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1st May 2009
Mobility has established itself within the enterprise now and is visible in some form or another: through infrastructure and access, applications that increase productivity and retrieve information from back-end systems and an array of devices that provide a range of features whilst connecting users.
The ability to connect people and information will be key in the mobilised enterprise of the future. We will see more convergence and proliferation as enterprises embrace mobility. Devices will access voice, data and applications through multiple networks - WAN, LAN, Wi-Fi - and this will place an emphasis on the supply-side technology like PBX’s, servers and routers that divert and control traffic. Current devices have the ability to automatically switch between different networks, which allow the user and the organisation to manage costs and configure the optimal usage path. Solutions such as Research In Motion's MVS is an example of a component that dynamically routes voice traffic between fixed and wireless networks, thus allowing the enterprise to save money on data costs and infrastructure whilst giving users greater mobility.
There is an uncharacteristic convergence (or blurring) between business and consumer applications. The phenomenal growth of social and business communities e.g. LinkedIn, Facebook etc. has allowed software developers to creatively think of ways of connecting people and information. For example, Xobni gives users the ability to better manage their email, whether it be from the desktop or a device, whilst simultaneously interacting with social communities. What started out as a hosted consumer application is quickly gaining attention from corporate users as a business solution.
We will start to see people and information connected through enhanced mobile applications. Historically, mobile applications such as CRM have traditionally been an extension of the enterprise application to the device. Features such as consolidated customer data, sales forecasts and pipeline management are standard. What we will see are applications that allow the user to not only complete a task, but initiate a process that interacts with people in real-time. For example, a sales executive completes a sales visit and needs to update the CRM. However, he is having issues with this particular deal and/or client. Through the application, this person is able to gain system notes on how the issue was addressed (information) whilst connecting to another employee who has experienced the same issue (people). Shortening of cycles (speed to deliver, as opposed to speed to market) are the main drivers for the emergence of enhanced mobile applications.
The proliferation of devices within the enterprise, will mean that developers will need to create mobile applications that run on multiple platforms, including BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Symbian and iPhone. Mobile applications will also need to be accessible from the desktop. We have seen this in consumer mobile applications such as ShoZu, Skydeck, and this trend continues to emerge in business applications.
On top of all this, the proliferation of consumer choice will bring enormous pressure on administrators to control and better manage their environment. This will force them to either introduce an additional layer of technology management to their environment, or look for management tools. Systems and tools that optimise service, manage and configure assets (delivering informationon who has what, where it is, and is it working) and authorise the release of and access to data will all be key.
Whether mobilizing people, applications or data, the untethered enterprise is a pre-requisite in today’s competitive business environment. Basis Design has been helping companies with mobile transformation for over 10 years. If you need to connect people and information, and are looking for a software development partner with the necessary skills and experience to deliver, then get in contact with us. We’ll be more than happy to assist you with your plans.
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