegration, location, and broad support for integration of multiple SaaS vendors in addition toenterprise systems of record. Visual Studio Online facilitates collaboration of mobile developmentefforts and offers ALM support across a range of development tools and platforms, including iOSand Android.

Microsoft's pricing strategy is similar to other native platform owners: Grow the ecosystem of appsthrough low-cost pricing and open-source delivery of developer tools, and gain revenue throughper-app commission on the now merged Windows Store sales and metered usage of cloudservices. Typical costs for an initial mobile development project, in terms of direct licensing fees and


related payments to the vendor, are at the low end of the spectrum (less than $10,000 per year; seeNote 1).

Microsoft's mobile platform is a solid choice for enterprises with a significant investment and skillsin the Microsoft ecosystem: Visual Studio, .NET and Windows-based back-end systems. Microsoftalso supports Node.js on the back end. Microsoft Azure is a strong contender for companieslooking for platform-independent, cloud-based mobile back-end solutions.

Strengths

■ The long-standing relationships that Microsoft has established with enterprise IT departmentsoffers Microsoft enterprise developers a flexible platform, especially when considered inconjunction with the now integrated Xamarin plug-in for Visual Studio.

■ Microsoft has become more open in delivering mobile app development by supporting iOS andAndroid apps in Azure App Service and as supported code bases in Visual Studio. Asmentioned, building these apps may require the Xamarin plug-in, which offers cross-compilecapabilities for C# apps, but other approaches are also available. Microsoft also officiallysupports the Apache Cordova container and the use of JavaScript/HTML5 for hybrid appdevelopment and Titanium.

■ Microsoft Azure is a leading cloud platform, and Microsoft Azure App Service offers a range ofservices for mobile app development (push notifications, identity management, databaseintegration and social media integration) in a context familiar to enterprise IT teams, making itan easier transition to the cloud for Microsoft-centric organizations.

Cautions

■ Microsoft has broadened its support for multiplatform development during the past year,building on the Azure services that were in place since 2013, but this is new territory forMicrosoft and it is too soon to say that it will attract large numbers of cross-platform developersto its development platform beyond its existing Windows developer base.

■ Microsoft is still focused on the Windows universal app strategy, and this does not easilyexpand to other operating systems and still may require the Xamarin tool for cross-platformdevelopment.

■ The unification of the Microsoft platform across all device form factors does not truly arrive untilthe launch of Visual Studio on 20 July 2015 and Windows 10 on 29 July 2015.

MicroStrategy

As part of its MicroStrategy Analytics Platform for business intelligence (BI), MicroStrategy offersMicroStrategy Mobile, a MADP supporting the creation, deployment and measurement of mobileapps.


MicroStrategy Mobile offers a metadata-driven development approach that uses a proprietarymultiapp container with native, visual and nonvisual components for each target device platform(iOS, Android and BlackBerry 10). The platform provides a no-code, visual tool to compose andconfigure UI and functional elements, as well as to tune the layout for the necessary screen sizesand form factors. MicroStrategy also offers a variety of tools within the platform, includingadministration, testing, analyzing user behavior, app performance, app issues and objectmanagement. Customers can further customize and integrate with third-party solutions through itsmobile SDK tool.

MicroStrategy Mobile takes advantage of all the prebuilt connectors from the main AnalyticsPlatform. It supports bidirectional connectivity using SQL, HiveQL, MDX and XQuery. MicroStrategycertifies over 100 common and uncommon databases, operational (CRM, ERP) and informationsystems. Data connectors are optimized for each source, and allow queries to achieve highperformance.

MicroStrategy Mobile is licensed based on per named user or per CPU. MicroStrategy also providesthe option of per-app pricing instead of per user. Typical costs for an initial mobile developmentproject, in terms of direct licensing fees and related payments to the vendor, are at the enterpriseend of the spectrum (more than $100,000 per year; see Note 1).

MicroStrategy's MADP offers a strong metadata-driven declarative development tool and tightintegration with MicroStrategy Analytics Platform for rapidly building apps that need to leverage BIdata.

Strengths

■ MicroStrategy offers a no-code and drag-and-drop design canvas that enables nondeveloperusers to build apps quickly. It also contains a library of mobile-optimized and touch-enabledwidgets that let app designers easily configure online/offline transactions, embeddedmultimedia and data visualizations.

■ MicroStrategy Mobile can easily create mobile BI apps, as any existing reports and dashboardsfrom the MicroStrategy Analytics Platform can be quickly mobilized.

■ MicroStrategy's metadata-driven development and deployment approach gives app buildersthe ability to instantly push out new content and app updates without any code recompilation,while still retaining native app capabilities, such as GPS, mapping, camera and offline.

Cautions

■ MicroStrategy Mobile is built to run with MicroStrategy Analytics Platform, so it is not ideal forcustomers not requiring the analytics server capabilities.

■ MicroStrategy's proprietary, no-code-only approach to app development limits the capabilitiesof the platform to APIs that MicroStrategy supports, and is not well-suited for use cases with ahigh degree of customization.


■ MicroStrategy has not opened up its mobile platform, like other MADPs, to add MBaaSfunctions and support third-party front-end mobile app development tools and broader app usecases.

Oracle

Oracle has played a comparatively minor role in the mobile app development landscape; however,this started to change with the launch of a series of completely new mobile products. These includeOracle Mobile Cloud Service (MCS), a solid MBaaS solution and analytics package, and updates tothe Mobile Application Framework (MAF). Its rapid mobile app development tool, Oracle MobileApplication Accelerator (MAX) will launch in late 2015 along with additional enhancements to MAFand MCS. The updated MAF is used in an increasing number of publicly available packaged mobileapps built by Oracle.

Oracle's pricing model is diverse, reflecting its portfolio of products and services, but in general, itsapproach is enterprise-level pricing for enterprise-grade offerings (including per-server, per-app,per-user and value-based pricing). Typical costs for an initial mobile development project, in termsof direct licensing fees and related payments to the vendor, are at the enterprise end of thespectrum (more than $100,000 per year; see Note 1).

Oracle MCS can be used with any front- or back-end tools, and existing Oracle clients will find MAFsuits their needs. The development tools address an increasingly broad audience, growing frominitially Java developers with MAF to embrace those with JavaScript skills including Node.js. A newpartnership with Xamarin adds C# developers, while Oracle MAX allows business analysts withlimited programming knowledge to build apps visually.

