by Jack Gold | |
Many companies have deployed some form of mobile email for the workforce as their first foray into wireless applications. Yet some are still hesitant to deploy applications that enable connectivity to back-office systems. Despite the maturity and success of most email deployments, companies are still highly cautious when looking at more complex applications. They worry about complexity, deployment costs, security, user reluctance to work on small devices, and -- having been unsuccessful in early implementations -- they are often gun-shy about trying again. Yet this reluctance to deploy applications is outmoded thinking. Forward-thinking companies are deploying mobile applications in a short time, at reasonable cost, and often on existing infrastructure. And they are reaping significant gains in end-user productivity and business efficiency.
Enterprises wishing to deploy mobile solutions to the workforce should start with a strategic plan that focuses on what the users need to get their jobs done, the kinds of infrastructure that are already in place and can be leveraged, and how business needs will change over the next few years. This last component of a mobile strategy is particularly important because it will determine not only what gets implemented now but what degree of flexibility will be required to enhance and improve the applications over time. Failure to take into account the needs of the business in the long term will mean a mobile solution that is unable to change or grow with the business, representing a less-than-optimum investment strategy and potentially requiring rip-and-replace of the solution within a short time.
Extending email
Most organizations that have deployed even simple mobile applications can leverage those applications to encompass a broader reach of user and company needs. For instance, enterprises that have a