One of the great things about technology today is that so many critical services are available as subscriptions or out-of-the-box solutions, significantly diminishing the complexity of such tasks for businesses. For example, if you don’t know a lot about how websites work, but your business needs a simple site to promote your services, you no longer have to learn HTML or CSS. Instead, you can use a drag and drop site builder, allowing you to delay hiring a custom designer until you’ve got your footing.
Of course, web design is just one technology challenge, and one of the simplest, that a business might face in its development. As businesses grow, however, and even as they expand to include their own IT departments, they tend to require more complex solutions. This includes backend services – the code that makes everything work and which support a wide range of functions like mobile application management and social integration, as well as design tools like those used in visual development.
Better Backend Management
While the frontend of a website is what users see, for those in the know, the backend is where all the action happens. However, typical backend management, like updating code or introducing a new application, can represent a logistical nightmare because it may require taking the site offline temporarily and can be a time consuming task that eats into developers’ time.
By adopting a backend-as-a-service (BaaS) framework like Slash GraphQL, developers have the ability to flip this balance on its head. That means cutting down on website downtime and allowing developers to focus on building new applications and optimizing system functions. And because BaaS systems are hosted in the cloud, it’s easy for business to develop and then quickly upload new iterations of the site with minimal interruption.
Multi-Industry Value
Backend applications vary widely, depending on the industry, and some are much more difficult to build and deploy than others. For example, in healthcare, some applications are quite simple and don’t require much security. Others, like those applications that link with electronic health records, require a high degree of digital security and compliance with laws like HIPAA. BaaS platforms still offer significant benefit for these organizations, though, because they work to detach frontend application visuals from even the most fragmented backend. This also makes it a user-friendly option for large businesses that may have acquired multiple smaller operations with different application frameworks.
BaaS Concerns?
As critical as a website’s backend is, its importance also makes it a key element in determining a site’s vulnerability. So, are there any major concerns about using BaaS platforms? Do they create a security risk because they are a common connector, or are their concerns about giving an outside platform access to important databases? Overall, the answer is no. Not only are organizations largely satisfied with their BaaS systems, but if they do decide they want to change platforms or host their own database rather than using a BaaS, it’s easy to remove it and still operate the site with minimal code changes.
There’s a powerful simplicity to the ways businesses now use subscription services to operate their online and internal operations. These programs reduce downtime, enhance security, and support budget-friendly scaling efforts. For growing businesses, this is makes them the ideal toolset, growing with them without requiring constant overhauls and allowing organizations to work with optimal efficiency and focus on the work they do best.