Strengths

■ Integration continues to be a strong feature of Oracle's offerings. A new focus on REST andSOAP APIs offers open connectivity to products from other vendors, including SaaS offerings.

■ Interoperation with Oracle's security and mobile management tools, combined with thecompany's analytics and marketing systems, helps deliver entire enterprise mobility solutions.

■ Support for Web-centric development skills, especially JavaScript and Node.js, simplifiesstaffing mobile projects. MAX will continue this broadening by adding codeless development.

Cautions

■ While Oracle has articulated a strong market message about a more holistic approach to mobileapp development, delivering products to market is taking longer than expected.

■ While it is possible to create stand-alone apps with the Oracle Mobile Platform, it is bettersuited for building portfolios of apps, particularly with integration into existing back-endsystems.


■ While Oracle has a vast, global partner network, only a relatively small number are currentlyfamiliar with Oracle's Mobile Platform. Check capabilities with local providers if you are planningon using a delivery partner.

Pegasystems

Pegasystems' MADP was acquired in its purchase of Antenna Software in 2013 and is now fully partof its Pega 7 platform. The mobile component of the platform integrates with and mobilizescustomer engagement channels and back-office processes.

The Pega 7 platform has a built-in mobile framework for agile development using both a model-driven development environment and mobile SDK. Its single-object model offers persistence acrossUI and integration for dynamic case management, process management, complex-event processingand business rule management. The Pega MADP component supports the deployment of Web,hybrid and native apps. For hybrid apps, it uses a proprietary app container that runs acrossmultiple devices and supports over-the-air app management, multiple HTML5 apps per container,and multithreaded app support. Pegasystems' back-end services can also support third-party front-end development tools and frameworks, such as JQuery Mobile, Sencha, Xamarin, Xcode andAndroid SDK. Pegasystems offers its platform in a public cloud configuration, hybrid cloud or on-premises. The overwhelming majority of customers have deployed in its public cloud, which offersmany security certifications, including FIPS 140-2 Level 2 for encryption, FDA 21 CFR Part 11 forelectronic signatures, and European Union Data Privacy.

Pegasystems' MADP can be licensed to develop hybrid, native and Web mobile apps with full appand device management services. There is an option for licensing the Pega 7 platform's ability tointegrate into back-end services and apps. Typical costs for an initial mobile development project, interms of direct licensing fees and related payments to the vendor, are at the enterprise end of thespectrum (more than $100,000 per year; see Note 1).

The Pega 7 platform and its MADP capabilities are suitable for organizations focused on customerengagement and with a need for intelligent case management automation.

Strengths

■ Pegasystems offers a comprehensive, Web-based, collaborative app development environment,including online developer communities, social collaboration, built-in agile framework fordevelopment management, and cloud-based testing tools.

■ The Pega platform's model-driven paradigm for its mobile app architecture and visualdevelopment approach is a strong differentiator in a crowded market.

■ The platform's services framework allows developers to create and access reusablecomponents across different apps. Custom-developed services and third-party services canalso be easily integrated into new apps via documented APIs.


Cautions

■ Pegasystems has folded Antenna's technology within its unified platform and, while it mayappeal to enterprises building strategic business apps, it might not be suitable for independentMADP developers.

■ The Pega platform's model-driven development approach can be appealing, but the relativelylimited pool of people trained on the platform can pose a hiring challenge for organizations thatrequire in-house expertise, or for those seeking service partners that are experienced orcertified in using its development tools.

■ Pegasystems' pricing is geared toward complex, strategic apps, and may not be cost-effectivefor organizations looking to build a small number of simple apps.

Progress Software (Telerik)

Telerik is now a subsidiary of Progress Software. Telerik's strength comes from Web development,where it enjoyed success with 1.7 million developers and leveraged its success by expanding itsscope to include mobile app development. The acquisition gives Telerik new sales channels andadditional resources and expanded integration tools from the Progress side that can be leveragedfor additional capabilities. Telerik also has a full MBaaS offering that includes push notifications,identity and access management, social media integration, location, and analytics. The TelerikPlatform originally centered on Microsoft platforms (Visual Basic, ASP.NET, WPF, Windows Formsand Silverlight), but now supports server-side Java and PHP. The platform enjoys growth of over50% per year and the acquisition has the potential to accelerate growth. The mobile offering, TelerikPlatform, supports development in HTML5 and JavaScript, as well as the open-source NativeScriptframework to help these same developers create cross-platform native mobile apps targeting iOS,Android, Windows 8.x and Windows Phone.

The Telerik Platform is a collection of integrated modular tools, frameworks and cloud services thatsupports the development and deployment of mobile Web, hybrid and native apps. The platformoffers app prototyping, building, testing and analytics, as well as data connectors enhanced byProgress Software's DataDirect data integration suite. Telerik also has app deployment capabilities.Telerik's most popular product is Kendo UI, which is an HTML5 framework built on top of jQueryand best suited for Web development. It is compatible with Twitter Bootstrap and GoogleAngularJS, and Kendo UI Core is an open-source variant of the Kendo UI Professional product.

In May 2015, Progress announced the latest release of the Telerik Platform, which is focused onmobile app development in addition to Web development. The most recent release added three newcomponents: Screen Builder, AppManager LiveSync and enhanced Telerik Analytics. The TelerikPlatform supports hybrid Web app development based on leveraging the open-source ApacheCordova container. The company has a verified plug-in marketplace for tested Cordova plug-ins.Telerik also supports native UI libraries and the new NativeScript native virtual machine runtime thatgives JavaScript access to native APIs in apps developed with the platform.

Telerik's go-to-market strategy has been altered for the better by Progress Software, which has asignificant enterprise sales organization. This complements the historical bottom-up approach of


selling directly to developers (per-seat licenses) and better positions the enterprise-oriented offeringof the Telerik Platform. Typical costs for an initial mobile development project, in terms of directlicensing fees and related payments to the vendor, are at the low end of the spectrum (less than$25,000 per year), while enterprise-level pricing is more than $100,000 per year (see Note 1).

Developers should consider Telerik if they are creating line-of-business apps that are inward-facingor partner-facing, or if they want to build primarily Web and hybrid apps.

