Described by Kinvey as a "turn-on infrastructure" for mobile and web apps, Mobile Backend as a Service (MBaaS) allows developers to integrate their apps with the data and functions in cloud storage. Here are some of the top providers that can help you launch an app for your enterprise.

 

1. Kinvey

Kinvey offers two main price plans – launch and scale, costing $24000 and $60000 per app per year respectively. The cheaper plan provides features such as standard support, client libraries, core MBaaS features, data back-up and an account manager.

The larger plan also offers authentication and data links as well as an uptime service level agreement.

Kinvey boasts customers including VMware, Schneider Electric, Sanofi, as well as SMBs such as Barpass and Beerdog.

 

2. IBM

IBM’s Bluemix solution offers flexible pricing customised to each enterprise. For example, with users with under 100 employees using up to 256 MB of memory, with one instance and needing to process less than 300 HTTP requests per second, the service would be free.

A large enterprise with over 200,000 users, needing 1 GB of memory, running four instances and processing over 10,000 HTTP requests per second, the price rises to $175.35 per month.

IBM offers analytics on real-time performance and security for the app environment, as well as the ability to scale and sync data across devices.

 

3. Telerik

Telerik’s MBaaS offering has built-in MS SQL, MySQL, PostgreSQL and Oracle data connectors to seamlessly connect mobile apps to the customer’s existing database with visual content mapping.

The backend services also allow apps to save changes locally while offline then synchronise when reconnected. It provides the ability to send push notifications to all devices, as well as SMS messages through Twilio and automated or on-demand emails.

Telerik also allows developers to add authentication through social networks to their apps, including through Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Microsoft LiveID and Active Directory. Telerik Platform is available for $39 per month per developer and DevCraft, with enhanced functionality, is available for $1299 per developer as a perpetual license.

 

4. Microsoft

Microsoft‘s Mobile Services streamlines the steps to building a back-end for employee apps. The company boasts that you can add the back-end in minutes, with Active Directory, on-premises connectivity and offline data sync built in.

The service syncs up with existing infrastructure; employees can be authenticated using their existing credentials by using Azure Active Directory with directory sync.

Companies can build employee apps natively for iOS, Android or Windows or target cross-platform with Xamarin, PhoneGap and Sencha.

There are three price plans with different features: one for free, a basic plan for £9.1574 per month per unit and a standard plan for £85.52 per month per unit.

 

5. Kii

Kii’s solution is aimed at supporting applications for the Internet of Things market, with its platform offering out-of-the-box features such as cloud enablement of devices, device management, big data analytics, optimisation.

The platform offers deployment, testing and user acquisition within one environment, as well as push notifications, analytics, monetisation and geo-location. The company also has data centres all over the world, including in the US, Japan and China, providing reliability and reach to customers.