Add to favorites List: Mobility trends every CIO should look out for next year, according to IBM, Accenture, Blackberry and others.
Enterprise mobility has been solidified as a key item on the C-level agenda in 2015. CBR speaks to some experts to find out what to expect in 2016.
1. Time to enable employees on any device
Martin Gale, Mobile CTO, UKI&I at IBM, said:
"Experience is key over multiple form factors, and organisations must recognise the importance of the right tool for the right ‘mobile moment’. Historically, confusion has arisen where users have seen new devices as a replacement for its predecessor – the iPad’s introduction being a classic example.
"Organisations are now reaching the maturity where it is recognised that each different form factor plays a different role, depending on the context of the task in hand, and that is key to developing a mobile strategy across the workforce.
"The ‘mobile moment’ exists where an extension of utility to a new device can solve a problem or enhance a process in a location or context that it couldn’t be solved before and as such the concepts of user experience and simplicity across a range of devices are vitally important.
"So, 2016 will solidify the concept that having a good app means more than a good star rating – it is moving to a broader relationship across all users."
2. The third phase of enterprise mobility
Michael Hobbs, Accenture Mobility Lead in the UK, said:
"The first phase was about empowering users with mobile devices and tools on the go. The second was about using basic transactional apps, cutting down travel time and reducing paper-based operations. The third phase being entered now is about using mobile technologies to transform business processes, including wearables and other devices that – thanks to the reduced cost of computing power and miniaturization of chipsets – are starting to enter the business realm.
"2015 saw the mass-market launch of wearables, focused around smart watches, and in 2016, we’ll see the market evolve as people get more familiar with ‘wearing’ technology and bringing it into the enterprise.
"Connected workers will be able to collaborate with colleagues remotely with the help of wearable cameras and screens, and receive instructions on the go, complete with mapping information or advice on tools that will be needed to complete a job, all sent directly to the device of their choice to help them work faster and smarter."
3. Time to solve mobile security
Sinisha Patkovic, VP, BlackBerry Security Advisory, said:
"Making sure there’s a way for enterprise and consumers to have confidence that they are protected against security threats in this new world is critical as any connected endpoints can become a conduit for a massive hack and an entry point to steal personal identities.
"Individuals everywhere within the enterprise buy mobile devices, download apps and communicate via social channels, putting their work-related information and confidential data alongside personal content with varying degrees of security and privacy permissions.
"Employees who are not protected by an enterprise mobile management (EMM) solution will be at far more risk than employees who are enrolled in a robust and cross-platform EMM solution at work.
"In order to deliver a secure mobile environment that yields considerable business and working benefits, CIOs should embrace a cross-platform EMM solution that covers all aspects of security and productivity, managing mobile devices and other endpoints across different operating systems and has flexible deployment options."
4. The big change will be in management, not technology
Ojas Rege, VP of Strategy at MobileIron, said:
"Whilst IT decisions often materialise among managers in departmental meetings, in 2016 new technologies will force organisational change, whether the IT department is ready or not. Mobile, cloud and other technology advances are turning 30 years of IT thinking and processes on their head and this will challenge even the most forward-thinking organisations.
"Rapid technology change, evolving user demands and app fragmentation will force CIOs to embrace neutrality and offer best-of-breed solutions rather than restricting choice. Restricting choice forces the user community to seek out its own solutions and becomes a catalyst for shadow IT. This leads to increased risk of data loss, even from employees with the best of intentions.
"In the year ahead, organisational mindset and management will need to catch up to technology and to employee needs. 2016 will see change driven across all aspects of enterprise IT : from information security and policy design to technology evaluation and lifecycle management."
5. Unified endpoint management spreads from mobile to everything
Chadi Elkadri, Chief Innovation Officer, SOTI RIL, said:
"In 2015, a car maker sold cars. But in the months and years to come, it is possible they’ll be selling car-making capabilities. IoT is evolving the concept of "Everything as a Service." With that, IoT will further monetise complex supply chains. As consumers, in 2016 we’ll notice a shift from product-based business models to service-based ones.
"Whilst today’s Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) systems manage tablets, smartphones and wearables, soon they will evolve to manage entire warehouses, transport fleets and security systems.
"For businesses, the ability to integrate all of those management requirements into one UEM platform as opposed to relying on numerous systems will require a system that intelligently works with all kinds of devices from one central dashboard."
