Mobile enterprise application platform. A Mobile Enterprise Application Platform (MEAP) is a type of mobile application development platform (MADP) that includes a suite of frameworks, services, and toolkits to assist in the developing mobile applications. MEAP platforms enable organizations or businesses to develop, test, and deploy applications using standardization and protocols.

A MEAP/MADP ideally includes tools for testing, debugging, and maintaining existing applications, as well as API calls for back-end databases and "middleware" for linting, parsing, and compiling.

The term's origin is attributed to a Gartner Magic Quadrant report in 2008 and was formerly referred to as the "Multichannel Access Gateway Market."

Purpose and function 

Mobile Enterprise Application Platforms (MEAPs) aim to address the challenges of developing mobile software across a variety of devices, networks, and user groups during deployment and throughout the mobile computing technology lifecycle. Unlike standalone applications, MEAPs try to offer a comprehensive and long-term solution for both developers and end users.

A key advantage that MEAPs advocate for is their cross-platform capabilities. These platforms enable the development of a single mobile application that can be deployed across various devices with different operating systems, such as Android smartphones, iOS devices, tablets, notebooks, and even modified handheld gaming consoles. MEAPs facilitate seamless cross-platform functionality without requiring changes to the underlying machine or business logic.

The primary audience for MEAPs includes organizations aiming to rapidly develop and deploy multiple applications on a unified infrastructure. This infrastructure can be hosted on-premises (offline), in the cloud (online), or a hybrid environment combining both options. MEAPs also support ongoing maintenance and testing, ensuring applications remain functional and up-to-date. Allow every app to function in every part of the world.

Mobile platforms provide templates for development through the use of high-level languages to accelerate development and maintenance cycles.

Rule of Three 

Gartner observed that companies consider the MEAP approach when their platform must:
 Support three or more mobile applications
 Support three or more mobile operating systems (OS)
 Integrate with at least three back-end data sources

Gartner advocated using a common mobility platform in this situation.

Components and features

Structure 

A cloud-based Mobile Enterprise Application Platform (MEAP) typically consists of two main components: a mobile middleware server and a mobile client application. The middleware server manages system integration, security, communication, scalability, cross-platform support, and other essential functionalities. It does not store data itself; instead, it facilitates the flow of data between back-end systems and mobile devices.

Mobile client applications are software programs that connect to the middleware server, driving both the user interface and the back-end logic on the device. These applications are designed to be cross-platform tools that can launch on various mobile operating systems. Mobile apps are generally deployed as "thick" or "native" applications, which are installed directly on the device. Alternatively, they may be implemented as "thin" applications, rendered through browser-based technologies such as HTML5.

The choice between thick/native and thin/browser-based applications depends on several factors—including the complexity of the application, device compatibility, user experience requirements, and the necessity for offline functionality in the absence of network coverage.

Features and capabilities 

Mobile Enterprise Application Platforms (MEAPs) support a wide range of mobile devices and operating systems, enabling cross-platform functionality without requiring separate codebases. At the core of most MEAPs is a mobile middleware server, which facilitates integration, connectivity, security, and application management.

Many MEAPs employ techniques to minimize or eliminate the need for extensive coding. These platforms often include industry-standard integrated development environments (IDEs), such as Eclipse, which simplify the app development process. Some MEAPs also support hybrid development modes, utilizing JavaScript-based UI design software development kits (SDKs) like Dojo Toolkit, YUI Library, jQuery Mobile, or Sencha Touch. By integrating with frameworks such as Apache Cordova (formerly PhoneGap) or Appcelerator, these tools encapsulate various device-specific APIs—such as geolocation, connectivity, accelerometer, camera, and file system—within the IDE. This enables developers to create and deploy custom applications that leverage mobile device features without requiring native or fourth-generation language (4GL) coding.

MEAPs have advanced mobile business support by evolving from traditional 4GL tools to sophisticated graphical environments and dedicated scripting languages. They integrate with multiple server data sources, allowing businesses to utilize Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) services from backend systems. Further details are available in the mobile application development section.

Centralized management is another key feature of MEAPs, particularly in business-to-employee (B2E) scenarios. While mobile device management (MDM) systems handle the management of mobile devices, MEAPs focus on the centralized management of mobile applications.

Many MEAPs are cloud-enabled, providing flexibility for deployment and scalability. They often include low-code or no-code tools to further simplify app development. Additional features may include remote device management and offline capabilities. However, MEAPs are not without limitations, such as vendor lock-in and restrictions on customization, which organizations should consider when adopting these platforms.

Impact of Implementing Semantic Web Technology

MEAPs often leverage technologies such as the Semantic Web, rule-based reasoning, and ontology frameworks to address the complexities of mobile commerce applications. Key features include:

 Semantic Integration: MEAPs use domain-specific ontologies and XML-based standards like OWL and RDF to uniformly describe and manage diverse business information resources. This approach ensures interoperability and scalability across various industries.
 Platform Architecture: Typically, MEAPs include functional layers, such as:
 Service Layer: Handles incoming queries, reasoning, and response formatting.
 Semantic Layer: Maintains static knowledge bases for reasoning and resource mapping.
 Mapping Layer: Facilitates the conversion of enterprise data into semantically meaningful formats.
 Resource Layer: Integrates heterogeneous enterprise resources, such as databases, files, and web services, into the mobile ecosystem.
 Scalability and Interoperability: By abstracting the underlying wireless network and device-specific details, MEAPs provide a flexible framework for creating applications compatible with various mobile devices.
 Reasoning and Auto-Discovery: Advanced platforms utilize inference engines to support automatic reasoning and dynamic discovery of resources, enhancing the decision-making process.

See also 
 Cross-platform software
 Field service management
 Application server
 Low-code development platforms
 Mobile application development
 Multi-channel app development

References

Enterprise application platform
Enterprise architecture
Enterprise application platform