What is mobile cloud computing?

What is mobile cloud computing?

Mobile cloud computing uses cloud computing to deliver applications to mobile devices. These mobile apps can be deployed remotely with speed, flexibility and development tools.

Mobile cloud applications can be built or revised quickly by using cloud services. They can be delivered to many different devices with different operating systems, computing tasks and data storage. Thus, users can access applications that might not otherwise be supported.

For more information on developments, check out "Mobile Application Development: A Complete Guide."

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Why mobile cloud?

Speed and flexibility

Mobile cloud applications can be built or revised quickly by using cloud services. They can be delivered to many different devices with different operating systems.

Shared resources

Mobile apps that run on the cloud are not constrained by a device's storage and processing resources. Data-intensive processes can run in the cloud.

Integrated data

Mobile cloud computing enables users to quickly and securely collect and integrate data from various sources, regardless of where it resides.

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Key features and considerations

Key features

  • Facilitates the quick development, shared resources of mobile apps
  • Supports a variety of development approaches and devices
  • Improves reliability with information backed up and stored in the cloud
  • Uses fewer device resources because the applications are cloud-supported
  • Connects to services delivered on an API architecture

Considerations

Management

Sometimes, IT professionals do not have the required resources to manage apps. Cloud providers help keep them running.

Infrastructure

Demanding applications put strain on devices. A flexible cloud infrastructure can help with difficult workloads.

Integration

Organizations should fully integrate their mobile systems and data into other business processes to save time and cost.

Security

Protecting confidential data is a concern at every level: for users, devices and regarding integration into other systems.

An IBM perspective: Mobile cloud computing

Daniel Yellin

Vice President, IBM Mobile Platform Development; Distinguished Engineer, IBM Watson and Cloud Platform

Mobile cloud computing provides flexibility, empowering developers to efficiently share processing and data storage between the device and the cloud to optimize performance and scalability. The rapid elasticity of cloud-based services complements the portability and convenience of mobile devices—a combination that ensures an engaging user experience and drives increased customer loyalty.

An integrated mobile cloud strategy is therefore essential to gain the most from emerging technologies, keeping employees productive and customers fully engage and maintain a competitive advantage.

Learn more about mobile solutions

Mobile solutions from IBM can help you build, host and run your applications in the cloud.

Successful projects use mobile cloud computing

Successful projects are 35% more likely than others to use cloud-based platforms and 31% more likely to use mobile application development platforms to develop their mobile apps.

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