Why Mobile Backend as a Service?

Tanya Valeva

What is MBaaS?

In case you are not familiar with MBaaS (mobile backend as a service) and have never used it before, but you are interested in finding a way to develop apps faster, easier and invest less during the process, you will definitely find useful information in this article.

The concept behind MBaaS is a very simple one - abstract away almost the entire process, allowing a mobile developer to build the next great mobile app without the help of others.

You will be better off putting all your energy and focus on developing your idea and letting someone else to take care of infrastructure, scaling, security, database, backups, backend development, etc.

It will be even cooler if you can save money and time when developing a new app, right?

If your answer is "yes", then MBaaS may be the right thing for you to power your apps.

So, let’s find out what does MBaaS give you!

Most Apps consist of two main parts:

  • Client Side - this is basically the App UI which the user interacts with.
  • Server Side & Backend - everything "below the surface" that your clients don't see.

Let’s have a look at Server Side & Backend where mBaaS is focused on and it provides the following:

  • API (App/Business Logic)
  • Deployment of the backend
  • Microservices
  • Data storage, management and synchronization
  • File storage
  • Fast content delivery
  • Mobile Push Notifications
  • Scalаbility
  • User identity and access management
  • Business and third-party systems integration

For example, functions such as logins, geolocation services, file uploads and push notifications can be implemented once and then reused by any app.

In order to connect to these backend services, client side applications connect using an Application Programing Interface, also known as an API. These APIs are then, in turn, bundled up in libraries known as SDKs.

What MBaaS gives you, in short, is ease of use and less time spent on a project.

This lets you focus your development efforts on the things that matter, like giving your users an awesome app experience and creating cool features that nobody else has.

Also, because you don’t have to worry about what’s going on behind the scenes on the server side, using mBaaS gives you easier scalability.

Why should you use SashiDo as a MBaaS provider?

SashiDo is recognized by a wide range of companies as one of the leaders in its field.

We take away the heavy lifting around building and managing the server-side components of your clients' mobile app, so you can focus on what’s important.

What does SashiDo give you more compared to the other MBaaS providers out there?

SashiDo gives you all the essential MBaaS features mentioned so far.

But it gives you even more nice extras, so let’s check them out below:

Cloud code

Cloud Code enables you to execute JavaScript before or after "CRUD" (Create-Read-Update-Delete) operations.
So basically you automatically get an API and it will be a piece of cake to add different functions whenever you need.

You can add custom validations and endpoints that are instantly and easily accessible by any client, whether it’s iOS, Android, HTML5, or via the REST API. You get all of the power of the Javascript SDK running on the Parse cloud.

You can extend your app with the help of cloud code and you are also welcome to use 3rd party npm modules.

Dashboard

You don’t have to build an admin panel anymore to access and manage your data. SashiDo will give you an intuitive dashboard to manage your database, change different settings, schedule backups, add collaborators and many more.

Autoscaling

SashiDo is based on CloudStrap.io. We have years of experience in cloud technologies and our know-how gained during this time helped us create a platform that scales when you need.

We give you flexibility to automatically add compute resources based on the actual usage of your applications. You benefit in every way - you pay for what you’ve used and most importantly: don’t have to worry if your apps can handle an unexpected traffic.

Multi-geo locations

SashiDo long term strategy is to be as global as possible, so we are constantly broadening our coverage.
Being a customer of ours, you will be able to focus on the important things you have to do instead of worrying whether your app’s hosting location is the most suitable one.

We have deployments in 4 different regions, so you will be able to choose the location closest to your app users.

Free SSL by Let’s Encrypt

It’s all about security nowadays, so who would refuse to have their custom domain name covered by an SSL certificate? Especially when you have this integrated in your service.

Git push deployment

Every app has its own private GitHub repository and your cloud code and static files’ deployment will be done with just "git push".

Collaborators

You can use SashiDo with all of your teammates without paying an additional fee.

Webhooks

They give you the freedom to use the programming language of your choice and integrate with 3rd party services as well. You can write functions in your preferred language and host locally for testing before deployment.

Live Queries

Queries let you tell the server which objects you need. They are based on a “pull” mode and every time you want to get new data, you run another query.

However for some applications, like realtime games or messaging systems, it's more convenient if you can get a constant stream of object updates. That’s where Live Queries come .
You can do so many things with them and everything will update in realtime!

Website hosting

Wouldn’t it be cool if you can kill two birds with one stone: having an app and a website with a single SashiDo instance?
Managing the mobile application and the website under the same roof will surely save you time.
That’s why we offer static Node.js hosting for those of you who would like to combine the two in one place.

Support

It is good to know that you are not alone. We are here to help you. You can contact us at any time and ask for any advice or a recommendation.

No Vendor Lock-in

Just imagine what will happen if the service provider you are using has vendor lock-in and they decide to shut down. You will have to rewrite your code, you will lose time, money and efforts which you have already invested in your app.

We believe that our customers should not be limited in any way and that’s why we are using an open source technology. You are safe with us, knowing that we don’t lock you in so any time you decide you can host your app by yourself.

Final words/Verdict

As a conclusion, I would like to say that MBaaS is all about enhancing every app idea the best it can be, helping developers to go further, faster and accomplish things that seemed hard to reach before.

MBaaS is for everyone - from mobile developers working on their private projects to big development studios making complicated clients’ ideas come true.

If you haven’t had the chance so far to test a MBaaS service, but you are ready to jump into it now - take advantage of our 14-days free trial!

Let the magic happen :)

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Tanya Valeva

Customer Care & Sales Representative @ SashiDo

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