Mobile application today has the power to transform businesses. With the introduction of smart phones and advancements in wireless networks, mobile technology has taken a different shape. Smartphones and tablets are being accepted as corporate tools because of access to network, services and applications provided at different layers. The users want to communicate with the customers, business partners and employees in real time – at any time and from any location.
According to Gartner Inc., by the end of 2017, market demand for mobile app development services will grow at least five times faster than internal IT organizations' capacity to deliver them. Gartner forecasts mobile phone sales will reach 2.1 billion units by 2019, which will fuel demand for apps in the enterprise that meet the high performance and usability of consumer apps.
This use of mobile devices for business purposes, collaboration and communication solutions has come to be referred to as enterprise mobility. Enterprise mobility is an integral part of the business process requiring a well-defined strategy which allows employees the flexibility to access enterprise data and systems from anywhere.
Why Enterprise Mobility?
- Anywhere, anytime connectivity to people, real time communication
- Enhanced employee productivity
- Minimized costs, lowered operational errors, contributing to better user experience
- Enforces best practices
- Increases customer satisfaction
Implementing Enterprise Mobility Management can offer three distinct challenges to an enterprise
1 –Security & Accountability - With around 95% of enterprises now allowing employee-owned devices for work purposes, BYOD is a trend in the current business climate. Enterprise mobility definitely gives employees the freedom to access enterprise data from anywhere; however it is also important that mobile application must comply with the security protocols. Consumer devices used in the workplace are hardly equipped with the necessary enterprise-grade security features to allow a fully open BYOD policy. As a result, IT departments of organizations still struggle to handle this effectively and they face a range of difficulties within their corporate network. Enterprises are now investing in mobile device management (MDM) to ease this universal pain point.
2 – Cross Platform Support - Sending information and updates across the variety of platforms (smartphones & tablets) can be a big challenge for many mobility initiatives. This is of course counteracted when companies issue a handful of dedicated devices which are fully supported by the IT department, but that still leaves you with the fact that employees use over 3 devices daily for work related activities, according to Citrix. Hence, the IT team needs to test business apps on a few preferred devices (chosen based on business requirements), ensure there are no performance or security issues and narrow down on the best device that suits the needs of an organization. It is better to choose the right device taking into account the technological evolution happening each day.
3 – Connectivity to CRM and ERP Applications – While enterprises are becoming more mobile-centric, many are hitting a wall when it comes to integrate a mobile app into the execution of day-to-day business processes. While mobile plays a role for 73% of organizations, nearly half of businesses identify back-end integration (43%) as a top challenge for mobile app development, according to new research from Red Hat. Without the integration, one won’t be able to derive the real value that the business has to offer through an improved user experience and enhanced interaction. With such rapid technical change, there is a requirement of integrating enterprise mobility with its back office systems which adheres with the security policies. CIGNEX enables smooth adoption of end-to-end mobility solutions including conceptualization, design, development, theme integration, site optimization, semantic coding, cross-platform compatibility, and devices compatibility.
Now after knowing the major challenges in your organization’s path towards enterprise mobility, go ahead and untangle them as your business moves ahead of your competitors on the highway to efficiency.
The article has been featured in CMS Report written by Chandni Bhagchandani, Corporate Communication Manager, CIGNEX. You can read the same here.
