Seven Key Enterprise Mobility IT Trends for 2016

by: AndrewIn Enterprise Mobile, Enterprise Mobility, Servitization, TrendsTagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Seven Key Enterprise Mobility IT Trends for 2016

 

Red cubes with 2015-2016 change on a white table represents the new 2016, three-dimensional rendering
Red cubes with 2015-2016 change on a white table represents the new 2016, three-dimensional rendering

Advancing technology and a shift in work habits have seen more employees working out of the office by leveraging the use of mobile devices and cloud based services to improve business tasks.
Creating solutions that map processes and increase productivity is a moving target. So what do we think will be the seven key enterprise mobility IT trends for 2016 ?

1. Security

As the number of mobile users increases so does the risk of a security threat. A mobile device with access to company resources can be a key target for theft as well as cyber attacks.

If a device is lost or stolen what happens to the data stored on the device, or applications with access to company data? If that data is stolen or lost what would be the impact on the company’s reputation and how would it continue to operate?

Two years ago Gartner estimated that more than 75% of mobile applications would will fail basic security tests, there is no reason to believe that has changed

Data theft digitally can cause many problems. How are mobile users accessing data? Where is the data stored? Where are the devices used? Controlling the environment the devices can connect to and securing the channel of communication has become equally as important and securing the physical device themselves. Frost and Sullivan believes that security will be the biggest issue in the IT industry driven by rapid adoption of Cloud, Mobility and the Internet of Things.

Expect a more heightened emphasis on data protection of enterprise mobile data on devices in 2016 and beyond.

2. R.I.P. Android in the Enterprise… well not quite..

If the future of Enterprise Mobility is tablet shaped then the resurgence of Microsoft Windows may give many cause to pause as they specify Android or iOS as platforms.
We have seen Windows Phone take a real beating in the smartphone space, IDC believe that by the end of 2015 world wide share will be no more than 10.2%. Part of this is put down to the “app gap” a phenomenon where not enough apps are being developed – resulting in less take up for the OS.
Apps in the “rugged” or Enterprise area often are highly customised or built to map a specific, often still paper based process so the appeal of Microsoft as a corporate platform is still attractive. According to Strategy Analytics Windows Tablet shipments are projected to hit 49 million units in 2019, a 120 percent increase from 2015 levels.

So whilst Microsoft gets Windows 10 Mobile ready to fight Android and iOS more Enterprise clients will specify Windows 10 on an ever increasingly array of tablet devices as a preferred enterprise grade platform.

3. Line of Business Devices Still Relevant

World wide IDC believes that smartphone consumption will see it’s first “single digit” growth year in 2015.
Those of us in the enterprise space recognise that generic smartphones can offer great value for money for some projects. But it is often discovered that each organization has unique mobile worker requirements making a one sized fits all phone a tough deployment and support proposition.

LoB (Line of Business) rugged devices were in the past almost exclusively based on Windows Mobile 6.5 although now there are many Android devices available. They have been perceived as lacking in innovation, not surprising when compared to new shiney smartphones. However they can often have specific and high performance attributes built in that in the long run will enhance TCO. Features such as desk and vehicle docks, IP67 sealing, integral scanning and more robust construction plugs and sockets.

Whilst the value proposition of consumer grade devices on any OS has been enhanced by device management solutions if the unit was never designed to be used in a line of business environment in the first place it can give rise to large failure rates. Up to 50% in some studies.

LoB devices have not gone away they have just got a whole lot more relevant and less costly. Products like the new Aegex Windows Tablet aimed at the ATEX market is a case in point.

4. Enterprise Mobility Servitization

Incorporating all the elements needed for an enterprise mobility solution in one offering funding and support wrapper is not new. Servitization challenges existing thinking so that the solution is configured more around the delivery of the clients service to “its” customer.

Aston University Business School in Birmingham England think so much of this that they started a whole department built around the concept. The road to transform a business from a “manufacturer” to becoming the provider of a “service” is well explained in this video.

This approach is the norm in some industries. It is likely that that train or plane you traveled on last was not ticketed owned serviced or staffed by the brand on the outside. More likely by a facilitating organisation that focuses on the delivery of some or all of the elements to you the end user.