Strengths

■ Telerik has a successful developer-centric approach, with products primarily sold online at amodest cost ($300 to $1,800 per developer). The acquisition of Telerik by Progress Softwareenhances the Telerik Platform with additional integration capabilities and improved enterprisesupport capabilities.

■ The platform offers an integrated modular collection of components, frameworks and tools thatsupports development for different platforms with a variety of approaches.

■ The platform leverages de facto open standards, such as jQuery, Bootstrap, AngularJS andApache Cordova; also, the Telerik Kendo UI Core framework and the NativeScript runtime areopen source.

Cautions

■ Although there is a unified Web interface, Telerik Platform has been built through acquisitionsand internal development products. This will be further complicated by the integration of theProgress Software DataDirect integration tools. Not unlike other MADPs, this makes the Teleriktoolchain a modular set of tools that is being integrated to ensure compatibility of thecomponents.

■ The platform lacks some capabilities for full SDLC support, such as full featured appmanagement, and some capabilities are relatively new and unproven, such as Screen Builderand AppManager LiveSync.

■ Historically, Telerik has had a Web rather than a mobile app focus, but this is changing as thecompany has shifted resources to mobile app development tools. Additionally, the companyhas invested in additional analytics capability that is a must for mobile app development. Theaddition of the DataDirect offering from Progress has the potential to significantly improve thecompany's integration capabilities, but this is still unproven.

Salesforce

Salesforce is the pre-eminent vendor of cloud-based business apps (SaaS) in CRM, sales forceautomation and related categories. The company complements its app business with a robustplatform capability that has evolved to add full-featured support for mobile app development. Theplatform began as distinct pieces (Force.com, Visualforce, Heroku and Mobile SDK), but wasrevamped into an integrated offering called Salesforce1 Platform — which is an API, a platform anda mobile container app all bearing the same brand. The Salesforce1 Platform has been enhanced


since initial release with the addition of Salesforce Lightning Components, a UI framework used bythe company to implement the Salesforce1 app and now available to customers for its own apps.Lightning Components use JavaScript on the client side and Apex on the server side. LightningConnect pulls data from back-end systems of record such as SAP, Oracle and Microsoft. LightningApp Builder allows visual creation of apps with drag-and-drop components.

Developers building on the Salesforce1 Platform can work at different levels, from the metadatalevel (extending and leveraging objects and functions in the CRM system with minimum code, todeploy on smartphones, tablets and desktops), to the mobile SDKs that allow high-performancenative apps to access cloud-based resources to support hybrid and HTML5 apps. Mobile apps builtwith Salesforce1 tools are deployed to the companion app container and managed there. Inaddition, Salesforce has demonstrated support for wearables (Apple Watch, Android Wear,Samsung Gear, Google Glass and others).

Salesforce's initial pricing approach was to complement its enterprise software business with aMADP offering that incorporates different pricing models (per named user, plus metered usage forcloud platform services). With Salesforce1, all customers with every edition get access to theSalesforce1 APIs, the Salesforce1 mobile app container, the AppExchange and other mobile-relatedcapabilities. As a result of this strategic change, typical costs for an initial mobile developmentproject, in terms of direct licensing fees and related payments to the vendor, are at the low-endportion of the spectrum (less than $25,000 per year; see Note 1). Pricing on a per-user subscriptionranges from $25 per month per user to $150, depending on volume and scale.

Enterprises that want to extend Salesforce business apps or need a portfolio of custom-built B2Eapps that tap into the same high-scale cloud infrastructure and data, including refined enterprisesocial computing capability, should consider Salesforce offerings.

Strengths

■ Salesforce offers a robust and mature cloud-centric platform that can support a portfolio ofapps that leverages an integrated data model, with no separate silo for mobile. These apps canincorporate social computing (Chatter), analytics, workflow and other capabilities.

■ The Salesforce1 Platform enables developers to work at different levels of the technology stack,from metadata to hybrid container to native code to component-centric mobile Web apps.

■ The company's platform visibility is on the rise, as the company enjoys an upward curve inrevenue and market reach.

Cautions

■ Exploiting the advantages of the Salesforce1 Platform means that an enterprise could getlocked in to a single vendor, proprietary language and proprietary data model, which can beefficient and advantageous for some companies but unacceptable to others. This risk can bemitigated through a mobile SDK that enables developers to build native front ends to theSalesforce back end, and through the Heroku platform as a system (PaaS) that allows apps tobe built without being linked to the Salesforce data model.


■ Some customers find the platform attractive but perceive the cost to be high.

■ Developers that adopt a container-centric approach and a mixed declarative and programmaticenvironment may experience complications in some scenarios.

SAP

In the mobile sector, SAP's considerable investments and managerial focus on mobility haveestablished it as a highly visible leader in the enterprise segment of this market. SAP MobilePlatform (SMP) is an assemblage of products brought in through past acquisitions (Sybase, Syclo)as well as through organically developed components, such as SAP's HTML5 and JavaScript-basedUI framework, SAPUI5 (based on open-source jQuery).

Version 3.0, the major release of SAP Mobile Platform, first shipped in October 2013 and becamegenerally available in May 2014. Service Pack 7 (SP07) of SMP 3.0 shipped in April 2015. SMP 3.0SP07 enhanced developer capabilities for database integration, and enhanced the Push API. Inaddition, SP07 added management capabilities for Fiori-based apps (which now number more than500). Fiori is a key part of SAP's strategic vision, which combines innovations in user experience(Fiori) with a high-performance data layer (Hana), with a flexible and cloud-friendly businessapplication suite (S/4).

SAP's pricing strategy is diverse, reflecting its portfolio of products and services, but in general, thecompany's approach is enterprise-level pricing for enterprise-grade offerings. A few offerings arefree and open source (such as SAPUI5). Typical costs for an initial mobile development project, interms of attributable direct costs and related fees, are at the enterprise end of the spectrum (morethan $100,000 per year; see Note 1).

SAP offers strong mobile capabilities for field service and asset management use cases. Enterpriseslooking for a single vendor that offers a broad portfolio of mobile technology alternatives should alsoconsider SMP, especially if the organization already has a strong vendor relationship with SAP.

