In today’s fast-paced digital world, most commercial, charitable and public sector organisations need to deliver applications quickly and efficiently to remain competitive.
However, choosing the right application delivery strategy can be a daunting task. There are various options available, such as traditional on-premises deployment, cloud-based delivery or hybrid solutions. Each approach has its advantages and disadvantages, and it’s essential to evaluate them carefully to determine the best fit for your organisation.
Here, we take a closer look at the process of choosing an application delivery strategy and the steps you should take to ensure it’s the right one.
Understanding application delivery
Application delivery refers to the process of providing applications to end-users or customers, ensuring their availability, performance and security. It encompasses the entire lifecycle of an application, from development and deployment to ongoing management and support. Application delivery involves various components, including infrastructure, networks, servers, databases, security measures and user interfaces. It aims to deliver applications efficiently and effectively, meeting the needs of both the organisation and its users.
A well-defined application delivery strategy is crucial for achieving optimal performance and user experience. It provides a roadmap for the successful delivery of applications and aligns IT efforts with business objectives. Some key reasons why a well-defined strategy is important include:
- Enhanced user experience: A robust application delivery strategy ensures that applications are accessible, responsive and user-friendly. It focuses on optimising performance, reducing latency and delivering consistent experiences across different devices and platforms.
- Increased efficiency: An effective strategy streamlines application delivery processes, reducing time-to-market and enhancing operational efficiency. It helps identify bottlenecks, eliminate redundancies and automate repetitive tasks, enabling IT teams to allocate their resources more effectively.
- Scalability and flexibility: A well-defined strategy considers your organisation’s scalability requirements. It ensures the application delivery infrastructure can handle increasing user demands and accommodate future growth. It also allows for flexibility in adapting to changing business needs and adopting new technologies or deployment models.
- Security and compliance – An application delivery strategy should include robust security measures to protect sensitive data, prevent unauthorised access and mitigate cyber threats. It should also ensure compliance with industry regulations and data protection laws.
Despite its importance, many organisations often face challenges in effectively delivering applications to their end-users.
Those that deal with complex application landscapes comprising various technologies, platforms and legacy systems can have challenges with integrating and managing these diverse components. This can lead to compatibility issues and increased maintenance efforts.
Achieving optimal application performance is also a constant challenge. Factors such as network latency, server load and inefficient coding can affect application responsiveness and user experience. Ensuring smooth performance requires monitoring, optimisation and continuous improvement.
Balancing security and usability is also essential. Application delivery involves handling sensitive data and requires stringent security measures. Organisations must address security risks such as unauthorised access, data breaches and malware attacks.
And the increasing adoption of cloud-based applications presents challenges in terms of selecting the right cloud service provider, ensuring data security in the cloud and managing hybrid or multi-cloud environments.
Addressing these challenges requires a well-planned application delivery strategy that takes into account the specific needs and constraints of your organisation.
The process for choosing the right application delivery strategy
Here’s a simple three-step process you should follow when choosing an application delivery strategy:
- Identify the requirement for the new application
- Identify valid options
- Choose a solution
Let’s take a look at each of these steps in a bit more detail:
Identify the requirement for the new application
The first step in choosing the right application delivery strategy is to identify the requirements for the new application. This involves conducting a thorough analysis of your organisation’s needs, goals and user expectations, assessing both the functional and non-functional aspects of the application(s).
Functional requirements define what the application should do and the features it should offer. You should work closely with stakeholders to gather and document these requirements.
While it’s often challenging to define in advance what functional requirements look like, because they usually depend on the application’s purpose, some of the questions to address include:
- What specific tasks or functions should the application perform?
- What data inputs and outputs are required?
- Are there any specific integrations or interfaces needed with other systems?
- Are there any specific user roles and permissions to be considered?
- How many concurrent users should the application support?
- What platforms and devices should the application support?
Arguably the best approach to define functional requirements is to start with who your users are and what they need to do with the application. For example, an application would typically have admin users, managers and end users, although it could be more nuanced than that. Once you’ve identified the different user groups, types, roles or personas and described what each need to do, a set of functional requirements should fall out naturally.
Non-functional requirements define how the application should operate and the qualities it should possess. You should explore various aspects to ensure a well-rounded application delivery strategy.
It’s usually easier to define non-functional requirements in advance as they tend to be similar for all applications. Some things to consider include:
- Are there any specific performance benchmarks or SLAs to meet?
- Are there any compliance requirements, such as GDPR?
- What is the expected uptime and availability of the application?
- Are there any specific high availability or disaster recovery requirements?
- What is the budget allocated for the application’s development, deployment, and maintenance?
- Are there any cost optimisation goals or constraints?
- Do you have a preference for SaaS (Software as a Service) or other deployment models?
- Are there any specific strategic objectives or technology preferences to consider?
