Introduction to Open Source Enterprise Application Platform and Its Attributes

Introduction to Open Source Enterprise Application Platform and Its Attributes

by C. Gupta

Open source enterprise application platforms are runtime platforms used for designing, building, deploying, hosting and managing complex applications and services that are not only efficient but also cost-effective. Enterprise platforms support the entire software development lifecycle and facilitate multi-channel app experiences. With IT becoming the backbone of any enterprise, organizations today are looking to reduce the time-to-market and improve the overall maintainability and extensibility of their solutions.

Enterprise Mobile Application platforms support a plethora of solutions from Enterprise Resource Planning, to eCommerce, Business Intelligence, Customer Relationship Management, Content Management etc. Modern enterprise application platforms are also cloud ready; they offer efficient and up-to-date architecture that facilitate smooth application deployment on on-premise and cloud environments.

The framework supports the development and implementation of applications and enables powerful management and automation. Enterprise software solutions provide improved performance, scalability and productivity and ensure the organization's administration and development needs are met.

Most open source enterprise application platforms today include everything needed to build, run and manage services for enterprise applications - from HTML 5 to highly transactional applications. They simplify deployment by enabling virtualized environments and thus ensuring low memory usage.

With organizations seeking customized solutions for their specific business requirements, enterprise development today are also highly extensible. Most businesses require integration that extends beyond a single application. Hence, enterprise solutions offer sufficient flexibility that not only helps build applications seamlessly, but also allows integration of applications with existing processes and systems. Software development companies have the ability to effectively extend the functionalities of the platform without compromising on the business requirements or system interoperability. Software companies use proven tools and methodologies that are tailored to meet the changing business needs of organizations.

Modern enterprise application platforms eliminate traditional development bottlenecks thereby dramatically increasing speed and output. The development environment of these platforms is such that highly-specialized developers are not required to build solutions. This leads to reduced complexity, reduced cost and high productivity gains. They also ensure collaboration between IT and business by integrating social media, built-in instant communication and project management capabilities.

With advances in the smart phone industry, custom application platforms can now also be installed and accessed from multiple handheld devices such as a mobile phone, tablet or an iPad. Enterprise end users have become highly mobile, using smartphones and tablets to access corporate data and get work done from anywhere. App platforms thus are capable of delivering multi-device applications that are seamlessly integrated with back-end systems. This ensures that applications can be accessed anywhere, anytime irrespective of the device through which it is accessed. Mobile enterprise application platforms are compatible with a wide range of mobile operating systems; they also ensure agility in order to support the latest offering.