Perspectives & Strategy

Businesses are demanding more support for workplace mobility than ever before. The corporation of 2008 is unlike that of 5 or even 10 years ago. According to Forrester Research mobility for employees was the number one goal of corporations.

For IT that means making the off-site working ideals aspired to a decade ago a reality. For industries such as transport, logistics, shipping, airlines, and emergency services this means more than having access to key employees at all times. Each of these industries is making demands about cost effectiveness that starts at keeping in touch with staff, is enhanced with the capability of optimising routes to save on fuel costs, but also looks at how to improve profit margins and provide better service quality to customers. Any industry involved in moving product will have been impacted by rising fuel costs, yet is unable to rise its own costs due to market demands.

But Enterprise Mobility is about more than shipping it also encompasses the need for our sales-forces to be ‘connected’ when visiting the customer; the ability to remotely manage systems (this service may also be outsourced); demands to work-from-home; etc..

Will we ever be able to manage all of our business from a single mobile device? Much of the technology already exists and software developers are finding new ways to include the Blackberry, iPhone and other hand-held device application interfaces for corporate software. The type of device used seems to matter least when it comes to deciding to use mobile applications. Software as a Service may be a key contributor here. Although today the laptop is still seen as a more important tool than the cellular, or mobile phone. Electronic paper will enhance some of the limits faced today as a signature can be taken on a ‘paper’ and transmitted for processing with an order.

According to Phillip Winthrop fixed mobile convergence, and its ability to create a borderless office much as did mobile email, will breathe new life into mobility, thus accelerating adoption.
What is surprising is the number of people that do not need to travel as a core part of their job that are part of the enterprise mobility revolution. This is not just the new-mum that is given equipment in order to work from home, but others who can identify a business case to change their working conditions. Most of these workers have access via either the laptop or a virtual desktop and not through a mobile device. On the PC side security is less of an an issue that it was perceived to be 10 years ago. There are still questions about the security of mobile applications but the demand to access corporate systems will give the impetus to resolve these.

Peter B. Giblett