Enterprise-level software is essential for large, medium, and growing businesses. Although there are many options available for off-the-shelf applications, they do not offer the same versatility and bespoke functionality as custom enterprise software.
Developing custom enterprise software, however, is no easy task, even if you have professional development experience. As a result, starting out on the right foot by choosing the best custom enterprise software development platform is vital in order to ensure its success. Keep reading to discover the top development platforms for your software.
Why Should You Build Your Own Custom Enterprise Software?
Before exploring which development platforms are best suited to enterprise software development, let’s explore the benefits of custom software compared to off-the-shelf applications.
Business-Specific Functionality
Built with your business and requirements in mind, custom enterprise software includes features tailored to your exact needs, enabling maximum productivity and utility. Off-the-shelf software, on the other hand, features generalized functionality that fails to account for the unique requirements of each individual company.
Increased Security
With a custom solution, your software can be developed with businesses-specific security requirements, including end-to-end encryption and two-factor authentication. Though these security features are often included in third-party applications, in custom software, they can be fine-tuned to meet industry regulations, your local server specifications, and compatibility requirements for your chosen ISP. What’s more, if your custom software is built for internal use, there will be fewer users and, therefore, fewer opportunities for cyberattacks.
Better Scalability
As your business grows, so, too, should your company software. Custom enterprise software makes it easy for you to increase data storage and user capacity and add new features as and when needed. This means that you don’t need to keep switching software – or paying for more expensive subscription tiers – whenever your business expands.
On-Demand Updates
It’s not uncommon–in fact, it should be expected–for enterprise-level applications to encounter numerous bugs during their life cycles. When using third-party software, you have to wait for the service provider to fix these bugs and update the software. With custom enterprise software, however, you can fix and update bugs whenever the need arises, keeping your essential business operations running smoothly.
Best Platforms for Custom Enterprise Software Development
Now that we’ve explained why you should build custom enterprise software instead of using an off-the-shelf application, let’s discuss which development platforms are best suited for this type of development.
Microsoft Visual Studio
Microsoft Visual Studio is an integrated development environment (IDE) used by software developers to build, debug, and deploy various types of applications, including desktop, web, mobile, and cloud-based applications. It provides a comprehensive set of tools, languages, and frameworks to streamline the development process and enhance productivity for developers.
This platform is suitable for enterprise software development due to its robust features and capabilities. It offers extensive support for collaboration, enabling teams to work together efficiently on large-scale projects. Additionally, its integration with Azure cloud services and DevOps tools facilitates the seamless deployment, management, and scaling of enterprise applications.
Pros
- Comprehensive IDE: Microsoft Visual Studio features a wide range of tools, languages, and frameworks for diverse application development.
- Integration: Due to its excellent integration with Microsoft technologies, such as Azure cloud services and SQL Server, Microsoft Visual Studio facilitates seamless development and deployment of enterprise applications.
- Quality Assurance Tools: Microsoft Visual Studio offers robust debugging and testing capabilities, including advanced debugging tools and unit testing frameworks.
- Rich Ecosystem: Microsoft Visual Studio’s rich ecosystem provides extensive documentation, community support, and third-party extension capabilities.
Cons
- Resource Intensive: Microsoft Visual Studios can be resource-intensive and require a higher-end system for optimal performance.
- High Difficulty: Due to its extensive feature set and complex interface, Microsoft Visual Studios’ learning curve can be steep, especially for beginners.
- Expensive: Microsoft Visual Studios’ licensing costs can also be high, particularly for enterprise editions or specialized functionalities.
- Poor Cross-Platform Support: Compared to other IDEs, Microsoft Visual Studios is limited in terms of cross-platform support, as it primarily focuses on Windows development.
Xcode
Created by Apple for developing software for macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS platforms, Xcode provides a suite of tools, compilers, and frameworks to streamline the development process. It offers many useful features such as code editing, debugging, interface design, and performance analysis, resulting in a comprehensive toolset for Apple platform development.
The Xcode development environment is well-suited for enterprise software development due to its strong integration with Apple’s ecosystem and technologies, allowing businesses to target a wide range of Apple devices. It also provides seamless integration with Apple’s App Store for enterprise app distribution, making it a robust and efficient choice for enterprise software development on Apple platforms.
Pros
- Apple Support: Xcode offers native support for developing applications for Apple platforms, including macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS.
- Smooth Integration: Thanks to its seamless integration with Apple’s ecosystem, APIs, and frameworks, Xcode enables access to the latest features and technologies.
- Debugging Tools: Xcode’s robust debugging and profiling tools, along with extensive testing frameworks, ensure high-quality app development.
- UI Design Tools: With its integrated interface design tools, such as Interface Builder, Xcode allows developers to create visually appealing and user-friendly interfaces.
Cons
- Apple Exclusive: Due to its limited cross-platform support, Xcode may not be suitable for businesses targeting other operating systems since it primarily focuses on Apple platforms.
- Difficult to Learn: Using Xcode involves a steep learning curve, especially for developers new to Apple’s development ecosystem and programming languages like Swift and Objective-C.
- Large Files: Xcode’s relatively large file sizes and resource demands require a higher-end system for optimal performance.
- Apple Developer Program: Xcode depends on the Apple Developer Program for certain features, such as app distribution and provisioning profiles.
