Enterprise Mobility & Connected Devices Blog

Enterprise Mobility Exchange

I was recently invited by the International Quality & Productivity Center (IQPC) to participate on a panel at their inaugural Enterprise Mobility Exchange in the US. Although there were some clear gaps the vendor community attending the show, the caliber of end-users was unparalleled. From Proctor & Gamble, GE Healthcare and Whirlpool to Coca Cola Bottling, Pepsico and Penske Logistics many household names and brands were represented.

This led to some of the more interesting and thought provoking exchanges regarding the future of enterprise mobility that I have recently been involved in. Many of the themes and discussion points mirrored the topics of the day including “Bring Your Own Device” BYOD and its impact and value, the role of the iPad and other tablets (although quite frankly it was really just about the iPad) in existing and new workflows to the use of games such as Angry Birds as mobile device interface training tools. Some of the more interesting points made during the sessions and personal conversations included:

  • The BYOD development is ushering an entirely new self-service approach to IT support for these devices. The individual is becoming responsible for all service and support for these devices – largely through consumer channels. With these blurring lines of responsibility, IT organizations are struggling with how to deal with issues such as enterprise applications running on these devices. Moreover, the expectation is that end-users will ultimately defer to IT organizations when issues arise.
  • The intricate policies organizations are enforcing when it comes to rolling our BYOD strategies is driving many employees to opt for enterprise issued devices (when given the option).
  • Anecdotally BlackBerry is becoming a distant third to iOS and Android when organizations offer mobile platform options to their employees. Although their share of the installed base of enterprise-deployed smartphones remains strong, when enterprises offer a platform choice to their employees or when they support employee owned devices (BYOD) their position is severely diminished.
  • Developing global mobile strategies and policies is virtually impossible given the variances in legal policies and carrier/wireless service provider position. 
  • Rugged mobile computing investments are coming under increased scrutiny as organizations reevaluate their utility in today's mobile workflows.