With cloud becoming the choice of framework for most major services today, it is imperative that businesses update their approach accordingly. This means that solutions that are bulky and tough to maintain must begin to go into legacy mode, and make way for the new and fast cloud-based ones.
Microsoft is now making it easier to design and deploy apps in the cloud, with the introduction of its new Azure App Service. This Azure-based platform makes it possible for businesses to create and deploy mobile apps for a variety of mobile devices. It enables even non-professional developers to make use of the features offered by the cloud. Here are some of the advantages offered by the Azure App Service:
Fast creation and deployment of apps:
The Mobile App Service would make it easier to build cross-platform and native apps for a variety of platforms including iOS, Android, Windows and Mac. This makes it possible for businesses to expand their reach rapidly as they could reach a wider customer base, and also enjoy a shorter time to market.
Versatility in data storage options:
Businesses could choose to store their data on the cloud or on their premises, and the apps built through the Azure App Service could handle both these scenarios seamlessly. In both cases, data security is a priority and well taken care of. Especially for existing data storage repositories, this helps save a lot of time in deployment of apps as only the access methods and security needs must be taken care of by the new cloud-based solution.
Better handling of offline data needs:
Network issues can be a major issue in case of data-dependent apps, and Microsoft has planned to address this proactively. Important server data will be cached locally on the device, so that app responsiveness is much improved. Even when the network is down, users would be able to access and make changes to the data. This provides a seamless experience to users even when offline, and is sure to be a useful feature for businesses.
Notifications are now easier than ever:
Reaching the customer is an important aim of businesses today, and this is also simplified with the Notification Hubs. This can be integrated with any mobile app, and allows you to send millions of push notifications to all types of mobile devices very quickly. Any important information or promotion could make its way to as big a customer base as you need, in a jiffy.
Scaling according to business needs:
If your business is a growing one, and your initial requirement is not too high, you need not worry about exceeding your budget. Mobile Apps allows you to pay only according to the resources that you require, and scale up when you need to. Big businesses on the other hand need have no concern about the upper limit of this spectrum, as Mobile Apps can provide the required resources easily as well.
Integrating with social media:
No brand or business can afford to ignore social media like Facebook, Twitter and Google. Having active social media pages for your brand is imperative, but it is also equally important to be in sync with what your customers are saying about you on this interface. You can now use the logic apps to track social media pages and, for example, even analyze customer sentiment and take appropriate action regarding the same.
Just as adopting the cloud is becoming the way forward for most businesses, finding tools that support your business process management is an important step as well. These attractive advantages offered by the Azure Mobile App Service could make a big difference not just to smaller businesses that want to make an impact, but also with established brands to help them connect and engage with customers in a more efficient way.
Is this the end of BizTalk?
Businesses using Microsoft’s popular BizTalk server need not be concerned. It is not planned to be going out of service anytime soon, as it is very prevalently in use by many. It will continue to be supported for a reasonably long period of time, as has been the case with Microsoft. It may be naturally phased out sometime in the future as more businesses start moving to the cloud model.
To know more about the Microsoft Azure App service to build and deploy apps for mobile devices, do check out the product page as well.