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Weekly recap: 9 common mistakes developers make, mobile predictions for 2014, and more…

Every week, I share the most interesting and useful tech articles that I’ve found over the past week. This week’s top articles focus on common mistakes developers make, mobile predictions for 2014, and more. I hope you find them useful:

Why native apps no longer add up
When native mobile apps first broke onto the scene, competition was sparse. Simply placing an app in the app store gave you a good chance of success. Today, that’s no longer the case. The app store now contains over a million apps. Producing an app that even gets noticed is a longshot. Combined with the fact that native apps are more costly and time consuming to create, this further reduces the practical value of the native approach.
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What is HTML5 and how does it help?

By Joe Stangarone / HTML5

Over the last couple of years, HTML5 has dominated the tech headlines. Set to become the new standard in 2014, this buzz will only grow louder in the months and weeks leading up to that time. The only problem: HTML5 is still surrounded with misinformation.

Everyone wants HTML5, but outside the developer world, few actually know what it is. Some view it as a brand new tech trend. Others think they’ll need to convert their current applications to HTML5. Still others equate HTML5 with mobile web apps. In reality, none of that is accurate.

Today, let’s clear up some of the confusion. In this article, I’ll walk you through a high-level overview of HTML5 and briefly explain some of its most important features. Hopefully, this provides you a clearer picture of the new HTML standard, and helps you better understand how it can help your company. Sound good? Let’s get started:
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5 ways IT will change in the next 5 years

By Joe Stangarone / CIO Challenges, Tech trends

The death of the IT department has been greatly exaggerated. I remember seeing predictions back in 2007 that the cloud would eliminate IT departments by 2012. Over the last several years, I can’t even count how many similar predictions I’ve seen.

The fact is, much has been written regarding the effect of mobile usage and cloud computing on the IT department. Many say the IT department will disappear. Others say it will shrink.

Will any of that happen? I doubt it. We’re living in an era where technology plays a larger role in business than ever before, and it’s only growing. Is this the time to scale back on the department that best understands technology? Not for businesses that hope to succeed.

photo credit: Phillie Casablanca via photopin cc

However, while I don’t see the IT department disappearing, I do see it evolving. As consumer-owned mobile devices and third-party cloud applications work their way into the business, the IT department’s role is changing.

Today, let’s focus on that evolution. How is the IT department changing? What will it look like in 5 years? We’ve queried some experts in the area and have compiled their advice, along with some of my own below. Here are 5 ways the IT department will change in the next 5 years:
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10 security mistakes web application developers should never make

By Joe Stangarone / Security

Just when you thought that the healthcare.gov debacle was finally on the uptick, a “white hat” hacker just testified on Capitol Hill that security was never properly built into the site. He claims that fixing the critical-to-high exposures could require up to a year of work.

Not exactly what you want to hear about a website that stores your most sensitive information.

I bring this up to highlight an important point: Despite the rising importance of proper security, best practices are often ignored. Basic security mistakes still plague many web applications…including healthcare.gov.

photo credit: elhombredenegro via photopin cc

As more development shifts to the web, and more data is stored on the cloud, security is a critically important topic. A single security misstep can compromise confidential business data or your customer’s personal information.

Today, let’s get back to the basics. While web application security is a broad topic, I’d like to focus on the security mistakes that web application developers should never make. These are the “basic” security principles that should never be ignored.

So, what are these security principles? What security mistakes should you never make? To help you answer those questions, we’ve compiled advice from some experts in the field (as well as some of my own) and listed everything below. Here are 10 security mistakes you should never make when developing web applications:
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New m-Power interface makes web app development more intuitive

By Joe Stangarone / Web Development

If you’re looking for an intuitive way to develop enterprise web applications (without programming), here’s some news you’ll love: We just released a brand new m-Power user interface, and it’s the most intuitive one yet! You can find more information about it below, or–if you just want to try it for yourself–feel free to sign up for a free Trial.

m-Power's re-designed interface — m-Power’s re-designed interface

Why did we rebuild the m-Power interface? Because we realize that web application development is evolving. As I explained in this article, new trends have emerged that will forever change the world of web application development software. Two of the most important of these changes include:
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5 ways to rejuvenate your legacy applications

By Joe Stangarone / Modernization

Many companies face the same problem: They’re stuck to their legacy enterprise applications and systems. Sure, they’d love to upgrade their outdated system, or replace those legacy applications, but…they can’t.

Why not? Maybe their business relies too heavily on their legacy applications. Maybe past customizations have virtually locked them into their legacy apps. Maybe it’s too risky or expensive. Maybe management doesn’t see the need for modern applications. Whatever the cause, the problem is the same: They’re tied to their legacy applications.

