InformationWeek Analytics released Application Mobilization: A Rapidly Changing Landscape that shows mobile apps are strategic
tools for companies competing in the global environment.
Once a niche
area, mobile applications are becoming critical for companies trying to
improve employee efficiency and customer service and sharpen their
competitive edge in today's global markets. Achieving a high level of
mobilization, however, is surprisingly challenging--companies must be
able to accommodate multiple mobile platforms, establish and manage
security, and access disparate back-end data sources.
Findings:
- 27%
of survey respondents report widespread adoption of mobile applications
throughout their enterprises, up from 21% in 2009--that's an annualized
increase of 38%. - 52% of poll respondents say their companies are
currently deploying, or planning to deploy, mobile apps on smartphones,
up from 42% in 2009--a 30% annualized increase. - When it comes to
mobile platforms, BlackBerry leads the pack with 57%, iPhone has 35%,
Google Android 27%, and Windows Mobile 22%; Palm Pre and Symbian trail
with 6% each. - 50% of respondents claim they're willing to develop their own enterprise mobile applications.
- Of respondents who say their companies aren't deploying mobile apps, 42% cite a lack of business benefit as the biggest reason.
"We probably shouldn't be surprised by the fast growth of app
mobilization--the iPhone and the Android barely factored into the
enterprise equation not too long ago, but look at them now," says Lorna Garey, content director of InformationWeek Analytics.
"Just don't be fooled into thinking it's easy to manage the adoption
process, given the multitude of platforms, ongoing security and related
considerations. As Peter points out in the impact assessment packaged
with his report, the benefits certainly outweigh the risks, but there
are inherent challenges."
"Tablets are already making inroads too," Garey adds, "so the mobile app landscape will continue to change."