Strengths

■ SMP is a proven enterprise-focused mobile app platform that supports a broad range of clientarchitectures and development toolchains, including native, HTML5, hybrid, SMS andmetadata-driven clients.

■ SAP's broad customer base of thousands of enterprises means its established offerings havebeen tested in a broad range of mobile apps across a diverse set of industries.

■ Prebuilt solutions for some SAP modules, such as SAP Work Manager, can significantlyaccelerate the time to market.

Cautions

■ SAP's broad product portfolio and wide range of capabilities, including support for multiple apparchitectures, can lead to licensing complexity and cost. Some customers report that they are


often confused about which mobile products and components they need, or if the subset ofcapabilities they desire is independently licensable.

■ Other vendors can now justifiably claim to have comprehensive, mature mobile app platformsand, in some cases, have outpaced SAP in areas such as mobile app testing or mobile cloudoptions. Some smaller vendors may have an advantage in terms of reduced organizationalcomplexity, because at SAP, the breadth of mobile-related offerings is distributed acrossmultiple organizational units.

■ SAP's cloud support for mobility is relatively nascent. SAP Hana Cloud Platform mobile services(HCPms) seems well-conceived but is relatively new and unproven (released in 1Q15). Despiteunification with SMP through SAP Mobile Platform SDK, there are some fault lines between themobile cloud platform and SMP 3.0. Migration is not possible for applications built with Agentry,Mobiliser, mobile business object (MBO) technology or custom OSGi bundles.

Xamarin

Xamarin provides tools, components and cloud services for building native cross-platform apps inC# for iOS and Android, Windows Phone, and Mac OS X. Xamarin's mobile development offeringhas seen rapid growth from positive developer response to its tools, which allow Windowsenterprise developers to use a familiar development environment to build Android and iOS mobileapps.

Xamarin compiles C# into natively executed code for each target platform. Xamarin offers twointegrated development environments (IDEs): a plug-in for Visual Studio and its own IDE, XamarinStudio. Both IDEs are integrated with libraries of components (from Xamarin and third parties), aswell as visual designers for iOS and Android. The IDEs expose C# APIs for each platform.Developers achieve native UIs and code sharing by building separate UI code in C# that leveragesany of the platform-specific APIs, or via Xamarin. Forms build the app UI from shared code withreduced functionality, but render UI elements as fully native controls. Xamarin's IDEs manage thesplit between common and platform-specific code, providing common tooling for shared codealongside platform-specific tooling where appropriate (such as native designers for composing iOSand Android UIs).

In 2014, Xamarin enjoyed strong growth in the enterprise, more than doubling its customers. Itattracted high-profile partners such as IBM and SAP, and now Oracle, and has a growing partnerecosystem. Microsoft and Xamarin continue to build on its engineering partnership. ThoughMicrosoft sales does not sell Xamarin directly, the platform is integrated into the Microsoft VisualStudio development environment. To address support for a broader spectrum of the mobilesoftware development life cycle, Xamarin continues to expand its cloud-based app testing, XamarinTest Cloud, which provides automated functional performance app UI testing on over 1,600 devicesand OS releases. Xamarin also offers Xamarin Insights (beta), which is a crash-reporting and mobileapp monitoring service. Both Test Cloud and Insights are targeted at all mobile developers, not justC# developers. Any native or hybrid app written in any language can be tested with Test Cloud andInsights.


Xamarin's pricing strategy is to build a sustainable software tool/platform business through a tieredpricing model. Licensing of the Xamarin MADP is per developer, with a yearly subscription ofbetween $900 and $1,900 per platform, per developer, depending on support. The company'srevenue model is shifting from per-developer seats to site licensing. Typical costs for an initialmobile proof-of-concept project, in terms of direct licensing fees and related costs, are at the lowend of the spectrum (less than $25,000 per year; see Note 1).

Xamarin is appropriate for developers who want to use C# and .NET skills to develop native appsthat target any combination of iOS, Android and Windows Phone platforms. Xamarin is alsoappropriate for any organization looking for a scalable and sustainable mobile quality strategy.

Strengths

■ Xamarin addresses what has been an underserved segment of the mobile development market— namely, C# developers who want to build native mobile apps without having to learn newlanguages and tools.

■ Xamarin provides its own cross-platform mobile development tool, Xamarin Studio, coupledwith an extensive library of Xamarin and third-party components, visual design tools for iOS andAndroid, and integration with Visual Studio. Moreover, the company offers a very affordabletraining package.

■ Xamarin has built a strong partner network, primarily in North America and Europe. Thisincludes both strategic partnerships, such as with Microsoft, IBM, Oracle and SAP, as well as asignificant pool of implementation and channel partners.

Cautions

■ Xamarin still lags behind a number of larger players when it comes to supporting the mobile applife cycle, but it has started to address this gap with the Xamarin Test Cloud, and it furtherbenefits from the Microsoft ALM tools and ecosystem.

■ Xamarin has historically focused on front-end development. Mobility projects that require back-end integration, new back-end logic or synchronization for offline use likely will be dependenton integrations that Xamarin has with IBM MobileFirst, SAP and Microsoft's Azure App Service.

■ The company is enjoying significant growth, which in and of itself is challenging and is stilllimited when compared to other MADP providers when it comes to addressing the full mobileapp development life cycle. Additionally, Xamarin finds itself competing with an emergingportfolio of companies addressing the market for rapid mobile app development tools.

Zebra

By acquiring the enterprise side of long-standing MADP provider Motorola Solutions, bar codescanner and printer manufacturer Zebra has broadened its offering in the mobile app developmentmarket.


The core mobile offering is the RhoMobile Suite, which includes RhoStudio, an IDE for buildingcross-platform mobile apps; RhoElements, an HTML5 framework and container for native andhybrid mobile apps; RhoConnect, mobile app middleware for back-end system integration andsynchronization for offline use; and RhoHub, a cloud service that enables developers to build anddeploy apps without the need for native SDKs running on local machines.

Zebra's development platform direction is largely guided by the needs of the company's customindustry solutions in areas such as retail, supply chain and public safety. As a result, the platform isfocused on robustness, scalability and connectivity, as well as on deep mobile device support andruggedized hardware.

