What Are Native Apps?

What are native apps?

Native apps are apps that are built, distributed and deployed natively in a business’s cloud platform. This application deployment model differs significantly from the way apps have traditionally been developed and deployed. With conventional application development, developers are responsible not only for managing the application code, but also for properly securing the customer data their apps make use of. They ingest their customers’ data for processing within the app providers’ own data platform.

Native apps work differently, bringing the application code directly to the customer’s data. For example, with the Snowflake Native App Framework, developers can build applications within Snowflake and deploy them directly to their customers’ data stored in their Data Cloud.

Snowflake Native Apps vs. connected apps

Snowflake Native Apps and connected apps have much in common. Both access customer data where it lives rather than loading it into the software provider’s managed platform. Snowflake Native Apps and connected apps allow the customer’s data to remain within their direct control, reducing potential data security concerns and freeing the app provider from having to store customer data within their own platform. But there is an important distinction between the two.

With connected applications, software providers connect to a customer’s data platform instead of loading data into their own managed data platform. Snowflake Native Apps take connected applications one step further by allowing providers to bring their application code to their customers’ data. Since the applications are built and reside within the data platform, Snowflake Native Apps can be deployed in the customer’s account with just a few mouse clicks.

Advantages of Snowflake Native Apps for providers

Building, distributing and deploying applications natively in a data platform allows app providers to quickly deliver value to customers. Here are the most significant benefits of building Snowflake Native Apps.

Faster development cycle

Using the Snowflake Native Application Framework, developers can build, sell and deploy applications directly within the Data Cloud. They can leverage all of Snowflake's core functionalities, including UDFs and stored procedures. In addition, Snowflake’s telemetry tools make it easy to monitor and support applications after they’ve been developed.

Reduced infrastructure management responsibilities

Because Snowflake Native Apps are built on the data platform infrastructure, application providers benefit from its built-in functionality. In the case of Snowflake, this includes always-on availability, global collaboration, in-platform monetization and built-in governance and security. Freed from building and managing infrastructure, providers can focus their full attention on building powerful, high-quality applications more quickly.

Eliminate the need to manage sensitive data

Snowflake Native Apps read and write directly to the customer’s data platform account. This feature eliminates the need to move sensitive customer data outside of the platform, freeing providers from the responsibility of managing and securing their customer’s data and ensuring it remains protected by the platform’s security and governance controls.

Improved profit margins

In traditional applications, the provider pays for the storage and compute costs associated with their app. Since Snowflake Native Apps use the compute in their customers’ accounts, providers can reduce their own compute costs and improve their profit margins.

Access to a broader customer base

Snowflake Native Apps developers have direct access to the Snowflake Marketplace. Here, Snowflake customers find, try and buy the data and applications they need to power innovative business solutions. This provides developers a valuable opportunity to distribute and monetize their products and deploy them directly inside a customer’s Snowflake account.

Advantages of Snowflake Native Apps for customers

With Snowflake Native Apps, customers retain control of their sensitive data and enjoy better data security and governance.

Eliminate data silos

By removing the need to move data or share it to the app provider, customers can reduce data silos, preventing data from becoming fragmented across multiple applications. In addition, they retain the freedom to control what an app can do in their accounts by granting granular permissions such as external access or log sharing to the application directly using role-based access controls (RBAC).

Enhanced data security and governance

Snowflake Native Apps allow customers to take advantage of innovative, powerful apps without having to worry about whether their sensitive data is being adequately protected on their provider’s platform. With Snowflake Native Apps, customer data never leaves the data platform and remains protected by the platform’s cloud security technologies and native governance.

Faster app discovery and installation

Snowflake users enjoy an additional benefit. In the Marketplace, Snowflake customers can easily discover, install and pay for their applications, reducing the procurement process from months to minutes.

Build your Snowflake Native Apps with the Snowflake Native App Framework

The Snowflake Native App Framework enables providers and customers to step into the future with a seamless way to build, distribute and use apps natively in the Data Cloud. By expanding Snowflake Marketplace to include apps that run natively in the Data Cloud, customers can get more from their data faster by discovering and installing applications with just a few clicks. With improved security and governance, using applications directly in Snowflake frees providers and their customers to shift their focus from managing infrastructure to tasks that accelerate their time to value and help meet key business objectives.