What problems does this cause? Quite a few. While I could explain how it keeps the company from modern features and capabilities and makes them look outdated, those issues are small potatoes compared to the larger business problems caused by legacy applications. For instance, legacy applications:

1. Tie up IT budget: Since legacy applications are more difficult to maintain, they require a good portion of the IT budget. How much? I’ve seen estimations ranging from 70-80%. Think about that. If you’re spending 80% of your budget maintaining the status quo, how can you ever afford modern technology?

2. Keeps IT from innovation: Since legacy applications are more difficult to maintain, they also require much of the IT department’s attention. Of course, if the IT department spends a good chunk of its time maintaining applications, they have little left to spend on business innovation–which, as we explained in this article, is becoming more and more important.

So, what can you do? If you’re stuck with legacy applications that you can’t replace, what are your options?

In this article, let’s explore a few ways to breathe new life into your old applications. If you can’t replace your systems or applications entirely, how can you bring modern features and capabilities to your legacy apps? To help you answer those questions, I’ve outlined some methods to do just that, and touched on the pros and cons of each. Without further ado, here are 5 ways to breathe new life into your applications.
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7 reasons why end users bypass the IT department

By Joe Stangarone / Shadow IT

It’s a growing problem: End users are bypassing the IT department, and opting for third-party, cloud-based solutions instead. How prevalent is this issue? According to a recent survey, 71% of organizations say employees are using apps not sanctioned by IT.

Of course, this opens the door for security problems. How can the IT department monitor or secure company data if they don’t even know where it’s stored? How can they avoid security breaches if employees are carrying confidential data around on their personal devices?

How can you address this issue? The automatic reaction for some is full-on war. They want to ban third-party apps, outlaw personal devices, and restrict internet usage. After all, these employees are putting corporate data at risk. They must be stopped! Right?

While I understand the mentality, full-on war is rarely a good approach. Treating users like the bad guys and implementing heavy restrictions will not only waste your time, it will alienate your employees. After all, it doesn’t address the root of the issue: Why are employees bypassing IT in the first place? Do they enjoy breaking the rules? I don’t think so. In fact, I believe they do it because they feel like there’s no other choice.

If you want to control the rise of Shadow IT in your organization, first understand the cause. Learn why employees feel the need to circumvent IT in the first place…and then you’ll better understand how to control (or even harness) it.

So, why do end users bypass the IT department? What can you do about it? To help you answer those questions, we posed them to a few experts in the area, and have compiled their answers below. Here are 7 of the most common reasons why end users bypass the IT department:
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7 hidden risks of native mobile app development

By Joe Stangarone / Mobile apps

As more businesses build their own mobile apps, we’re seeing an increasing number of mobile app success stories crop up. For instance, here’s a recent article highlighting 4 different companies that use mobile apps to attract customers. Here’s another article from earlier this year highlighting other companies who are using mobile apps to improve business. I could share many more such stories, but you get the point: Mobile apps are taking off in the business world.

I believe this trend is on the rise. As businesses begin to understand the true power of mobile apps, many more will start building their own apps.

This is where things can get dangerous. Blinded by the possibilities, many businesses dive into mobile app development completely unprepared. They don’t understand the risks associated with mobile app development, and are headed for some unpleasant surprises.

Today, I’d like to help you avoid those surprises. I’m going to highlight a few of these hidden risks, with the hopes that you’ll be more prepared when you start the process.

But first, let’s quickly specify which type of mobile app we’re referring to. There are 3 different types of mobile apps (native/hybrid/mobile web), which you can learn more about here. However, today we’re focusing on the risks of developing native apps. Native mobile apps are downloaded via an app store/market and installed on the device itself. I’m addressing native apps because they’re probably the most popular application type, but also come with their fair share of hidden risks.

So, what hidden risks should companies watch out for when they dive into mobile app development? We posed that question to a few experts in the field, and have compiled their advice (along with some of my own) below. Here are 7 hidden risks of native mobile app development:
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The 4 P’s of Business Intelligence Success

By Guest Contributor / Business Intelligence

** This guest post was written by Estelle Nicholson. Learn more about Estelle in the author bio at the end of this post. **

When starting a BI project, your first step should be taking a quick look at existing initiatives and the overall culture and support for BI. Understand the “4 Ps” of “people, products, power and pilot” before you launch:

Assess what you already have. Who are the people currently doing business intelligence activities? What roles could they play in a more formalized BI setting? Data experts, analysts, data set owners and compilers – all are key resources for requirements gathering and power use.
What products and tools are people already using? Large data repositories, analytical software, spreadsheets, custom-built systems?
Check your sponsorship or the power behind the mandate or the initiative.
Engage influencers in a pilot early to demonstrate the capabilities of the tool(s) you’re implementing and build support.

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