Future Of Enterprise Mobile Applications

By Author: Susan Smith
Total Articles: 132
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As per recent projections, the mobile app market, which was at $ 6.8Bn in 2010, is estimated to grow to $25Bn by 2015, with an estimated 44Bn mobile app downloads in the year 2016. These are staggering numbers by any measure.

The important factor is that this growth is as much a reality in the enterprise segment as it is in the consumer segment. Businesses are fast waking up to the reality of the impact and utility of the mobile apps in their respective domains. While the uptake has been slow as expected, it has most certainly been steady, and the pace is picking up fast. The perception of mobile apps in the enterprise domain has evolved from one of rejection to that of keen interest. Decision makers now see that these tools increase productivity, reduce paperwork, and increase revenue in ways other devices simply cannot. The writing is clear on the wall for the enterprises - It’s time to go mobile.

2013 – the year of the mobile app

2013 will definitely see a much higher uptake of enterprise mobile applications both in terms of volumes, and broadness of applicability. The scope of the mobile apps in ...
... the enterprise will move beyond the mundane (mail, calendar, messaging, DB access etc.) to line-of-business and core IT functionalities. Apps that integrate processes, people, and products and provide support to business functions will gain momentum and might well be the norm before the year ends. On the technology side, we will see people using mobile apps to interface with machines in real time. With further evolution of cloud based models, anywhere, anytime access, and scalability on tap will take the main stage.

Even analysts from IDC and Gartner swear by the many benefits that mobility offers. IDC expects mobile device sales to account for 57 percent of overall IT spending growth in 2013. Also, Gartner expects mobile phones to overtake PCs as the most common Web access device worldwide by 2013.

Mobile application security: is it really that big a deal?

While CIOs recognize the value of mobility, their top concern about deploying mobile apps is the potential security risk they might pose. But is security really an issue? In many ways, the concern of the CIOs is more habit than anything else. They have become accustomed over the years to worrying about computer viruses and malware, and this generalized anxiety has carried over to smartphones and tablets.

IT leaders’ concerns about malware, viruses, and other security risks are driven by lack of formal organization and oversight in the market for apps, especially on android. Most of the CIOs and IT leaders agree that they would be more comfortable with enterprise apps if their employees could only download applications with some form of independent, trustworthy certification.

Although security is always a crucial IT responsibility, the intensity of the concern suggests that CIOs will be surprised to learn that these issues are for the most part resolved. Most mobile platform providers, including Google have launched curated marketplaces, to improve confidence that prebuilt apps are secure and malware-free. Moreover, mobile device management software is available to provide even greater control over applications and data on Android devices, including true blacklisting that blocks users from installing unauthorized apps.

Call Forward

Weighing the advantages that organizations have reaped or hope to leverage, it is clear that mobility isn't just a stylish trend to implement. It actually delivers highly tangible business benefits, both in terms of increasing productivity or improving customer engagement.

So when mobility comes calling, don't shy away. It's a call you cannot afford to miss.

The author is associated with a well known mobile application development company, iPhone application development Dallas and mobile app developers Dallas