There are some things a business can get away without doing and still be successful. And then there are some that used to be acceptable to overlook and will never be again, like mobility. Mobile phones and tablets are starting to take the place of everything we used to use both as consumer and employees. Smartphone cameras are replacing actual cameras and video cameras; tablets are replacing paper books, newspapers, and magazines. Mobility has even begun transforming experiences like shopping and watching a movie.
Almost all aspects of our lives, from entertainment to business, are available with a mobile device, making many things obsolete. When companies do not provide mobile capabilities to their plans and architecture, they are not meeting the needs of the current mobile era we live in. What used to be thought of as a fad is now here to stay. Smartphones are a lasting part of our everyday lives, and a new requirement at any level of business. A company cannot innovate if it’s already behind the times, and cannot keep up if technologies like cloud and mobility are not integrated.
Sign of the Times
Trying to run a company on disparate systems without integrating mobility will not lead the enterprise in the 21st century. Just as smartphones have replaced our everyday tools as cameras and newspapers, the shift is no different in business. Companies want to access their information from a mobile device, manage big data problems from tablets, and be able to respond to business needs from anywhere, at anytime.
Things of the Past
We acknowledge our computers, phones, GPS systems, and other devices need regular updates to run efficiently and provide us with the information we’re expecting. We acknowledge old forms of technology like newspapers, books and television are being replaced by more accessible, self-service methods like the Internet. Businesses need to come to the same conclusions when dealing with their systems, business plans, and architectures.
For more information on integration and mobility, watch this webinar featuring Forrester Research Senior Analyst Michael Facemire.