Zebra's product has always been open source at its core. Licensing is based on a per-developercloud subscription model. Typical costs for an initial mobile development project, in terms of directlicensing fees and related payments to the vendor, depend on which parts of the portfolio areleveraged. In the case of Rhodes (an open-source subset of RhoElements that provides necessarycomponents for consumer apps) and RhoStudio, these are free products. The other offerings fallinto the low-end portion of the cost spectrum (less than $25,000 per year).

Zebra's RhoMobile Suite is well-suited for mobile scenarios that require strong data handling, back-end connectivity, or broad and deep device hardware support.

Strengths

■ Zebra has a deep understanding of the mobile app requirements in retail, manufacturing,utilities, energy and government, and its products based on the RhoMobile platform are provenin those environments.

■ RhoElements supports a wide range of mobile devices with cross-platform support for both theleading consumer and enterprise mobile platforms and its hardware capabilities.

■ RhoConnect offers strong back-end system integration and robust data synchronizationcapabilities for mission-critical enterprise scenarios.

Cautions

■ Zebra has fallen behind the market leaders in terms of full support for the mobile appdevelopment life cycle, with features missing from the platform such as early-stage design andprototyping, automated cloud-based testing, and postdeployment monitoring and analytics.(Zebra plans to add integration with Zatar, Zebra's IoT platform, as well as Zebra's new dataanalytics platform, in 2015.)

■ Zebra's focus on service-led solution delivery has resulted in low market visibility as adevelopment platform provider, which may make it difficult for enterprises to recruit and retainRhoMobile developers (although it launched a RhoMobile website in late 2014 to reignitevisibility in the developer community).


http://www.rhomobile.com/

■ Although Zebra offers Rhodes (which provides components for consumer apps), consumer andmarketing apps are not a strong focus for the vendor.

Vendors Added and Dropped

We review and adjust our inclusion criteria for Magic Quadrants and MarketScopes as marketschange. As a result of these adjustments, the mix of vendors in any Magic Quadrant orMarketScope may change over time. A vendor's appearance in a Magic Quadrant or MarketScopeone year and not the next does not necessarily indicate that we have changed our opinion of thatvendor. It may be a reflection of a change in the market and, therefore, changed evaluation criteria,or of a change of focus by that vendor.

Added

We added four vendors:

■ Appian

■ Backbase

■ Globo

■ Mendix

Dropped

Four vendors that appeared in our 2014 Magic Quadrant were not included this year:

■ Apple only offers development tools for iOS apps so it does not meet the cross-platformcriteria.

■ Google only offers development tools for Android apps so it does not meet the cross-platformcriteria.

■ Sencha no longer meets the revenue or inquiry traffic inclusion criteria.

■ Verivo is no longer in the MADP business.

Honorable Mentions

The following vendors did not meet the inclusion criteria (typically because of revenue), but they arecredible alternatives to the vendors included in this Magic Quadrant. Several of these vendors arecovered in "Market Guide for Rapid Mobile App Development Tools" and "Market Guide for CloudMobile Back-End Services." Distinctions between styles of mobile app development are covered in"How to Address the Complexities of the Mobile AD Technologies Vendor Landscape."

■ Alpha Software offers the Alpha Anywhere platform with a wizard-driven developmentenvironment for building HTML5 and hybrid mobile apps, including connectors for commonback-end systems and SQL databases.


■ AnyPresence provides an enterprise-focused MBaaS offering that includes integration,dynamically generated SDKs, API definition, templates and a test user interface builder. Theseprovide a quick start to app development projects.

■ Appery.io is a low-code platform for the rapid development and deployment of cross-deviceapps. It offers a cloud-based development environment with integrated back-end services andplug-ins that simplify integration with cloud services and enterprise systems.

■ EachScape offers a platform for generating native iOS and Android apps, as well as HTML5hybrid apps, through a drag-and-drop editor.

■ FeedHenry (by Red Hat) offers a collaborative mobile app development environment, mobileback end as a service (MBaaS) and app management capabilities. Cloud and on-premisesoptions are available, as are a large number of Node.js-based connectors. FeedHenry offers anopen bring-your-own-tool approach, allowing clients to select additional front-end developmenttools.

■ Kinvey, launched in 2011, provides core MBaaS features with additional SDKs for a broadrange of clients, advanced identity management, enterprise integration, analytics, security andcontent delivery network capabilities.

■ Specializing in mobilizing SAP, but supporting many potential back ends, Movilizer offers aform-based tool for rapid deployment of business process apps in a dedicated container.

■ OutSystems offers an integrated platform to visually develop, deploy and monitor hybrid mobileapps, including device-native extensions, Web-based portals supported by back-end data,workflow and integration logic, including well-managed Web services, prebuilt adapters to cloudand on-premises systems such as SAP, and app templates to further accelerate development.

■ Webalo offers a platform with a graphical development tool to build and configure mobile appsthat connect to back-end systems via Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) drivers, XML Webservices, flat files and Web scraping.

■ Zetes supports mobile enablement of supply chain and related activities with the MCL MobilityPlatform. Capabilities include drag-and-drop app creation, mainframe and SAP integration, plusdevice and power management. Voice command and control is a particular specialty.

Inclusion and Exclusion CriteriaVendors in this year's Magic Quadrant met the following criteria:

■ Must create apps for multiple platforms, at least for iOS and Android.

■ Demonstrated significant market impact, with at least one of the following:

■ MADP software revenue in 2014 of more than $25 million

■ A high volume of inquiries from Gartner end-user clients


■ Had at least 10 new paying enterprise implementations in each of at least two of the followinggeographic regions: North America, Latin America, EMEA or Asia/Pacific.

As a result of our inclusion criteria, we excluded vendors that:

■ Offer only mobile back-end services

■ Only sells their software coupled with development/professional services where the tool is usedexclusively by company consultants

■ Target only a single system platform, such as iOS only or Android only

Evaluation Criteria

Ability to Execute

Product or Service: How well does the vendor's platform meet the buying requirements ofenterprises? Can the platform be used to build native, hybrid and Web apps? Is the platform open?Does it integrate well with third-party frameworks, APIs and other vendors' platforms? Does itrequire only standard IT skills and tools? How labor-efficient is the offering? Does it supportdeclarative or metadata-based programming? Does the vendor supply app templates orframeworks to accelerate development? Does the platform support the full software developmentlife cycle, including testing? What support is there for app deployment and distribution, runtimemonitoring and operations? Does the vendor have a strong partner ecosystem that extends thevalue of its products/services? Does the vendor offer strong cloud options, including mobilecapabilities such as push messaging and location?

