By following certain rules, business applications can be successful.

"The convergence of mobile, social, cloud and Big Data technologies (what research firm Gartner, Inc. calls the 'nexus of forces') is changing how work gets done, and how IT supports the business," the article reads. "Work can now happen anywhere, at any time, across a multitude of devices."

The piece goes on to cover five "rules" that should be taken into account when it comes to modern application development. These include:

• Mobility is not an "add-on." There was a time where having mobile functionality was an afterthought and the desktop version of a software just got ported to a mobile platform. Now, programs need to be created specifically for mobile devices.
• Apps need to offer full parity across the cloud. Focus should be on accelerating the time-to-business-value for every application and service, but businesses should not give up ownership or control.
• Participation through collaboration tools can add an incredible amount of value to a system.
• Applications need to be able to access all relevant data, regardless of where it is stored, and need to have collaborations to turn that awareness into useful knowledge.
• Don't be afraid of the fact that technology will change and future disruptions will be coming.

More companies are diving into the business application landscape. By following these rules, organizations will have an easier time during this process.