Enterprise mobility is key to business success in this mobile society. If you are an IT service provider or software vendor, you must enable your customers and clients with enterprise mobility if you want to succeed. That mobility must extend from enterprise applications, to web sites and all other technology tools you provide.Consumers and business users are more sophisticated than ever and their expectations and demands are always changing. But, one thing does not change and that is the fact that you will lose market share if your applications are not suitable for the numerous devices available today for users – desktops, laptops, tablets and smart phones with different operating systems, browsers and screen sizes.
The growing demand for mobile capability requires that your software applications are well designed and provide responsive or adaptive web interfaces, and also native platform based mobile applications that work with different devices on iOs, Android, BlackBerry, Windows and other popular platforms.
Furthermore, many vendors find that they must consider the challenges presented by the Bring Your Own Device, Bring Your Own Technology, Bring Your Own Phone concepts to ensure that users can leverage personal devices to access every manner of application inside and outside their offices. If your clients are using your business application, you must ensure that they can do so from a personal device, as well as from office issued devices and equipments.
Enterprise mobility and access to enterprise data and applications will make your customers more productive and ensure appropriate collaboration, accountability and empowerment. It will allow their teams to share information and make decisions no matter where the team members are at any given time. Your client’s employees can be in the office or on the other side of the world but their business will not wait for them to get together in a conference room to make a decision.
To create an enterprise mobility plan, an IT software vendor or service provider must consider requirements for internal users, and for customers, partners, suppliers and employees and plan appropriately. Considerations will include:
• Review and prioritization of IT landscape to determine which applications will be included in enterprise mobility
• Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT), Bring Your Own Phone (BYOP) considerations
• Review and selection of applications for enabling Responsive Web Design, Adaptive Web Design, Native Mobile Apps user interfaces
• Review and selection of application segments, modules or interfaces for inclusion in enterprise mobility
• Review and selection of target device and platforms for mobility
• Technical architecture and integration possibilities and options for existing systems
• Information processing speed requirements
• Data access, security and administration needs and resources
• User interface re-design requirements for existing solutions
• Infrastructure requirements including architecture planning, network, hardware, integration etc.
• Support and maintenance considerations
• Internal and/or consultant skills, experience and knowledge to create and sustain enterprise mobility
• Project Roadmap including pilot planning and follow-on processes and steps, based on pilot results
The above list is by no means complete but it will give you an idea of some of the critical factors you must consider when you undertake a project to achieve enterprise mobility. The need for mobile, accessible, secured applications and services is critical to the success of your applications. To successfully incorporate the concept of enterprise mobility into your products and services, it is crucial that you engage in comprehensive planning and create a technical architecture and roadmap, so as to ensure that your customers receive the best, most intuitive solutions and will continue to use your products and services. The advantages for Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) and IT service providers include customer attraction and retention, competitive advantage in your market of choice, new business opportunities and a market leadership position with cutting-edge solutions.
