Café Innovation Millions of mobile users and emerging models
“As I think about Google’s strategic initiatives in 2011, I realize they’re all about mobile.”
This is what Eric Schmidt, Chairman and CEO of Google says in the January-February 2011 issue of the Harvard Business Review.
He goes on to describe Google’s vision and the work his company must do to realize that vision. Interestingly, much of this discussion is devoted to what must be done in “poorer parts of the world.” In a short interview with SAP Mentor, Kevin Benedict (Kevin’s Enterprise Mobility Strategies) last week (Mobile Expert Interview Series: SAP’s Puneet Suppal), this is the kind of new mobile reality I had touched upon.
If enterprises today wish to make a difference they need to look at the vast untapped potential at what is often described by some as the “bottom of the pyramid.” This is especially true in the case of Enterprise Mobility. If millions of individuals walk around with mobile devices then the potential of effecting change in a significant way becomes very possible. If these mobile devices happen to be smart, well then, we have the ability to unleash the power of knowledge and action in a significant manner.
We are witnessing an entire generation of active individuals emerging who cannot imagine life without smart phones. As device costs lower and the ubiquity of service grows this will also take hold in emerging economies. There are parts of the world where many individuals have only used mobile phones as a primary telephonic mode of communication – for them landlines represent redundancy and inefficiency!
If you are in a business that touches the average individual on a regular basis, you might wish to consider how new emerging societal trends influenced by mobility are going to impact your business, and consequently your process models. Are you prepared to move swiftly to connect with this newer group of consumers?
The time to innovate is now. Process, platform, people are your key factors. Mobility is your vehicle. You are only going to be held back by one thing – your own hesitation.
The way that I see the Mobility Market around here most of the new initiatives are IT driven.
As the IT holds the platform it is a nice thing to create any mobile project just to be in the hype.
And like most of "IT Only" ideas there's a risk that won't be a long therm change.
As always, is crucial to get the business stakeholders involved, and the question is how to do it? How to make the value obvious?
Best regards,
Marlo Simon.