Enterprise App Platform Unifying Heterogeneous Software via Common Data Layer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Enterprise app development often involves duplication of effort and inefficient data processing due to each app being developed independently, lacking a common framework to leverage existing functionality and access enterprise data and services.
Innovation Solution
An enterprise app development platform providing a common interface and data access layer with a virtualized environment, allowing multiple apps to share data and services through a mobile store access layer, common data access layer, and services layer, facilitating reuse of existing functionality and efficient data access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If enterprise apps are developed independently for dedicated purposes, then each app can provide specialized functionality, but there is duplication in development effort and ongoing data processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal enterprise app platform that provides common data access, authentication, and business logic services that can be shared across multiple specialized enterprise apps. This allows different apps to leverage the same underlying infrastructure while maintaining their unique functionalities, thereby reducing duplication in development effort and ongoing data processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The enterprise app platform is segmented into distinct functional layers including a common data access layer, authentication layer, and application layer. This segmentation allows independent development and deployment of specialized apps while sharing common infrastructure services, improving development efficiency without sacrificing specialized functionality.
2Adaptability or versatility
If each enterprise app accesses enterprise data independently, then data access can be tailored to specific app needs, but there is duplication in data processing and lack of coordination between apps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a common data access layer that acts as an intermediary between enterprise apps and enterprise data sources. This layer provides standardized data access interfaces, caches data where appropriate, and coordinates data retrieval across multiple apps, reducing redundant data processing while maintaining flexible data access capabilities for each app.
3Ease of manufacture
If enterprise apps are developed without a common framework, then each app can be customized independently, but there is duplication of development effort and inability to leverage existing functionality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the contradiction by adding a vertical dimension to the system architecture, introducing multiple layers (data access layer, authentication layer, application layer) that organize complexity hierarchically. This allows apps to be customized independently at the application layer while sharing common infrastructure in lower layers, maintaining customization capability without duplicating development effort.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus are provided for managing heterogeneous enterprise software applications (apps). A plurality of enterprise applications are provided to users of an enterprise by providing an enterprise application store having a plurality of enterprise applications that are available for download to mobile devices of the users; downloading one or more of the enterprise applications to a mobile device of at least one of the users; and providing a common interface for a plurality of the enterprise applications to a plurality of back-end servers of the enterprise. The enterprise application store may comprise a plurality of layers.