Cloud based apps, more flexible devices and MDM are some of the reasons we can expect mobility to be the glue that makes this initiative a reality. Look out of examples especially in scenarios where the client has high touch field based activities such as managing multiple contracts delivering field service or multi site FM.

5. Data data and even more data….

Citrix estimate that the number of mobile devices managed in the enterprise increased by 72% from 2014 to 2015 – most of them mobile

According to Gartner, by 2020, 25 billion devices will be generating data about almost every topic imaginable.

In the enterprise this sets all companies up for a significant challenge in 2016 and beyond: “How do we manage and make use of all this data coming in from location services, IoT integration with host systems etc in such a way as to convert it into a demonstrable competitive advantage”

6. Cloud Based Apps on the Device on your Choice.

What if your SME enterprise does not have access to in house IT or the budget to fund a traditional build from scratch enterprise mobility project ?
The good news for 2016 and beyond is that many businesses already have competent devices in the form of SmartPhones or Tablets. Plus more line of business apps are deliverable via the cloud on a subscription basis. This will allow businesses to run a project with reduced up front and ongoing costs that address mobile and back office productivity and deploy it with an excellent ROI.

7. Internet of Things IoT

We have heard lots about the adoption of the IoT but like RFID a few years ago can it break into the mainstream enterprise mobility sector. In 2016 the answer is…probably not.

Gartner believes that the providers of Internet of Things platforms are currently fragmented and would benefit greatly from cobbling together a better ecosystem where data is shared more broadly. 451 Research believe that at the moment a relatively small number – Nineteen percent of companies are using, planning to use or will be evaluating the use of IoT in their organisations.

A more immediate solution may well turn out to Near Field Communication (NFC) as a way of adding value in key deployment scenarios.
What sets NFC apart from typical RFID is the nature of its peer-to-peer communication feature making it able to act both as a reader and as a tag. NFC has a become more available on all manner of consumer and LoB grade devices like the T1500 making it a popular choice for contactless payment.

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Have a great 2016, get in touch to arrange a webinar or meeting about your enterprise mobility project.

 

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What is Unified Endpoint Management

by: AndrewIn Android, BYOD, Enterprise Mobility, Events, Facilities Management, Mobile Device Management, TrendsTagged , , , , , , , ,

So What is Unified Endpoint Management

If you could not make it to Facilities Management show in Birmingham today here is the presentation we did with Hannah from SOTI “So What is Unified Endpoint Management”

So What is Unified Endpoint ManagementGet in touch to book a meeting or product evaluation.

Seven Key Enterprise Mobility IT Trends for 2015

by: AndrewIn Enterprise Mobility, TrendsTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Seven Key Enterprise Mobility IT Trends for 2015

Seven Key Enterprise Mobility IT Trends for 2015

Enterprise Mobility is all about increasing productivity and generating a return on investment Vs other demands in the business. Keeping on top of whats hot in the sector can make a huge difference to project performance and longevity. So what do we think will be the seven key enterprise mobility IT trends for 2015 ?

1.Tablets take on Laptops

As users started to use their “entertainment” tablet for work use some thought that Laptops would simply get wiped out and Tablet sales would continue to rise. IDC commented that 2014 saw Tablet sales growth slow year on year to 7.2% from 52.5% in the previous year. It looks like the Tablet replacement cycle may be as long as Laptops – or even longer. The rationale seems to be that once a tablet is found to be good at doing whatever it is doing there is no need to replace it. Although slowing it is expected that Tablet adoption will overtake PC’s in 2015 according to Gartner.

We doubt that laptops are going the way of LaserDisc or fax machine anytime soon. In the enterprise this means more possibilities for remote users to blur the lines between having a rugged PDA for line of business apps Vs a keyboard based device for more white collar productivity tasks. Although not suitable in every scenario we see more people using Tablets or Hybrid devices to replace the main computer in their lives.

2. R.I.P. Windows Embedded 6.5 … again

It has been coming for some time and without question a large number of enterprise mobility deployments ran on Android rather than Windows Embedded 6.5 in 2014. When Motorola Solutions the Gorilla in the sector gets acquired by Zebra it is a good sign that things have changed forever.