- Are there any specific usability or accessibility requirements?
By gathering and analysing both the functional and non-functional requirements, you will gain a clear understanding of what the new application needs to achieve. This will serve as a foundation for identifying appropriate application delivery strategies that can meet these requirements effectively.
Identify valid options
Once the requirements for the new application are established, you should identify the most valid options for application delivery. This involves researching and evaluating different delivery models, such as on-premise, cloud-based or hybrid solutions. Each option has its own advantages and considerations in terms of scalability, cost, maintenance, security and flexibility. You should assess the compatibility of each option with your organisation’s existing infrastructure, resources and expertise.
The steps to go through here include:
1) Legacy applications
Legacy applications are older software systems or applications that are still in use but may be outdated or built on outdated technology. They often pose challenges in terms of compatibility, maintenance and lack of modern features or integration capabilities.
And if it’s a high-cost legacy application, a lower cost alternative may be more appealing even if the application is still supported, still meets the requirement and is already in use.
When it comes to choosing an application delivery strategy, reviewing your legacy applications to see if they remain viable is the first step. Consider:
- Is there an existing application performing this function?
- Is the existing application still vendor supported?
- Does the existing application meet the requirement?
If the answer to these three questions is yes, upgrading (or migrating to) an existing application is the valid option. If the answer is no to any of them, move on to:
2) Software as a Service (SaaS)
SaaS is a cloud-based model where software is accessed over the internet as a subscription service, eliminating the need for local installation and maintenance. It offers accessibility from any device with an internet connection and allows for scalability and cost-effective usage. If you’re considering SaaS, ask yourself the following questions:
- Do SaaS offerings exist?
- Does the SaaS solution meet the requirement?
If the answer to these questions is yes, moving to SaaS is the valid option. If the answer to any of them is no, move on to:
3) Platform as a Service (PaaS)
PaaS is a cloud computing model that provides a platform and environment for developers to build, deploy and manage applications without the need to worry about underlying infrastructure. It offers tools, frameworks and services to streamline the development process and enable scalability and flexibility for application deployment. If you’re considering PaaS for application delivery, ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you have access to the source code?
- Do you want to support the application in house?
- Does a PaaS solution meet the requirement?
If the answer to all these questions is yes, moving to PaaS is the valid option. If the answer to any of them is no, move on to:
4) On-premise COTS
On-premise commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) refers to software applications or solutions that are purchased from third-party vendors and installed locally your own servers or infrastructure. It allows for greater control and customisation, but requires your in-house IT team to handle maintenance, updates and infrastructure management. If you’re considering on-premise COTS for your application delivery, ask yourself the following:
- Is there a current vendor supported COTS solution?
- Will it run on the operating system and hardware you support on premise?
- Does the COTS application meet the requirement?
If the answer to all these questions is yes, implementing an on-premise COTS solution is the valid option. If the answer to any of them is no, move on to:
5) COTS IaaS
Commercial off-the-shelf Infrastructure as a Service (COTS IaaS) refers to cloud computing services that provide pre-configured, ready-to-use infrastructure components such as virtual machines, storage and networking resources. This model offers flexibility and scalability without the need for extensive hardware investment or management, allowing you to focus on your applications and services. If you’re considering COTS IaaS for your application delivery, ask yourself the following:
- Is there a current vendor supported off-the-shelf COTS solution?
- Will it run on the operating system and hardware you support in the cloud?
- Will the vendor support it running in the cloud?
- Does the COTS IaaS application meet the requirement?
If the answer to all these questions is yes, implement a COTS IaaS solution is the valid option.
If the answer to any of them is no, you may need to consider:
6) Low-code
Low-code application delivery is an approach that enables the rapid development of software applications with minimal coding, using visual interfaces and pre-built components. It empowers users with limited programming experience to create applications efficiently while reducing development time and complexity. This option is worth considering if all the others mentioned previously aren’t viable for your organisation. In some cases, it may be a preferred development platform as it allows a broader development base including both dedicated programmers and citizen developers.
If you’re considering low-code as an application delivery strategy, proceed with caution. The main question to ask yourself is whether a low-code solution can meet the requirement. If yes, it may be the best option. However, proceed with caution.
While low-code application delivery offers numerous benefits, it also has some drawbacks to consider:
- Limited customisation: In complex scenarios or when specific functionality is required, low-code platforms may not offer the flexibility of custom-coding.
- Reduced control: Low-code platforms abstract away many technical details, which can lead to reduced control over the underlying code and infrastructure.
- Learning curve: Although low-code platforms aim to simplify application development, there is still a learning curve involved in understanding the platform’s features, tools and workflows.
- Vendor dependency: Organisations adopting low-code platforms can still become dependent on the platform vendor for ongoing support, updates and enhancements.
