The Mobile Bang Theory
New forces in mobile computing are coming together in a perfect storm, causing companies to think about their businesses in an entirely new paradigm.
By Jim Hemmer, Antenna Software
Jul. 21, 2008
Like the internal combustion engine, which mixes air, fuel and heat to make it explode with power, three key enabling technologies have come together in an unprecedented manner, forcing businesses to look at mobility in a new light, and in many cases move it to the top of their IT agendas. In other words, a mobile renaissance is afoot as a result of more powerful devices, faster wireless networks and broader use and acceptance of Web services and SOA.
What is the impact on the software industry? These trends and other influencing factors have created a "Mobile 'Big' Bang" in business culture and flipped the old IT model on its head:
These technology advancements have created a more volatile computing environment for many IT departments. In fact, the combination of these fundamental shifts in mobile computing has caused many companies to think about their businesses in an entirely new paradigm. Customers we work with see mobility as the next computing platform that in many ways has little resemblance to the PC/laptop computing world to which we have grown accustomed. There is a real opportunity for mobility to provide exponentially higher returns if enabled properly within the enterprise.
It's a brave new world
The enterprise mobility phenomenon is unique. While most technology initiatives start in the enterprise and over time push their way out to consumers, mobility's origins are the opposite. Consumers have driven a strong personal-use demand for a variety of different mobile services on a variety of different mobile devices. The demand has penetrated and permeated the enterprise with a cry to use the same devices and services for work as well. We think of it as an outside-in demand.
This creates a challenge for the IT organization, as it must balance the strong consumer/employee demand with enterprise needs such as security, control and audit compliance.
Outside-in demand has also created a significant new market opportunity, but it requires unlocking technology constraints and dispelling many traditional IT practices. Getting access to the ton of data, information and processes embodied in a number of different enterprise systems and presenting it in a meaningful context to whatever an employee is doing is a key concept in the Mobile Bang Theory.
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What is the impact on the software industry? These trends and other influencing factors have created a "Mobile 'Big' Bang" in business culture and flipped the old IT model on its head:
- More powerful devices. There is a seemingly endless stream of devices ... laptops, 3G iPhones, next-generation BlackBerries, smartphones, Windows Mobile devices, and so on. Improvements in processing capability, memory, user interface, battery power and screen resolution now add up to a very strong mobile computing hardware platform.
- Faster networks. There has been a tremendous investment in networks, from wireless broadband to third-generation networks to WiFi and WiMax to seamless, ubiquitous networks. These technology improvements allow much faster, more reliable communications.
- Adoption of Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) and Web services. These technologies reduce the "heavy lifting" required for application integration and enable easy access into a variety of different points of information.
These technology advancements have created a more volatile computing environment for many IT departments. In fact, the combination of these fundamental shifts in mobile computing has caused many companies to think about their businesses in an entirely new paradigm. Customers we work with see mobility as the next computing platform that in many ways has little resemblance to the PC/laptop computing world to which we have grown accustomed. There is a real opportunity for mobility to provide exponentially higher returns if enabled properly within the enterprise.
It's a brave new world
The enterprise mobility phenomenon is unique. While most technology initiatives start in the enterprise and over time push their way out to consumers, mobility's origins are the opposite. Consumers have driven a strong personal-use demand for a variety of different mobile services on a variety of different mobile devices. The demand has penetrated and permeated the enterprise with a cry to use the same devices and services for work as well. We think of it as an outside-in demand.
This creates a challenge for the IT organization, as it must balance the strong consumer/employee demand with enterprise needs such as security, control and audit compliance.
Outside-in demand has also created a significant new market opportunity, but it requires unlocking technology constraints and dispelling many traditional IT practices. Getting access to the ton of data, information and processes embodied in a number of different enterprise systems and presenting it in a meaningful context to whatever an employee is doing is a key concept in the Mobile Bang Theory.
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