How to use backend-as-a-service for app development
BaaS (Backend-as-a-service) is a trending technology, in essence, a transitional architecture between SaaS (software-as-a-service) and PaaS (platform-as-a-service). With the growing popularity of mobile and web-based applications, there is demand for a solution that is easy to use, manage, deploy, and create a cloud backend for different applications. The first BaaS solutions emerged in 2011 addressing the demand for faster development of mobile applications. It has been designed especially for mobile application developers and currently has a market size of approximately $220 Million.
BaaS features mainly depend on a vendor but usually include cloud storage, push notifications, user and file management, server code, social networking integration, etc. These services can be easily integrated into applications through API.
BaaS offers many benefits, including:
Business Benefits
- Reduced time to market & cost-effectiveness
- Focus on business logic
- Focus on frontend and UX
- Cross-platform development
Tech Benefits
- Code quality
- Scalability
- Performance
- Out-of-the-box backup procedures
- Continuous Delivery & Integration (CI\CD)
BaaS is often used for both enterprise and custom developers. BaaS solves the problems of cross-platform development and learning the skills needed to create effective back-end processing. For example, if a developer only versed in JavaScript on the client side wanted to create an app, they could easily utilize BaaS to avoid needing to learn how to develop the back-end elements needed to launch. Major cloud vendors like Amazon, Google, Oracle, and Microsoft have enhanced their cloud offerings with BaaS platforms based on developer’s needs.
Top-5 BaaS Providers
- Firebase
- AWS Mobile Services
- Backendless
- Kinvey
- Azure Mobile Apps
The market for Backend as a Service is quickly growing in size, there are 6.95 billion mobile users worldwide, and this number will increase. At least half of all mobile applications are expected to use the BaaS model by 2023. From a business perspective, using BaaS is more effective than managing a team of in-house developers, because it provides better productivity for less cost.
BaaS won’t be a perfect option for some applications, so if you are looking for a perfect solution for your business, you should consult with specialists. You can find more insights in our full guide.