There are large numbers of users on this platform especially in the retail supply chain and T&L markets. So plenty of incentive in 2015 if you are a vendor coming from a different part of the market and a real headache for legacy manufacturers defending these accounts. Expect to see heavyweights like Panasonic in more traditionally “hand held” scenarios following the launch of their FZ-E1 and FZ-X1 devices.

3. Android Battles

Gartner says sales of smartphones grew 20 percent in the third quarter of 2014 in emerging markets were flat in Europe and up in the US. Growth is characterised by the continuing rise of Chinese Android brands and the narrowing of the difference in cost between feature phones and low cost smartphones. Gartner expects sales of smartphones to reach @1.9 billion devices world wide in 2014.

Low cost offerings like the Tesco Hudl and a slew of no-name rugged brands come with little or no real “enterprise grade” operational or break fix support. We believe organisations with more users will deploy solutions from major vendors such Samsung who recently launched the Tab Active an IP67 Android based inexpensive rugged tablet.

4. Windows Tablet

What about Microsoft…? Being late has characterised Microsoft in recent years. In the rugged space OEM’s using the embedded 6.5 and desktop Windows OS have taken a beating as many users moved to less costly devices that did not run a Microsoft OS. It finally got its act together with Windows 8.1. We predict more innovative and lower cost designs like the xTablet Flex 8  to beat off the opposition – but it will be tough.

5. Enterprise Mobility Management EMM – Fact or Fiction ?

Without doubt Fact !  In many organisations BYOD has been characterised by not being embraced by IT as fast as it is by employees wanting to access corporate data with their own devices.  Turning the provision of mobility to white and blue collar workers into a competitive asset means aligning what may be formal and informal BYOD arrangements. Using device management as a method in security, application and financial management mobility scenarios is really the only way we see this happening

Carl Rodrigues CEO of SOTI commented  “As global businesses establish and scale their mobility strategies, they can rely on our solution to manage smartphones, tablets and purpose-built mobile devices in addition to PCs, laptops and peripherals, from a singlepane of glass, no matter the operating system”

6. Apps Devices And The Long Tail

What if your SME enterprise does not have access to in house IT or the budget to fund a traditional enterprise mobility project ?

The good news is that many businesses already have competent devices in the form of SmartPhones or Tablets. Plus more line of business apps are deliverable via the cloud on a subscription basis. This will allow businesses to run a project with little up front cost that addresses how to increase internal productivity and deploy it with an excellent ROI.

7. Barcode Scanning Goes Mainstream

Barcode Scanning has been around for decades and is considered to be the founding element of the Internet of Things.  There are plenty of Android and iOS apps to allow your SmartPhone to scan using its camera. This is ok for ad hoc use but when higher frequency scanning is required a sled like the Honeywell Captuvo or separate Bluetooth scanner such as models form Socket are much more ergonomic to use. With the adoption of more SmartPhones and Tablets in the enterprise without integral scanning we anticipate seeing more of these in use next year.

Seven Key Enterprise Mobility IT Trends for 2014

If you supply the coffee we can bring our crystal ball to your office to discuss the seven key enterprise mobility IT trends for 2015 that may impact your project.

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Seven Key Enterprise Mobility IT Trends for 2014

by: AndrewIn Enterprise Mobility, TrendsTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Seven Key Enterprise Mobility IT Trends for 2014

Seven Key Enterprise Mobility IT Trends for 2014

Its the time of the year when we take a look into our crystal ball and consider what will be the seven key enterprise mobility IT trends for 2014.

How many of these that we identified for 2013 did you see during the year?

We are looking for trends that are likely to prove key in helping you figure out if you can generate a return on investment for your Enterprise Mobility projects.

 1. Shorter Replacement Cycles

Traditional sales pitch for an enterprise grade rugged device involves a replacement cycle of 3- 5 years based on the premise of a superior TCO and being able to repair the unit long term.

This proposition will start to become outmoded for many buyers who are used to 24 month re-fresh and a faster moving product life. Out of contract cost of repair is not dropping as traditional device manufactures try and make up margin by selling repair services.