Overall Viability: We look for continued commitment from upper management and overall companyfinancial well-being — including factors such as product investment exceeding competitors'product investment. We also looked for company growth that exceeds the market growth rate.

Sales Execution/Pricing: Does the vendor have the scope and sales model to participate in allenterprise evaluations, or is it constrained? Does the pricing model create a sales barrier?

Market Responsiveness/Record: How rapidly has the company responded to changes in themarket, including new operating system versions? Does the company support new categories suchas wearables?

Marketing Execution: What is the level of market awareness of the company's mobile enterpriseoffering? Has the vendor achieved meaningful differentiation?

Customer Experience: What is the number, variety and size of customer references? What specificfeedback and observations are offered by customers, both from references and from other contacts(inquiries, conferences and so forth)? What is the customer experience when partners are involved?


Operations: How well does the vendor support customers? Does it provide cost-effective andcompetent consulting services? Can it provide a cloud-based deployment model or hostingservices?

Table 1. Ability to Execute Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation Criteria Weighting

Product or Service High

Overall Viability Medium

Sales Execution/Pricing High

Market Responsiveness Medium

Marketing Execution Low

Customer Experience High

Operations Low


Completeness of Vision

Market Understanding: Does the vendor understand the needs of IT, marketing, productengineering, system integrator and vertical-sector users? How does it stay on top of those needsand translate them into useful products? To what degree has the market validated the vendor'svision?

Marketing Strategy: Does the vendor have a reasonable strategy to create broad awareness of thecompany and its offerings?

Sales Strategy: Will the strategy enable the vendor to compete in the majority of enterpriseselections, or will it constrain the vendor's success? Does the vendor have a successful approachtoward channel sales and services partners?

Offering (Product) Strategy: Does the roadmap for the product reflect the market's direction andthe likely requirements of buyers within 18 to 24 months? Drilling down from the high-levelroadmap, does the vendor provide an effective and achievable strategy with regard to each of thefollowing areas: multiplatform, multichannel, app life cycle, user experience, integration, analytics,standards and cloud support?

Business Model: Does the vendor's business model yield the kind of growth that will allow thecompany to lead the market? Are the licensing models appropriate and supportive? Does thevendor encourage a strong ecosystem around its products?


Vertical/Industry Strategy: Is the vendor able to articulate a strategy for vertical differentiation inspecific sectors (such as financial services, government, healthcare, manufacturing and energy),and can it sustain that position? Does the vendor offer packaged mobile apps or templates forspecific vertical industries?

Innovation: Does the vendor lead the market with innovative product technology, softwarearchitecture and business models?

Geographic Strategy: Does the company have a strong plan for supporting customers andgrowing business in different regions?

Table 2. Completeness of Vision Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation Criteria Weighting

Market Understanding High

Marketing Strategy Low

Sales Strategy Medium

Offering (Product) Strategy High

Business Model Medium

Vertical/Industry Strategy Low

Innovation High

Geographic Strategy Low


Quadrant Descriptions

Leaders

Leaders must represent a strong combination of Ability to Execute and Completeness of Vision. Inthe MADP sector, this means that Leaders not only are good at cross-platform development,deployment and management across the full life cycle, but also have a good vision of themultichannel enterprise, support for multiple architectures and standards, a solid understanding ofIT requirements, and scalable channels and partnerships. Leaders must provide platforms that areeasy to purchase, program, deploy and upgrade, and which can connect to a range of back-endand cloud services, from the same vendor as well as third parties.


Challengers

Challengers in this market must have high numbers of enterprise clients; a large, growing base ofseats in deployment; and the ability to meet the needs of all departments in global rollouts. They arevendors with a history of execution in the broad market, but they may not yet have accumulated asubstantial track record in the MADP sector across a range of scenarios. Challengers may also lacka cohesive technical or business vision — or may have lingering gaps or confusing overlaps inproducts or channels to market.

Visionaries

Visionaries in this market have a compelling vision of products and the market's future, as well asthe technical direction (and necessary resources) to take them there. However, they have notbacked up that vision in one or more of the following areas: history of execution, revenue, size ofclient base, diversity of solutions or strong financial results.

Niche Players

Niche Players in this market are not as strong in one or more of the following criteria: productbreadth/completeness or focus, geography, or number of customers. Although they may be a goodchoice for a particular project, they are not well-suited as a broad platform for all types of projects.Nevertheless, for specific scenarios, an offering from a Niche Player may represent the optimalchoice.

ContextThe enterprise mobility market continues to evolve, with growing demand for mobile apps in allareas. This growing demand means that organizations are recognizing that they can no longercontinue to build a collection of single apps; a portfolio approach is required.

Implementing such an approach represents a significant shift in mobile development at all levels,and this is reflected in the market. App delivery is much less about the technical aspects ofprogramming the client and significantly more about its business impact, design, integration,deployment and management.

Many organizations are realizing that mobile is an essential competitive advantage as part of anoverall digital business transformation. Mobile is only part of this bigger picture, and while mobile-first thinking is helpful to ensure a simple, powerful experience, it is not in itself sufficient. This, too,is reflected by changes in the market, emphasizing multichannel delivery and support for continuityof user experience across channels.

Diversity of target device continues to increase, with manufacturers offering compelling devices inmany form factors from watch to massive tablet. No one screen size or operating systemdominates. Any company wishing to address a wide audience must deliver a cross-platformexperience that is optimized for a range of form factors and operating systems.


Here are some points to keep in mind when using this research:

■ As with all Magic Quadrants, vendors in the Leaders quadrant are not necessarily the best for allprojects or enterprises. Depending on enterprise needs, a vendor in any quadrant could be thebest for the enterprise. Some platforms may be a better fit with the organization's skill sets.Consider the match between the skills that are there and those required by each MADPevaluated. Also consider the cost and complexity of the vendor's offering, and whether thisoffering aligns to benefits expected during the estimated life span of the product use.

