New software for professional mobile devices? On the Apple App Store or on Google Play, employees of many IT companies don't even need to search. US chipmaker Qualcomm employees use their own "App Store Employee". Who worked at IBM, controlling "Whirlwind" in the Apple App Store "Switchboard". German software manufacturer SAP also has a system like the one offered.
The technology giant is successful, but in other industries, the trend is slowly increasing. "The question of how applications can be systematically and meaningfully integrated into companies is becoming increasingly important for companies with comprehensive digital strategies," said Gabriel Seiberth, Managing Director of Mobility at Accenture Digital. So far, what is called a company application store is still not widely used. "But many companies are currently dealing with it intensively."
Big Benefits of an Enterprise App Store: Business continues to have control over what is installed. "Especially with the Android operating system that is less regulated, downloading applications can pose a security risk," Seiberth said. In addition, the company keeps an overview: "Together with mobile device management, the company oversees which employees use the device and which applications."
This is very important for companies whose employees cannot use the same application but can choose it. In addition to the self-developed internal applications, it is also provided by external providers through the Enterprise App Store. This means that all relevant programs are coordinated in a central location.
Two years ago, market research firm Gartner estimated that by 2017, about a quarter of all businesses will have an internal app store. Companies like Apperian or Good Technology have recognized the need and offer appropriate services as a platform as a service from the cloud. "For small and medium enterprises, such solutions from external providers are the only reasonable way for an efficient Enterprise App Store," Seiberth said.
The shift in corporate processes to the cloud and the proliferation of mobile devices have made applications more important in the corporate environment. According to an Accenture study, 83 percent of decision makers believe that mobile applications will become the dominant user interface in the future. Almost as many as consider internal applications as an integral part of their organization.