2. Tablets and iPads.

If you just landed on Earth you would be forgiven for thinking that Apple invented tablet computing in 2010. In fact whilst the iPad has shipped in the millions rugged enterprise grade tablets had been around for years before that. Apple continues to lose market share but is happy being the premium product especially for C Level types. Is the iPad a tablet or some sort of entertainment portal – who cares. Devices have become lighter and more manageable meaning that users in organisations of all sizes are now just as comfortable with 7″ to 10″ screen formats than with a handheld or PDA form factor. In the UK IDC estimates that 25% of tablets shipped between July and September were under £120 ($190) and it expects this part of the market to grow over the next few years.

Expect to see more people looking to use more larger format tablets and more apps more often for enterprise tasks whatever the brand or OS.

3. R.I.P. Windows Mobile

Is this the year more enterprise mobility deployments go out on Android rather than Windows Mobile? Android is attacking the space from all angles and according to IDC accounts for 81% of all Smartphone shipments. That is quite a wave for Enterprise Mobility to dodge even though Apple alone accounts for 56% of the profit in the sector.

Watch out for more Android and innovative products like the Intermec CN51 which can be “upgraded” to Android in the future.

4. Rugged Android Device Battles

It’s over before it started. More rugged enterprise mobile Android units will enter the market . At the moment they seem to be happy slugging it out on price. Clearly this cannot last and for some vendors this could be a quickly deflating bubble.

New players may well start to be become dominant amid the beginning of a shake out in traditional vendors as only the fittest and most innovative will survive this.

5. Bring Your Own Device

Yawn… I hear you think not another mention about BYOD.  Whatever the hype more companies have been organising their HR and security policies to suit a deployment. Perhaps they are spurred on by Gartner predicting that 38% of surveyed CIOs will cease to provide personal IT devices to their employees by 2016.  But is it worth it? Perhaps not, one piece of research by Nucleus explained how BYOD would actually increase costs without providng any tangible benefits.

No matter what the cost many will find the approach compelling enough to fudge the numbers to fit their scenario. More companies will be doing BYOD trials and one will surely try it to impose it on blue collar workers.  After all its far too hip to go away.

6. Even More Wi-Fi

An IDC report describes how in spite of its relative maturity the enterprise WLAN market continues to go up with revenues growing at a 20% rate in recent years. Reports indicate Cisco having a solid @55% market share primary loser seems to be Motorola Solutions.

Two factors continue to drive growth in WLAN deployments. The added oomph given by all those BYOD users hooking on to corporate Wi-Fi with their iPad’s and Android devices. Also cellular operators will be looking to add more enterprise grade Wi-Fi provision to their networks and value added offerings.

7. Secure Mobile File Sharing

By giving white collar users mobile access to secure collaboration and file sharing, enterprises can boost business productivity and organizational agility. However, IT departments need to ensure that mobile file sharing never puts at risk the security of an organisation’s data.

As Keith Hall of Accellion comments,  “While “anytime, anywhere” might sound like a pipe dream that can never truly be fulfilled, we really mean it. Users have to be able to securely access any enterprise content they need, whenever needed from any type of device. And then edit the data, share it, save it – whatever is required for the task at hand. That’s mobile productivity at its finest and secure file sharing solutions will be at the center of this trend to watch”.

The Wildcards

How could we leave out Near Field Communication – NFC? Does it have a future in the mainstream? With more Android based devices being used in Enterprise Mobility expect to see more of this in a number of apps starting with proof of delivery.

Optical Character Recognition – OCR. Reading text is a great alternative to reading barcodes or RFID tags. There are plenty of human readable applications that could benefit from this approach.

Seven Key Enterprise Mobility IT Trends for 2014

We can bring our crystal ball to your office to discuss the seven key enterprise mobility IT trends for 2014 that may impact your project.

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What Everyone Ought to Know About Identifying a Mobile Computing Platform for Enterprise Mobility

by: AndrewIn Enterprise Mobility, Mobile Application development, Operating Systems, Platform, TrendsTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

What Everybody Ought to Know About Identifying a Mobile Computing Platform for Enterprise Mobility

What Everybody Ought to Know About Identifying a Mobile Computing Platform for Enterprise Mobility
The Osborne is now a Museum Piece

Guest Post by Timothy C B Cox. I always have said the mobile computer like the smart phone is not much use without applications, and it’s true for all  enterprise solutions which makes identifying a mobile computing platform for enterprise mobility such an important task.

