The Mobile Bang Theory - Part II: Let the ROI Sparks Fly
Mobile technology is redefining business computing for best-in-class enterprises, igniting short-term returns with an eye towards long-term competitive differentiation.
By Jim Hemmer, Antenna Software
Apr. 28, 2009
Last summer, we introduced the "Mobile Bang" theory which described the kind of explosive impact that mobility can have on business processes. This is based on the notion that one mobile action can trigger myriad business reactions - yielding returns exponentially higher than the initial mobile investment. But now the world is locked in the tight grip of an economic retraction. How does this current situation challenge our theory - does mobility still pack the same punch in this new world order?
The short answer is yes, the engine is firing on all cylinders. In fact, the economy is making mobility more important than ever. For business growth and innovation, most companies will continue to invest in areas with the greatest impact on ROI in the short term and competitive advantage in the long run. It's clearly not 'business as usual' though - naturally, when money gets tighter there is more rigor around sign-off and development of IT projects. The good news is that mobile projects show clear evidence of improved cost containment and more effective asset and resource management - the key issues that enterprises are facing now. So instead of being back-burnered by the economic downturn, enterprise mobility has been escalated to the forefront of the corporate IT agenda.
The Mobile Flashpoint is Upon Us
The technology drivers and influencers of Mobile Bang have shown no signs of stopping. New devices such as the iPhone, Palm Pre and BlackBerry Storm continue to enter the marketplace, each vying for the attention of the enterprise and the mobile application developer community, offering interactive touch screens, longer battery life and lower price points, to name just a few enticements. Unified communications (UC) is another boom market and mobile enabler, helping organizations to integrate voice, video and data with business applications on fixed and mobile networks, with the promise of greater productivity and collaboration. And lastly, even though the true adoption rate of SOA has been questioned recently, to stay competitive most organizations still strive for business system interoperability and the ability to share data from disparate sources in a fast, flexible and cost-effective way. SOA or not, a service-oriented style of enterprise integration simplifies and accelerates mobile deployments.
'Big bang' mobility is not about one system, one device, one network, one process, one person. Its true potential is realized in a composite fashion - by designing mobile applications that integrate multiple enterprise systems, legacy systems, 3rd party content, inherent device capabilities (camera, phone, GPS) and collaborative and UC technologies such as presence and Instant Messaging (IM). Mobility brings them together in a meaningful, relevant way and enables employees to work smarter and faster than ever before.
The economy, riding shotgun with these technology trends, is helping to shape the mobility landscape, simply because it has forced executives to assess IT projects in terms of ROI and justify the business case accordingly. As a result, mobility has earned a place at the grown-up table for its ability to deliver reliable returns to the business. For starters, mobile solutions make the best of what you already have - it's hard to ignore that simple logic. Investments in enterprise CRM and ERP systems, even legacy systems built in-house, can be leveraged - even reinvigorated - by simply mobilizing them and extending key business information out to employees. Most medium-large organizations already have investments in mobility and are now looking for value-add capabilities like location-based services and collaboration tools for incremental value without significant investment. There is no reason to embark on costly reengineering projects when mobilizing an existing system will breathe new life into it and yield a better ROI in the short term.
The industry experts agree. In their session at the recent Wireless & Mobile Summit in Chicago, Gartner analysts noted that "mobile application adoption in enterprises grew at more than 25 percent CAGR from 2002 to 2008. Mobile applications are vital to running businesses. More enterprises need to apply second- and third-generation thinking to optimize their investments." In addition, because organizations have already equipped employees with mobile devices for e-mail and phone calls, the natural extension should be to empower employees to do more with those devices and in the process improve customer service and increase top-line revenues. It's a win-win situation.
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The short answer is yes, the engine is firing on all cylinders. In fact, the economy is making mobility more important than ever. For business growth and innovation, most companies will continue to invest in areas with the greatest impact on ROI in the short term and competitive advantage in the long run. It's clearly not 'business as usual' though - naturally, when money gets tighter there is more rigor around sign-off and development of IT projects. The good news is that mobile projects show clear evidence of improved cost containment and more effective asset and resource management - the key issues that enterprises are facing now. So instead of being back-burnered by the economic downturn, enterprise mobility has been escalated to the forefront of the corporate IT agenda.
The Mobile Flashpoint is Upon Us
The technology drivers and influencers of Mobile Bang have shown no signs of stopping. New devices such as the iPhone, Palm Pre and BlackBerry Storm continue to enter the marketplace, each vying for the attention of the enterprise and the mobile application developer community, offering interactive touch screens, longer battery life and lower price points, to name just a few enticements. Unified communications (UC) is another boom market and mobile enabler, helping organizations to integrate voice, video and data with business applications on fixed and mobile networks, with the promise of greater productivity and collaboration. And lastly, even though the true adoption rate of SOA has been questioned recently, to stay competitive most organizations still strive for business system interoperability and the ability to share data from disparate sources in a fast, flexible and cost-effective way. SOA or not, a service-oriented style of enterprise integration simplifies and accelerates mobile deployments.
'Big bang' mobility is not about one system, one device, one network, one process, one person. Its true potential is realized in a composite fashion - by designing mobile applications that integrate multiple enterprise systems, legacy systems, 3rd party content, inherent device capabilities (camera, phone, GPS) and collaborative and UC technologies such as presence and Instant Messaging (IM). Mobility brings them together in a meaningful, relevant way and enables employees to work smarter and faster than ever before.
The economy, riding shotgun with these technology trends, is helping to shape the mobility landscape, simply because it has forced executives to assess IT projects in terms of ROI and justify the business case accordingly. As a result, mobility has earned a place at the grown-up table for its ability to deliver reliable returns to the business. For starters, mobile solutions make the best of what you already have - it's hard to ignore that simple logic. Investments in enterprise CRM and ERP systems, even legacy systems built in-house, can be leveraged - even reinvigorated - by simply mobilizing them and extending key business information out to employees. Most medium-large organizations already have investments in mobility and are now looking for value-add capabilities like location-based services and collaboration tools for incremental value without significant investment. There is no reason to embark on costly reengineering projects when mobilizing an existing system will breathe new life into it and yield a better ROI in the short term.
The industry experts agree. In their session at the recent Wireless & Mobile Summit in Chicago, Gartner analysts noted that "mobile application adoption in enterprises grew at more than 25 percent CAGR from 2002 to 2008. Mobile applications are vital to running businesses. More enterprises need to apply second- and third-generation thinking to optimize their investments." In addition, because organizations have already equipped employees with mobile devices for e-mail and phone calls, the natural extension should be to empower employees to do more with those devices and in the process improve customer service and increase top-line revenues. It's a win-win situation.
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