■ Do not assume that there is a one-to-one correspondence between a MADP and a productlisting in a vendor's portfolio. MADP is a platform that can be assembled out of subsystems ofvarying granularity — and with different degrees of effort that don't always correspond to thegranularity. In addition, the developing nature of mobile apps and infrastructure can make itdifficult for some enterprises to select a single, strategic MADP vendor. Concentrate on findinga small set of platforms that will satisfy short- to midterm needs, and be prepared to re-examinechoices every few years.

■ In implementing a MADP and in deploying it through its life cycle, account for varying rates oftechnology change in different subsystems. In general, back-end systems will have a slowerrate of change with a longer life span, while front-end technologies (such as HTML5, native UIcomponents and graphics hardware, as well as the APIs that support mobile apps) will evolve ata rate that is two times or three times that of back-end technologies. Do not constrain theevolution of the entire system to the speed of change of the slowest-evolving subsystem.

■ Consider the MADP as an intermediate stage in a path from fragmented tools and platformstoward a unified orchestrated set of digital and nondigital channels. Do not assume that amobile silo is a long-lasting destination. Consider how the organization can deliver an effectiveuser experience that is orchestrated across multiple channels in a seamless manner.

Market OverviewThe MADP market continues to mature, moving away from the tech-centric position of the pasttoward a more business-aligned approach, expanding support for the app development life cycleand offering more robust and scalable capabilities. Enterprises face the challenge of building anddelivering a sizable portfolio of mobile apps for customers, partners and employees. Organizationsthat had successfully built and deployed a handful of customer-facing and employee-facing appsnow find that there is a backlog of dozens, even hundreds, of apps that are needed to allowdifferent populations of users to get data from diverse information systems, both internal andexternal.

Enterprises seeking a mobile development platform have expressed to Gartner the followingrequirements:

■ Cross-platform, supporting more than one platform (that is, not just iOS or Android or WindowsPhone).


■ Multiarchitecture, supporting not just native or mobile Web or hybrid architectures, butsupporting more than one (or, ideally, all) of these architectures.

■ Built-in support for offline operation, which is becoming a recognized necessity for manyorganizations. Offline support is one factor in considering a mobile app over a mobile website.

■ Support for the app development life cycle; for example, metadata-driven apps, prototyping,multidevice testing (test cloud, for example), multiplatform build process (build cloud),versioning, configuration management, analytics, distribution and management of mobile appsonce deployed through various mechanisms (not just an app store), and so forth.

■ Prebuilt or configurable integrations to common back-end systems such as databases, SAP,Oracle apps or Microsoft Dynamics.

■ Rapid mobile app development (RMAD) tools that can be used by less-technical staff such asbusiness analysts or process experts.

■ Cloud-based services for integration, data persistence, notifications, data analysis, social mediaintegration, and so on.

■ Using standards (HTML5 and CSS3), including de facto standards (jQuery, PhoneGap/ApacheCordova).

■ An ecosystem of third-party libraries, frameworks, tools, components and services partners thatcan fill in the gaps in the offering.

■ A track record of successful deployments at different levels of scale and in different verticals.

Another trend we have observed is that because of the explosive growth in mobile usage, manyvendors continue to enter the market (see Note 2). Often, these are existing vendors from othersectors such as business applications, BI, mobile security solutions, virtualization and verticalmarkets — especially business process management (BPM).

Major vendors continue to break product suites into smaller components, for example, IBMWorklight becoming the MobileFirst portfolio of compatible products, or Kony's MobileFabric. Thesevendors recognize and encourage end users to mix and match tools, typically layering differentfront-end tools over an MBaaS core while augmenting the apps with specialist capabilities such assecurity monitoring.

It is important to note that because of this, there is not a one-to-one equivalence between a MADPand a specific item in a vendor's product catalog. An enterprise MADP may be built out of differentsubsystems, including open-source libraries and native-code toolkits. Alternatively, an enterprisemay begin with a core system that is a product from a commercial vendor — possibly a productwith a specific focus or narrow scope — and then integrate this with other systems (SDLC, testingor back-end services) to arrive at its own MADP.

It is also important to note, as with other Magic Quadrants, that the best choice for one enterprisemay not be the same as for another, and that these choices are not just in the Leaders quadrant. Itall depends on the requirements. Some vendors in quadrants other than Leaders (Niche Players,


Visionaries or Challengers) may provide a better fit for those requirements — and often bettereconomic value as well.

From last year's Magic Quadrant, we have continued to include cost indicators. This is in responseto requests from end-user organizations for at least rough guidance on what to expect. Preciseguidance is difficult, because vendors have different pricing models, organizations have differentskill sets and methodologies, and app requirements can vary widely. Nevertheless, it is possible todefine a simple three-tier structure for costs for an initial mobile development project: low, midrangeand enterprise. Low is less than $25,000 per year, midrange is between $25,000 and $100,000, andenterprise is above $100,000, as defined in Note 1. Every vendor profile in this Magic Quadrant hasa mention of costs using this coarse-grained categorization.

As the MADP sector continues its robust growth and evolution, the question arises, "Where willthings go from here?" Vendors have broadened and deepened offerings to, in many cases, arrive ata robust and complete mobile development platform. Fragmentation such as native versus hybridversus Web has been eliminated, or at least tempered. Despite the vendors' undeniable progress intools and platforms, the critic may say that the final result is a very good mobile silo: functional,comprehensive and worthwhile — but a silo nonetheless. The future evolution of MADP is to gobeyond the mobile silo, in the direction of a unified digital channel, so that organizations can field asingle digital presence that spans desktop Web, mobile Web, mobile apps, and apps for otherdevices and channels such as kiosks and wearables. This will enable orchestration of experiencesacross channels through the construction of coordinated solutions targeting different channels, andoptimized for the particular capabilities of each channel. This is what Gartner calls ensemble orcontinuous interaction — when a user begins a transaction on one device and continues it on otherdevices or channels, sometimes in sequence but also in parallel. This vision of a continuousexperience across channels will take years to be fully realized. This will likely require a mix ofchannel-specific technologies integrated with channel-neutral back-end services. Until that time,siloed MADP offerings will continue to play an essential role in digital business.

Gartner Recommended ReadingSome documents may not be available as part of your current Gartner subscription.

