RhoMobile Seeks Mind Share, Enterprise Developers Under New Parent Company

Charlotte Dunlap

Summary Bullets:

• Motorola goes from internal MEAP focus to support external non-Motorola devices/solutions

• Backend integration and hosted cloud are at the core of its new strategy

After losing significant mind share in the MEAP market space due to an internal focus on core Motorola products, RhoMobile, now operating under the wing of Zebra Technologies, has a new go to market strategy. It plans to take on competitors through its mature platform with an emphasis on backend integration, IoT focus, and strong channel partnerships.

Progress Software Goes After Salesforce Lightning with UI Customization Vendor Acquisition

Charlotte Dunlap

Summary Bullets:

• The client-side app development tools trend continues following Salesforce’s intimidating release of updated PaaS UI, Salesforce1 Lightning.
• Progress Software continues a steady build-up of platform services and mobile app platforms, following three key acquisitions in a year.

The mobile app development trend continues around client-side tools that will serve LoB users within enterprises that are realizing the need for both external-facing and internal-facing mobile apps. Numerous front-end app platforms have been announced in recent months by practically everyone playing in the MEAP space, most prominently by Salesforce’s Lightning UI.

Enterprises Will Embrace MEAPs that Leverage Open-Source, Standards-based Technologies

Charlotte Dunlap

Summary Bullets:

• As part of the MEAP evolution, traditional middleware vendors differentiate via new frameworks
• Gateway servers and API services are key to backend integration strategies

2014 is the year mobile enterprise application platforms (MEAP) and mobile cloud services have finally appeared on the enterprise radar. In the past 12 months, MEAPs have evolved from mostly proprietary solutions to ones which leverage open source and standards-based mobile technologies, solutions that decouple front end and back-end platforms to cater to mobile developers’ framework familiarity, and cloud-based integration services to ease backend integration requirements. As a result, enterprises have gone from primarily outsourcing mobile app development or relying on homegrown solutions, to looking to traditional middleware providers to fulfill technology needs.

What Does VMware Mean to You?

Jerry Caron – Senior Vice President, Analysis

Summary Bullets:                

• VMware’s VMworld was a hit again, pulling in partners and customers alike
• The buzz around VMware is about much more than simple virtualization software

I did not attend last week’s VMworld in Las Vegas, hosted of course by VMware, the virtualization software market leader. I wish I had, though. While timing and location prevented my own pilgrimage, Current Analysis was very well represented as were a who’s who of technology-market partners and a robust contingent of IT executives and managers. The reason why this event has become so important for so many is simple, but also profound: Certainly VMware caught lightning in a bottle with its virtualization software, but the company is also leveraging this rather arcane solution as a platform to help solve myriad other IT problems, both with and without partner support.