- Security and compliance: Security and compliance aspects may need additional attention. In some cases, the abstraction provided by low-code platforms may raise security concerns that need to be addressed.
- Complexity for advanced use cases: While low-code platforms are excellent for rapid prototyping and developing simpler applications, they may struggle to address complex use cases that require extensive custom logic, advanced integrations or performance optimisations.
7) Custom development
If none of the above options are suitable, there is one other potential solution: custom development. This involves creating software applications from scratch, tailored specifically to your organisation’s unique requirements and needs. It typically involves coding and programming activities to build a solution that meets the desired functionality, scalability and performance expectations.
However, custom development also has its drawbacks.
Custom development projects often require significant time and resources. The development process involves analysis, design, coding, testing and deployment phases, which can extend the overall project timeline. Custom development also tends to be more expensive compared to other options, as it requires skilled developers, infrastructure and ongoing maintenance.
Developing a custom application can be complex, especially for large-scale or intricate projects. You’ll need a clear understanding of its requirements and specifications. There’s a risk of delays, scope creep and challenges in managing the development process effectively.
Once a custom application is deployed, ongoing maintenance and support becomes your organisation’s responsibility. This includes addressing bugs, applying updates and security patches, and ensuring compatibility with evolving technologies. This means you’ll need to allocate resources and expertise for long-term support.
Custom applications may also face challenges when it comes to scalability. As your organisation grows or needs to accommodate increased user demand, scaling a custom solution can be complex and time-consuming. It may require additional development effort and potential architectural changes. It often requires skilled developers with expertise in programming languages, frameworks and software development methodologies.
Depending on the complexity of the project, finding and retaining the right talent can be a challenge, unless you outsource. Skill dependency can also pose risks when there are limited or specialised resources available for ongoing support and maintenance.
Developing a custom application can take a significant amount of time, which may affect your ability to quickly respond to market demands or changing business needs. In fast-paced industries, you may need a more rapid solution that can be delivered and deployed quickly.
It’s also essential to note that custom software is an ongoing commitment, unless you intend to build and then abandon the software. So, you’ll need to issue updates, new feature releases and security patches to keep it up-to-date, secure and functioning as it should.
So, if you’re considering custom development, it’s essential to carefully consider the trade-offs and challenges associated with it.
While it offers the potential for tailored solutions, you should assess factors such as time, cost, scalability and long-term maintenance requirements to determine if custom development is the most suitable application delivery strategy for your specific needs.
Choose a solution
After identifying the valid options, you can proceed to choose a suitable application delivery solution. This decision should be based on a comprehensive evaluation of the requirements and options identified in the previous steps. You should consider the following factors for each valid option:
- Timescales: Assess the estimated timescales for implementing each option. Consider factors such as development, deployment, migration and training to determine the feasibility of meeting project deadlines or business timelines.
- Cost: Evaluate the upfront migration cost and ongoing running cost associated with each option. Consider factors such as licensing fees, infrastructure requirements, maintenance costs and the potential cost per user. Compare the financial implications of each option to determine the most cost-effective solution.
- Staffing and availability: Analyse the staffing requirements for each option. Assess whether the required staff with the necessary expertise are already available within your organisation, or if additional hiring or training is required. Consider the cost and availability of skilled resources to support the chosen solution.
- Alignment to strategy: Evaluate how well each option aligns with your overall business and IT strategy. Consider factors such as future scalability, integration capabilities and compatibility with existing systems. Ensure that your chosen solution supports your organisation’s long-term goals and strategic objectives.
- Meeting Requirements: Evaluate how well each option meets the identified functional and non-functional requirements. Assess the extent to which each option fulfils specific features, performance benchmarks, security needs, compliance requirements and user experience expectations. Be granular in analysing how each option aligns with your individual requirements.
- Failed requirements: Identify any failed requirements that are definite deal-breakers. Determine if any critical requirements cannot be fulfilled by a particular option. Consider the severity of these failed requirements and assess their impact on the overall feasibility and effectiveness of the solution.
By evaluating these factors for each valid option, you can make an informed decision about the most suitable application delivery strategy. Your chosen solution should align with your organisation’s timescales, cost considerations, staffing capabilities and strategic goals. It should also effectively meet the identified requirements while ensuring that any failed requirements do not hinder the overall success of the solution.
How can AMDH help?
Choosing the right application delivery strategy is essential to minimise costs and maximise profits. In the end, you’ll probably use a mix of at least two of the above.
AMDH Services is an IT consultancy service based in the East Midlands. We work with SMEs, charities and the public sector, with a mission statement of streamlining business processes through cloud collaboration techniques.
The most important thing when approaching application delivery is having an effective strategy. With this as your base, the rest will fall into place.
For help with developing and instigating this plan, why not contact us? We’re always pleased to have a commitment-free chat about your organisation and how we can help.
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