But the platform does play an important part in the solution and should not be overlooked as just an easy decision because of our familiarity with smart consumer devices.  Recently Apple reported a drop in product margin’s, but their pricing has not really changed.  It shows smart phones are not going to get any cheaper anytime soon.

If anything consumer choice will be between the high margin expensive full featured hand-sets and the lower cost feature limited devices.  Or putting it another way, choosing between high margin devices and low margin devices.  Of course it’s in the interests of the vendor to urge the consumer to purchase the high margin product.

So future options are limited, I see them trying to protect existing product margins by releasing a new product with lower cost base.  I cannot see them compromising flagship products in terms of quality or features being a route for established brands when they battling with each other for market share.

For Example….

Samsung is currently being probed by the Taiwanese authorities for possibly paying people to post bad reviews and poor readability reports for the HTC One in Taiwan.  The HTC One uses higher quality materials in its case design and Samsung is concerned they may get into a new battle where their material costs increase to defend against other products, and this would be an unwanted downward pressure on their product margins.

The Apple iPhone is generally accepted to be of high quality design and build.  What Samsung fears is having to compete with another Android handset where the only real difference is quality of materials used in it’s industrial design.

Everyone selling is under pressure from falling margins!

Mobile Computing Platform for Enterprise Mobility

Rugged devices, though initially more expensive do last longer before being replaced, they are more stable in design and feature sets.  Typical customers do not like unpleasant surprises, because their investment is larger and the time to reach their ROI is longer.

You shouldn’t expect rugged device makers to jump onto latest OS releases or design features their customer base has a predefined expectation of their products.  If you look at Conical responsible for the open source Ubuntu Linux distribution, they have a two track release solution, a LTS or Long Term Support release and a general release.  Think of their LTS release as the enterprise edition (stable) with the general release aimed directly at the consumer (with latest features).

Rugged device manufactures also work to the LTS concept but all their products adhere to the LTS concept!  Where they commit to a number of years of support, service and updates for their platform.

Enterprise customers must get a stable platform to build their business; not to be distracted by worrisome and unimportant support and life cycling of the product.  It allows customer’s to manage their mobility system over a known period of stability in terms of the platform, allowing them to build and plan their applications and solutions with very low risk along with favorable Total Cost of Ownership TCO numbers.

Buy a consumer device for use in the mobile workforce and you will be going through some sort of product and/or software refresh every year.  Because consumer devices change with annoyingly regularity, to the delight of the vendors and retail stores, as it drains consumers wallets regularly.

In short, it’s not in best interests for consumer products to have a LTS approach, they rely on phones being replaced regularly to maintain revenues.  Google likes to tell the market they have 1.5 million phone activations every day, but they don’t let on if these are existing users upgrading or new customers.

In April 2013 Google changed from reporting new hand-set activations to only reporting device visits to their on-line app store called ‘Play Store’!

So a LTS products may not have all the latest features and leading edge (or bleeding edge) options like  consumer products.  But they are what is called ‘stable’ releases, nothing is included that may have a negative affect on smooth running of the device.  Be assured the LTS designed products do not suffer like some iPhone batteries have after a recent iOS update from Apple, and solved by two subsequent updates.

Imagine (as an enterprise user) having to manage, push and pay for (if pushed over 3G) an update to your mobile workforce.  Not to mention dealing with users suffering from shorter than expected battery life, this happen recently with Apples iOS devices.  Just because the vendor pushed an update to hand-sets automatically.

Get a new Windows Phone device, and even if you to use it in the enterprise, be ready to create a new Hotmail (Microsoft Live) account for each device.  Use Bing to find out more! Something else to manage and filter and control and lock down and…

It’s not the incorrect decision to purchase a consumer device, all companies are at different stages in their cooperate life.  Some have more important projects with bigger positive impact on their operations commanding a larger percentage of the available budgets.  Some may not be able to afford the initial costs of rugged mobile devices.