"How Markets and Vendors Are Evaluated in Gartner Magic Quadrants"

"Market Guide for Rapid Mobile App Development Tools"

"Market Guide for Cloud Mobile Back-End Services"

"How to Address the Complexities of the Mobile AD Technologies Vendor Landscape"

"The Future of Mobile Apps and Their Development"

"Critical Capabilities for Mobile Application Development Platforms"


Note 1 Pricing

To provide guidance to organizations about pricing for different MADP offerings, Gartner has defineda coarse-grained three-tier structure, as follows: (1) a low-cost tier of less than $25,000 per year foran initial mobile development project; (2) a midrange tier of between $25,000 and $100,000 peryear; and (3) an enterprise tier of more than $100,000 per year.

Note 2 Vendors and Packages Considered

Adobe, Alpha Software, Amazon, apiOmat, Appcelerator, Appery.io, AppGyver, Appian, Apple,appsFreedom, Asial Monaca, Axway, Backbase, Bizmatica, Branding Brand, Built.io, Catavolt,ClickSoftware, DSI, EachScape, Embarcadero, FSI, Globo, Good Technology, Google, Gupta, i-exceed Appzillon, IBM, Instant Developer, Kii, Kinvey, Kony, L&T Infotech, Mendix, Mi-Corporation,Microsoft, MicroStrategy, modomodo, Neosperience, Nexaweb, Oracle, OutSystems, Pegasystems,Pivotal, Progress, Red Hat, Reddo Mobility, Retriever, Salesforce, SAP, Sencha, Smartface, Unvired,WaveMaker, WebRatio, Xamarin, Zebra, Zetes.

Evaluation Criteria Definitions

Ability to Execute

Product/Service: Core goods and services offered by the vendor for the definedmarket. This includes current product/service capabilities, quality, feature sets, skillsand so on, whether offered natively or through OEM agreements/partnerships asdefined in the market definition and detailed in the subcriteria.

Overall Viability: Viability includes an assessment of the overall organization's financialhealth, the financial and practical success of the business unit, and the likelihood thatthe individual business unit will continue investing in the product, will continue offeringthe product and will advance the state of the art within the organization's portfolio ofproducts.

Sales Execution/Pricing: The vendor's capabilities in all presales activities and thestructure that supports them. This includes deal management, pricing and negotiation,presales support, and the overall effectiveness of the sales channel.

Market Responsiveness/Record: Ability to respond, change direction, be flexible andachieve competitive success as opportunities develop, competitors act, customerneeds evolve and market dynamics change. This criterion also considers the vendor'shistory of responsiveness.

Marketing Execution: The clarity, quality, creativity and efficacy of programs designedto deliver the organization's message to influence the market, promote the brand andbusiness, increase awareness of the products, and establish a positive identificationwith the product/brand and organization in the minds of buyers. This "mind share" can


be driven by a combination of publicity, promotional initiatives, thought leadership,word of mouth and sales activities.

Customer Experience: Relationships, products and services/programs that enableclients to be successful with the products evaluated. Specifically, this includes the wayscustomers receive technical support or account support. This can also include ancillarytools, customer support programs (and the quality thereof), availability of user groups,service-level agreements and so on.

Operations: The ability of the organization to meet its goals and commitments. Factorsinclude the quality of the organizational structure, including skills, experiences,programs, systems and other vehicles that enable the organization to operateeffectively and efficiently on an ongoing basis.

Completeness of Vision

Market Understanding: Ability of the vendor to understand buyers' wants and needsand to translate those into products and services. Vendors that show the highestdegree of vision listen to and understand buyers' wants and needs, and can shape orenhance those with their added vision.

Marketing Strategy: A clear, differentiated set of messages consistently communicatedthroughout the organization and externalized through the website, advertising,customer programs and positioning statements.

Sales Strategy: The strategy for selling products that uses the appropriate network ofdirect and indirect sales, marketing, service, and communication affiliates that extendthe scope and depth of market reach, skills, expertise, technologies, services and thecustomer base.

Offering (Product) Strategy: The vendor's approach to product development anddelivery that emphasizes differentiation, functionality, methodology and feature sets asthey map to current and future requirements.

Business Model: The soundness and logic of the vendor's underlying businessproposition.

Vertical/Industry Strategy: The vendor's strategy to direct resources, skills andofferings to meet the specific needs of individual market segments, including verticalmarkets.

Innovation: Direct, related, complementary and synergistic layouts of resources,expertise or capital for investment, consolidation, defensive or pre-emptive purposes.

Geographic Strategy: The vendor's strategy to direct resources, skills and offerings tomeet the specific needs of geographies outside the "home" or native geography, eitherdirectly or through partners, channels and subsidiaries as appropriate for thatgeography and market.


GARTNER HEADQUARTERS

Corporate Headquarters56 Top Gallant RoadStamford, CT 06902-7700USA+1 203 964 0096

Regional HeadquartersAUSTRALIABRAZILJAPANUNITED KINGDOM

For a complete list of worldwide locations,visit http://www.gartner.com/technology/about.jsp

© 2015 Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Gartner is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. or its affiliates. Thispublication may not be reproduced or distributed in any form without Gartner’s prior written permission. If you are authorized to accessthis publication, your use of it is subject to the Usage Guidelines for Gartner Services posted on gartner.com. The information containedin this publication has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. Gartner disclaims all warranties as to the accuracy,completeness or adequacy of such information and shall have no liability for errors, omissions or inadequacies in such information. Thispublication consists of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. The opinionsexpressed herein are subject to change without notice. Although Gartner research may include a discussion of related legal issues,Gartner does not provide legal advice or services and its research should not be construed or used as such. Gartner is a public company,and its shareholders may include firms and funds that have financial interests in entities covered in Gartner research. Gartner’s Board ofDirectors may include senior managers of these firms or funds. Gartner research is produced independently by its research organizationwithout input or influence from these firms, funds or their managers. For further information on the independence and integrity of Gartnerresearch, see “Guiding Principles on Independence and Objectivity.”


http://www.gartner.com/technology/about.jsp

http://www.gartner.com/technology/about/policies/usage_guidelines.jsp

http://www.gartner.com/technology/about/ombudsman/omb_guide2.jsp

Documents

Magic Quadrant for Mobile Application Development Platforms · Appian's proprietary container approach provides native performance due to high-level ... focus was UI (Ajax library