Strategic Mobile Deployments; Adopting a Mobile Enterprise Application Platform

Overview

It wasn't so long ago that mobile devices were cool - objects of envy among those who were tied to their desktops. As cool as they were, as these devices began to appear in the workplace, they were not immediately welcomed by IT departments and not considered part of the enterprise. In fact, in many organizations, the devices were considered rogue elements - more a cause of consternation than of celebration.

Fast-forward just a few years and the mobile enterprise is now mainstream. Not only are mobile devices ubiquitous in most organizations, but the approach to dealing with these devices is avolving from administering siloed, one-off, tactical deployments to managing strategic deployments that are integrated into the overall enterprise.

According to Gartner, "by 2010, 50% of enterprises will have migrated away from tactical mobile application silos (supporting a single application) to strategic platforms capable of supporting multiple applications, managing devices and securing data and transport."

This is certainly a believable assertion - perhaps even more conservative. Historically, new technology appears on the scene and is employed tactically. As the benefits of the technology grow more apparent, implementation increases - most often via departmental deployments, which ultimately force the issue of integration to achieve manageability, security and cost-effectiveness.

What begins as a fascination with neat, new technology quickly evolves into a strategic solution that conveys a competitive advantage and presents a challenge to IT departments.