No matter how you look at it, there is someone who will supply a product to fit your financial requirements, guaranteed!  So I would go as far as to suggest that companies who can only afford consumer devices or think they are stretched too much to get into rugged devices should wait until they have the budget or consider leasing, because maybe they are spending their cash on the wrong kind of project and its better spent elsewhere!!

So don’t dismiss those who tell you ‘you’re making a huge/massive mistake by looking at consumer products’.  Help them understand where your company is today and what resources and projects you are working with.  It will save everyone a whole lot of wasted time and money!

Sometimes it’s difficult for people to understand why a company would choose what looks to be an inferior product.  I would like to be driving a Range Rover and I could if I wanted, but I drive a cheaper 4×4 because my children are still young and make a complete mess of the interior.  So choosing the cheaper car fits my situation today and I live with that decision and my car delivers exactly what I expect!

What Everyone Ought to Know About Identifying a Mobile Computing Platform for Enterprise Mobility

Timothy C B Cox Mobile Workforce Strategy Consultant based in Dubai. Get in touch with Tim through Linkedin

What Everybody Ought to Know About Identifying a Mobile Computing Platform for Enterprise Mobility

Call us to discuss how we can help you identify the right opertaing system for your enterprise mobility project.

Is Big Brother Watching ?

by: AndrewIn BYOD, Enterprise Mobility, TrendsTagged , , , , , ,

Is Big Brother Watching ?

Is Big Brother WatchingGuest Post by Timothy C B Cox with some great advice on an issue that trips up many first time enterprise mobile deployments. Is Big Brother Watching ?

 

 

 

 

If you have decided to get into enterprise mobility and deploy a system into your company you might be surprised to realise that during a project most companies complelty ignore their users! And users can make or break a solution that you are trying implement to fix a business process problem. Including them in the process can eliminate many issues in the future and is an often neglected area of consideration.

Role of Power Users

Users can be naturally resistant to a mobility system as it often sparks rumors about the motivations of the boss having the ability to track their activities and whereabouts.  Privacy as an issue is being fueled by the prospect of an expansion of systems based on BYOD – Bring Your Own Device.

A smart move is to make sure you include some of your power users in the decision process you are going through. They know all about the in field processes often in a more intimate way that the project team that has been put together to come up with a mobility system.

When you have a unionised workforce its even more important to correctly communicate  what an enterprise mobility project will mean to members.

A Great Reason for Employees Not to Fret About Tracking

‘tracking protects users from all false accusations from customers and their employer. It protects the company from those wanting to defraud the the company of either their time or goods’

and…

A Reality About Social Media

‘are you using a social mobile app on your smart phone? You are being tracked and data about your location (and more) is being uploaded into a cloud somewhere and used by 3rd parties for profit.’

In social media the information being collected from consumers is astounding. The user gives up this information when they download an app and agree to the EULA (End User License Agreement). How many times have we all just tapped the ‘Accept’ button without reading the details.

Tracking company employees can protect both the employee & employer. The only people who need to worry are those who have reasons not to be audited. A company wants to go mobile to win more business drive growth and reduce costs. Employees should see benefits also: better earnings potential elimination of paperwork and the delivery of better customer experience leading to improved feedback.

If any company wants to prosper in these globally hard times they must protect themselves and their honest & hardworking employees. Mobile or not!!

So What do You do With The Data ?

Does it just lie in a database somewhere consuming resources. Are you ignoring a wealth of information being collected? If you are then its a wasted opportunity of improving your organisation and provide additional ROI for a mobility system.

Does HR know they can use this information for your mobile workforce annual review? There are KPIs that can be measured to reward employees that over perform. Of course ensure you include this as a provision in your HR policy. It is import to delete user identifiable data when an employee leaves the company.

So is big brother watching ? Just as call centres are measured on a number variables such as time it takes to pickup a call, problem resolution on the first call to avoid repeat calls from the same customer etc It makes perfect sense to extend these sort of KPI’s to the performance of your mobile workforce.

Is Big Brother WatchingTimothy C B Cox Mobile Workforce Strategy Consultant based in Dubai. Get in touch with Tim through Linkedin

Is Big Brother Watching

Call us to discuss how we can help keep all your staff involved and ensure your enterprise mobility project addresses the key business issues.

