Last Updated on December 10, 2022
You were forced to coordinate the frontend and the backend in the early stages of mobile app and web development. However, those times are long gone, and you can now use backend as a service (BaaS) to cut your workload in half or more.
Products that provide backend as a service (BaaS) take care of the fundamental, repetitive processes required for efficient web or mobile apps. They save up time so that developers may concentrate on creating and maintaining the components that consumers view and interact with.
The BaaS market is enormous and expanding yearly. There are several BaaS suppliers vying for your business’s funds and attention. Should you buy into it, though?
Let’s examine the characteristics and mechanisms of BaaS so that you can make an informed buying decision.
What is BaaS?
Developers can simply focus on creating and maintaining the frontend of a web or mobile application by using the cloud service model known as backend-as-a-service (BaaS). BaaS providers offer pre-written software for server-based tasks including user authentication, database management, remote updating, and push notifications (for mobile apps), in addition to cloud hosting and storage.
Consider creating an application without a BaaS provider as producing a film. In addition to actually directing and filming the scenes that will be in the movie, a director is also in charge of organising the camera crews, lighting, set construction, costume, actor casting, and the production timeline.
Consider if a service handled all the behind-the-scenes tasks so that the director only needed to direct and shoot the sequence. That is how BaaS works. So that the director (the developer) may concentrate solely on the “action,” or what the end user sees and experiences, the vendor takes care of the “lighting” and the “camera” (the server-side functionality).
Developers can concentrate on building the code for front-end applications thanks to BaaS. They can incorporate all the backend functionality they require without constructing the backend themselves thanks to the BaaS vendor’s APIs (which are a mechanism for a programme to request something from another programme) and SDKs (which are building blocks for software). To keep the programme operating, they are also exempt from managing servers, virtual machines, or containers. As a result, they can create and launch web applications (including single-page applications) and mobile applications more quickly.
What is Mobile-Backend-as-a-Service (MBaaS)?
BaaS has been modified for use with mobile devices and is known as Mobile Backend as a Service (MBaaS). Even some academics and industry experts claim they are the same thing. But it’s important to note that BaaS may work with several operating systems, just like software.
Mobile apps can help businesses in a variety of ways, but developing new gadgets is still a significant barrier for firms. But the problem can be simply solved using MBaaS. Programmers can execute and create mobile tools on the ideal infrastructure provided by this kind of solution.
By investing in an MBaaS solution, you can save money because you won’t have to pay for specialist staff. This frees up more time for you to manage other solutions and maintain an undivided focus on your core business.
How Does Backend as a Service Work?
The backend version functions similarly to how a website is hosted. The application is delivered by the BaaS provider with a variety of functions so that programmers can mix the available data to build a custom backend. Then, using APIs or a REST interface provided by the service provider, the developers can access the backend configuration and construct the required web application architecture.
For larger providers, registering is all that is necessary to begin with a no-cost starting package. You might be able to register using your Facebook or Google account, depending on the service you choose. Selecting the first application and the intended target platform, such as HTML5, iOS, or Android, are standard registration procedures. After that, the BaaS solution generates API keys and, based on the provider, creates JavaScript libraries and defines other standard functions. In most cases, experienced developers can configure the backend with little to no training. BaaS makes backend configuration quick and simple.
Backend as a Service Features
Providers of BaaS provide a variety of features. These crucial attributes, whose scope and purposes differ amongst providers, cater to sophisticated business needs. Most businesses incorporate the following components:
Social integration
You can link users to their social media profiles with this functionality if your software focuses on social collaboration or needs analytics. After establishing your identity with these services, you can add native integrations like social activity listings.
Native notification
Native notifications make it simple to inform users of any changes to the app if your app has to interact with them when it isn’t actively launched.
Search functionality
Modern apps tend to have a content-discovery design that enables users to locate content that is relevant to their current context. But from a technological perspective, a search feature is still required.
Mobile application management
Apps are made to access a wide variety of data sets, but for cybersecurity concerns, users shouldn’t always be able to access that data. Developers can control an app’s functioning by disabling specific features based on user permissions, device kinds, and other factors.
BaaS vs Custom Backend
The difference between BaaS and a custom backend – one developed from scratch for your organisation – is enormous in terms of effort and money.
The first step in starting a project without BaaS is server configuration. Instances must be started, the operating system chosen, and network, IP, monitoring, scalability, storage, and security configurations must all be completed.
Then, before you start coding the application, which might take hours (or even days) of work, you will need to install a web server, set up the structure, and create the database.
BaaS requires less capital in this situation. If your team works on this project for roughly 16 hours, BaaS will save you roughly one hour. Along with time, there are major resource savings as well.
Login coding is another time-consuming phase. The same principle applies here: with a BaaS automated solution, tasks that take a whole day to perform would only take a few hours.
In addition to being complicated, security settings need a lot of time and work to complete all the criteria. At this point, you could work up to 100 hours each week! Your team, however, need not worry about it thanks to outsourcing!
Benefits of Backend as a Service
User authentication and remote updating
Before granting access to the requested content, a user’s ID is verified as part of an important security step called user authentication. You don’t want to overlook this basic yet powerful layer of security! Another security concern that shouldn’t be ignored is remote updating. These routine updates are required to guarantee that the most recent security measures are safeguarding your users.
Both of these procedures are automatically carried out thanks to BaaS. There is no need for your developers to become involved or be concerned about them slipping through the cracks. Instead, it will happen immediately in the background as needed. Knowing that it is continually being protected on the back will give your staff confidence as they work on the frontend.
Database management
The process of managing, classifying, storing, and retrieving crucial information is referred to as database administration. Anything from consumer data to automated procedures might be included in this. Finding a way to arrange all of this information is crucial to a website’s effective operation because this process affects practically every part of your website. It’s poor management might cause sluggish service or possibly the loss of important data.
Unfortunately, efficient database management takes a lot of development time and effort. However, it does not need to. This procedure is automatic with backend as a service. You may be sure that you’ll obtain a top-notch system that doesn’t need continual care from your developers, maximising productivity and reducing time to market.
Cloud storage and hosting
Cloud storage and hosting offer organizations many benefits, including:
- Increased security and disaster recovery capabilities
- Easier scaling of resources
- Better handling of traffic and higher rates of uptime
These advantages are all provided by backend as a service, which expands on them by eliminating the requirement for independent process monitoring. Consider scaling as an example. This is made simpler by cloud hosting because it is easy to add extra resources, but BaaS goes one step further because you are not required to manage the precise amounts. As a result, you can put more effort into creating an engaging digital experience for your users and less into figuring out how to maintain it.
Push notifications
Conversions can only be attained through engaging your audience. Push notifications are a technique to continually keep your content at the top of customers’ minds because they can rapidly communicate crucial information about your company to them.
Even though the ability to automate this tool is undoubtedly beneficial, the programme that will give it still has to be carefully designed. You won’t need to worry about the usual technical details if you use backend as a service. To best support your content strategy, you just need to modify the messaging.
Before you go…
Hey, thank you for reading this blog to the end. I hope it was helpful. Let me tell you a little bit about Nicholas Idoko Technologies. We help businesses and companies build an online presence by developing web, mobile, desktop, and blockchain applications.
As a company, we work with your budget in developing your ideas and projects beautifully and elegantly as well as participate in the growth of your business. We do a lot of freelance work in various sectors such as blockchain, booking, e-commerce, education, online games, voting, and payments. Our ability to provide the needed resources to help clients develop their software packages for their targeted audience on schedule is unmatched.
Be sure to contact us if you need our services! We are readily available.
