Why do businesses need their own enterprise app store?

In today's corporate environment, mobility is all the rage. From BYOD to the emerging WYOD trend connected with the increasing use of wearable devices, many companies are looking for ways to make the most of their employees' smartphones, tablets and smartwatches. In order for these endpoints to be beneficial for the organization, they must be supported with approved applications. So why not gather all these permitted and specially designed business programs in one place?

This is where an enterprise application store comes in and becomes a valuable asset for the company. There are a number of reasons to leverage such an app store in a corporate setting, including the following:

Increase visibility and control over the apps being used
One of the most impactful benefits of an enterprise app store is the ability to have a collection of all allowable programs in one place. Instead of wondering what employees may be using for work purposes, administrators can provide these resources expressly in their app store. This way, workers understand what apps are permitted and decision-makers can keep a close eye on the programs being used on staff members' devices. According to NetworkWorld, a recent PMG survey found that 72 percent of company leaders experienced boosted applications usage control after the implementation of their corporate app store.

Ensure usability
Administrators can also make sure that the apps included in the store are programs are easily operable for their employees. Oftentimes, companies will leverage a development team to create specific applications just for their organization. In other cases, businesses opt for pre-existing apps that suit their needs. Either way, it is important that supervisors ensure that these programs will be usable for staff members.

One way to check this is to examine the code language being use in the program. With HTML5 form, applications are cross-platform compatible, meaning they will function on any device no matter the operating system being used.

Boost mobile man​agement, security
Having all enterprise applications in a single location can also improve the security of the company's mobility initiative, noted ZDNet. Administrators can even set certain user restrictions so that only the programs that are applicable or usable for certain employees will appear in their app store.

"Having all enterprise assets in one store means that it is easier to manage what users and roles can see what APIs and apps," technology blogger and industry expert John Mathon wrote.