Have you heard the phrase “there’s an app for that”? Popularised by Apple, the phrase captures how apps – web- or mobile-based – can make just about every aspect of our lives easier. But how do you build truly engaging apps that meet all compliance and security requirements, and can also be scaled up quickly? There’s a platform for that - Heroku.
What is Heroku?
Heroku is a platform as a service (PaaS) that lets businesses build, deliver, monitor, and scale all kinds of apps with speed. To date, over nine million apps have been created on Heroku. The platform provides the option to use most popular coding languages or low-code, no-code tools that allow you to develop apps with clicks, not code. With Heroku, developers get a built-in infrastructure, servers, and the tools and languages they prefer, so they can focus on what is important – building business-critical, employee- and customer-centric apps that delight customers. And since Heroku is a fully managed cloud application platform, businesses can scale app development without having to worry about maintenance or support.
Over nine million apps have been created on Heroku.
Heroku can be used by both professionals and enterprises.
How professionals can use Heroku
Heroku is based on managed container systems called Dynos that hold all the codes and resources needed for building, running, and managing apps in the cloud. Dynos are like virtual computers that can be adjusted to carry out both simple and complex tasks at scale on your apps. Along with these, you also get integrated tools, services, and a third-party ecosystem to maximise developer productivity.
Developers can use their preferred coding language on Heroku. The platform makes cloning code and deploying apps as easy as clicking a button. Apps can be directly deployed using popular methods like Git, GitHub, or Docker. They can also be set up to autoscale.
Heroku manages all server, hardware, and infrastructure needs, freeing up developers to get their apps right. And they can access a comprehensive knowledge base, raise a ticket, or engage with the Heroku community to get help when needed.
How enterprises can use Heroku
Businesses can leverage the Heroku developer experience to create high-performance apps with confidence. Heroku takes care of all data security, privacy, and regulatory compliance requirements through fine-grained control and permissions for secure access to data. Developers can work on custom app ideas individually or as a team through shared workspaces. They can also use built-in collaboration tools to speed up the idea-to-URL journey.
Since Heroku is part of the Salesforce Platform, you can integrate customer data from the CRM to improve app functionalities and experience. Similarly, data from the app can be integrated into your CRM to fine-tune marketing campaigns, accurately run sales forecasts, and get a more holistic view of your customers. Currently, Heroku manages more than two million data stores.
Heroku enables industry-standard best practices such as continuous integration (CI) and continuous delivery (CD). With CI/CD, you can test your code automatically in dedicated, secure environments. You can also shorten app release cycles, and introduce incremental updates to apps, faster. This benefits both your company and your customers.
Admins can manage, track, and control app development processes, resources, and users from a clean and unified dashboard. Then, scale apps with the click of a button as the user base grows.
Prominent Heroku features to know about
Here’s what you get with Heroku.
Heroku platform – Build and run your apps on a ready-built infrastructure. The Heroku Dashboard view gives developers and admins a simplified and consolidated view of their DevOps. And Heroku Metrics analyses app performance and usage, helping you identify areas of improvement. Get add-ons, buttons, and other resources through Heroku Elements.
Data services – Get a fully-managed set of data services through Salesforce’s integration with:
Postgres
Redis
Apache Kafka
Security – Powerful security features keep sensitive customer data safe yet accessible, while also maintaining compliance with PCI-DSS, HIPAA, ISO, and SOC.
Platform with a focus on the developer experience
Heroku is built by developers for developers. It allows developers to build fully customised apps that deliver unique customer experiences. How do developers benefit from it?
- Use your preferred languages and frameworks to build apps
- Get the necessary infrastructure, architecture, tools, and services to stay focused on building great apps
- Gain uninterrupted uptime and 24x7 maintenance, patching, and support from Heroku teams
- Capture customer data from Salesforce CRM to improve app experiences
- Scale computing power as needed
Heroku provides all the tools and infrastructure developers need to be at their productive best. With it, organisations can churn out engaging apps and immersive experiences quickly. And with access to a huge marketplace of add-ons, you can add complex functionalities to your apps while Heroku manages the software and infrastructure for you.
