MobileFirst server-side API
Use the server-side API that IBM MobileFirst™ Platform Foundation defines to modify the behavior of the servers that your mobile applications rely on.
MobileFirst Server provides a set of mobile capabilities with the use of client/server integration and communication between mobile applications and back-end systems.
Server-side application code
You can develop server-side application code and optimize performance, security, and maintenance. By developing server-side application code, your mobile application has direct access to back-end transactional capabilities and cloud-based services. This improves error handling, and enhances security by including more custom steps for request validation or process authorization.
Built-in JSON translation capability
A built-in JSON translation capability reduces the footprint of data transferred between the mobile application and MobileFirst Server. JSON is a lightweight and human-readable data interchange format. Because JSON messages have a smaller footprint than other comparable data-interchange formats, such as XML, they can be more quickly parsed and generated by mobile devices. In addition, MobileFirst Server can automatically convert hierarchical data to the JSON format to optimize delivery and consumption.
Built-in security framework
You can use encryption and obfuscation techniques with a built-in security framework to protect both user-specific and application business logic. A built-in security framework provides easy connectivity or integration into your existing enterprise security mechanisms. This security framework handles connection credentials for back-end connectivity, so the mobile application can use a back-end service, without having to know how to authenticate with it. The authentication credentials stay with MobileFirst Server, and do not stay on the mobile device. If you are running MobileFirst Server with IBM® WebSphere® Application Server, you can use enterprise-class security and enable Single-Sign-On (SSO) by using IBM Lightweight Third Party Authentication (LTPA).
Adapter library
You can use the adapter library to connect to various back-end systems, such as web services, databases, and messaging applications. For example, IBM MobileFirst Platform Foundation provides adapters for SOAP or XML over HTTP, JDBC, and JMS. Extra adapters simplify integration with IBM WebSphere Cast Iron®, which in turn supplies connectors for various cloud-based or on-premise services and systems. With the adapter library, you can define complex lookup procedures and combine data from multiple back-end services. This aggregation helps to reduce overall traffic between a mobile application and MobileFirst Server.
Unified push notification
You can use unified push notification, which simplifies the notification process because the application remains platform-neutral. Unified push notification is an abstraction layer for sending notifications to mobile devices by using either the device vendor's infrastructure or MobileFirst Server SMS capabilities. The user of a mobile application can subscribe to notifications through the mobile application. This request, which contains information about the device and platform, is sent to the MobileFirst Server. The system administrator can manage subscriptions, push or poll notifications from back-end systems, and use the Application Center to send notifications to mobile devices.