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Seven Key Enterprise Mobility IT Trends for 2013

by: AndrewIn Enterprise Mobility, TrendsTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Seven Key Enterprise Mobility IT Trends for 2013

Seven Key Enterprise Mobility IT Trends for 2013

It’s that time of year again when industry pundits stick their neck out and predict what IT trends will be hot in the next twelve months. Our footprint is mobile computing in business so our seven key enterprise mobility IT trends for 2013 are a tad more prosaic than 3D printing foldable screens and High Def smart televisions. But this stuff is important as trying to balance the never ending march of technology with achieving a return on investment is where the rubber meets the road for a mobile deployment.

1. Mobility in the Enterprise

To paraphrase Bill Clinton “It’s Mobile, Stupid..” Smart companies in the enterprise have been enjoying the productivity benefits of enterprise mobility for years and many of them are on their second or third refresh. However not many expected the explosion of mobility driven apps that have come from the huge adoption of smart phones and the rise of Android and iOS.  In some cases employees are now more mobile savvy than their IT departments.

The message for Finance Operations and IT leaders in any industry vertical is simple, get with it or lose out to competitors who adopt enterprise mobility apps to streamline remote worker processes improve productivity and reduce admin cycle times.  We don’t expect all the new adopters to adopt a strategic to this but we can hope…

2. More, Not Less Hardware Choices

The rugged hardware device industry long tail will continue. Motorola and Honeywell have acquired companies to maintain their volume position in the enterprise mobility market. But a never ending supply of no name white label handheld and tablet devices will come out of China and Taiwan offering lower price points and non-conventional ways to market. Expect the products and service offerings to become better.

3. Security and Mobile Device Management

According to a report issued by Dark Reading 47 percent of enterprises are predicting a bigger budget for security in 2013.  This has become a key area so expect Mobile Device Management MDM products such as Soti and ways of securing the apps infrastructure to mop up more IT spend.

4. Integration

Will simply become more important than ever. More mobile apps means more integration with existing ERP CRM and decision management systems.

5. Mobile Payments

In the consumer space 2013 may well be the year that consumers in stores start using the mobile wallet and contact less payment seriously.

Products such as Square that enable payments for Android and iOS and the Motorola MPM-100 will allow payment to be transacted at the point of delivery rather than at the end of an invoice paper chase. Expect this to enable more field based customer service activities in many applications such as retail dining home delivery and field service areas such as pest control.

6. Multiple OS Platform Support

Windows .NET is not going away just yet but the advance of Android and iOS into the enterprise space will compel solution providers to support apps on various platforms. Expect the Native Vs Web app debate to become more partisan in tone.

“I see an accelerated entry of Android into the marketplace, especially among companies who are integrating “hard” and “soft” workforces and deploying BYOD solutions”  Said Michael Forbes, Vice President of Marketing at axxun

7. The Cloud means BYOD right ?

Well maybe… Enterprises must come to terms with the fact that according to Forrester in excess of 66% of employees bring two devices to work. For Bring Your Own Device to work the need to separate private and business data will become…interesting.

Even if BYOD is not the approach of choice more enterprises are adopting some sort of cloud computing which means the prospect of an app being hosted outside the traditional in house network and paid for on a per use basis vs a perpetual model may well start to become the norm in 2013.

The Wildcards

Our seven key enterprise mobility IT trends for 2013 are factors we can already see at work. Both of our wildcards have generated a lot of press lately but are perhaps just over the horizon in terms of impact this year for enterprise mobility.

4G LTE

For sure more agile feature rich apps to increase data capture of  images videos and telemetry would be a great addition in many circumstances. How relevant this is to the typical enterprise mobility deployment will depend in part on the availability of a network and devices to exploit a super fast connection. Expect buyers to want to future-proof devices by specifying 4G LTE this year even if they don’t actually use it.

Ubuntu

Although the OS has been around a while the Ubuntu phone is a as Simon Phipps explains an intriguing addition to the mobility landscape.  It supports HTML5 so provides an alternative platform for existing web apps rather than creating another “native” approach.

We can help you wade through the options with your Enterprise Mobility project.

 

 

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