Brief: Mobile Access To Back-End Systems

Mobile applications are the linchpins of business strategies to attract, retain, and delight customers. Mobile developers, in turn, need access to customer data typically resident in back-end systems of record. The problem: That data is stored in an unfamiliar platform and operating system, coded in archaic languages and character sets — as if it originated "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away." This sets up a Star Wars-like conflict between good and evil: architect mobile-to-back end access for the future, or opt for a tactical, quick-and-dirty solution? This isn't the first time developers have faced that choice when trying to expose customers to applications and data that were initially built for internal users. Read on to understand the dark side of tactical choices and how to avoid it in the mobile app context.