.NET
.NET is a free, open-source, cross-platform framework developed by Microsoft for building different types of applications, including web, desktop, mobile, gaming, and IoT. It provides a programming model and an extensive library of pre-built functions, allowing developers to create applications using various programming languages, such as C#, VB.NET, and F#. With .NET, developers can build robust, scalable, and high-performance applications for multiple platforms and devices.
.NET is well-suited for enterprise software development, as it offers a vast range of tools, frameworks, and libraries that enhance productivity and enable rapid development. It provides strong integration with Microsoft technologies and services, such as Azure, allowing for seamless integration and deployment in enterprise environments. What’s more, the scalability, security, and reliability of the .NET framework make it a solid choice for developing mission-critical enterprise applications.
Pros
- Versatility: .NET is a versatile framework that supports multiple programming languages such as C#, Visual Basic, and F#. This allows developers to choose their preferred language while still benefiting from the .NET ecosystem.
- Cross-platform development: With the introduction of .NET Core, developers can build applications that run on different platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux.
- Large developer community and ecosystem: .NET has a thriving developer community and a rich ecosystem of libraries, frameworks, and tools.
- Robust framework: .NET provides a robust framework for building scalable and reliable applications.
Cons
- Learning curve: While .NET offers a wealth of features and capabilities, it also has a learning curve, especially for developers who are new to the framework.
- Windows-centric heritage: .NET originated as a framework primarily focused on Windows development. Although .NET Core has expanded its platform support, the Windows-centric heritage may still be seen as a limitation in some scenarios in which cross-platform compatibility is crucial.
- Performance: While .NET offers good performance for most applications, it may not match the raw performance of some lower-level languages like C or C++.
- Deployment size: .NET applications can have a larger deployment size compared to applications developed with other frameworks.
Kissflow
A cloud-based business process management (BPM) and workflow automation platform, Kissflow enables organizations to design, automate, and manage various business processes, such as approvals, requests, and document workflows, without the need for extensive coding. It offers a user-friendly interface, pre-built templates, and integration capabilities to streamline and optimize business processes.
Kissflow is great for enterprise software development because it allows for rapid development and deployment of custom business workflows without extensive coding. Its user-friendly interface and pre-built templates enable faster implementation, saving time and effort. Additionally, its cloud-based nature provides scalability, flexibility, and seamless collaboration across teams, making it an ideal choice for enterprise software development projects.
Pros
- User-friendly interface: Kissflow provides an intuitive and user-friendly interface, making it easy for users to design and manage workflows without extensive technical knowledge.
- Rapid development and deployment: With Kissflow’s no-code/low-code approach, businesses can quickly build and deploy custom workflows, reducing development time and accelerating project delivery.
- Scalability and flexibility: Kissflow is a cloud-based platform that offers scalability in order to accommodate growing business needs. It also provides flexibility to adapt and customize workflows as requirements evolve.
Cons
- Limited customization options: While Kissflow offers flexibility within its framework, there may be limitations regarding extensive customization and complex workflow configurations compared to fully custom-coded solutions.
- Integration challenges: Integrating Kissflow with existing systems and applications may require additional effort, depending on the complexity of the integration requirements.
- Dependency on the platform: As a cloud-based solution, businesses relying heavily on Kissflow would have a dependency on the platform’s availability and performance, which could impact operations in the event of outages or service disruptions.
Buildfire
Buildfire is a mobile app development platform that allows businesses to create and customize mobile applications without extensive coding. It provides a user-friendly interface, pre-built templates, and a range of plugins and features to simplify the app development process. With Buildfire, businesses can quickly build and deploy their own branded mobile apps for various purposes and industries.
This platform is an excellent choice for enterprise software development because it empowers businesses to rapidly create custom mobile apps without extensive coding or development resources. Its user-friendly interface and pre-built templates streamline the app development process, saving time and effort. Additionally, Buildfire offers a range of enterprise-focused features and integrations, such as CRM integration and user management, to meet the specific needs of enterprise software development projects.
Pros
- No-code/low-code development: Buildfire enables businesses to create mobile apps without extensive coding knowledge, making it accessible to non-technical users.
- Rapid app development: With pre-built templates and a user-friendly interface, Buildfire accelerates the app development process, allowing businesses to quickly build and deploy custom mobile apps.
- Enterprise-focused features: Buildfire offers a range of enterprise-focused features, such as CRM integration, user management, and analytics, catering to the specific needs of enterprise software development.
Cons
- Limited customization: While Buildfire provides a level of customization within its framework, there may be limitations related to extensive customization and complex app functionalities compared to fully custom-coded solutions.
- Dependency on the platform: Businesses relying on Buildfire are dependent on the platform’s availability, performance, and continued support, which could impact operations in the event of outages or changes to the platform.
- Integration challenges: Integrating Buildfire with existing systems and workflows may require additional effort and may be subject to compatibility limitations depending on the specific integration requirements.
Custom Enterprise Software Development From Idea Maker
If you’re ready to leverage the benefits of custom enterprise software, Idea Maker is here to help. Our expert developers are well-versed in building custom solutions and are committed to ensuring a transparent and collaborative development process. Contact us today to learn more about how our services can take your business operations to the next level.
