30th March 2007
“Mobility is inevitable; you’ll be deploying many more mobile devices and applications in the future, so make sure you establish a strategy and policies. The enterprises which profit most from mobility will be those who look on it not just as another technology, but as an opportunity for business process improvement.”
(1 Nick Jones, Gartner Research)
Why does Nick Jones make this statement?
The factors which lead to this conclusion are:-
1. Availability of high-speed networks.
2. Advanced mobile devices.
What’s missing?
Advanced mobility business applications. Applications that aren’t necessarily juggernauts but present relevant, intuitive business capabilities that are easy for end users to adopt into their day to day activities.
What will drive the development of advanced mobility applications?
Will it be:-
- The fact that by 2008, more than 80% of mobile knowledge workers will have access to wireless email ( Gartner Report, October 2004)
- There will be a 93% increase in global sales of Smartphone segment in 2005 in excess of 7.5 million units. Yankee Group
- That IDC estimates that the mobile worker population in the U.S. will grow to 104.6 million by end of 2006, and that there will be strong growth for mobile solutions to support these workers.
- It is that the estimated global market for commercial mobile software – which exceeds $560m in 2004 and includes operating system, application frameworks, and provisioning solutions – will reach $1.6 billion by 2008. (Venture Development Corporation. April 205) (2 Microsoft Partner)
More likely it is the need for a return on investment (ROI). This is most often deliberately strategic or cost reduction based. In many cases adopters of mobility solutions reach their ROI in as little as 6 months.
Cost reduction is easiest – replace manual and paper based systems
OR
Strategic – a whole new approach to dealing with the customer – either meeting a service obligation or selling products in a more efficient way.
More to come….keep your finger on the pulse.
References
1. Jones, Nick, Vice President, Garner Research, 2nd Edition, The Strategic Path to Converging Communication
2. https:/ Partner.microsoft/global/program/competencies |
