In a recent blog post (“The Year of the Mobile App”), I suggested that one reason this will be the year of the mobile app is because mobile app capabilities available now, such as mobile analytics and enterprise grade sign-on authentication, makes it possible for mobile apps to securely integrate with server and cloud based systems. A recent webinar put on by Gartner (“CIO Agenda 2013 - Implications for High-Tech Providers”) provides a different perspective on this idea. To be fair, the Gartner presentation is really about how the role of IT in the enterprise is changing, and how mobility is the major driver behind that change. However the reason mobility is becoming such a disruptive force in the enterprise is precisely because mobile apps have the power to integrate enterprise systems.
To briefly summarize one of Gartner’s main points in this presentation: the way technology is being sourced and applied in the enterprise is forcing IT to change from a back-end services and technology optimizing entity to having a more direct role in creating digital value in business operations. The three technologies receiving the highest attention from CIOs right now are business intelligence, mobility, and cloud. Gartner’s research shows that mobility is by far the most disruptive force. That is because a large percentage of devices used routinely by everyone in the business are mobile devices. These include PCs, smarphones, tablets, task specific devices, monitoring equipment and more. Mobile devices are becoming the interface to traditional back-end systems and cloud based services.
That is why it is more important than ever to base a mobile app strategy on a platform fully capable of securely integrating with and leveraging corporate data systems. The essential mobility platform capabilities are neatly summarized in another Gartner report (“SAP Is Driving Analytics, Cloud and Mobility in the Nexus of Forces”). Specifically, Gartner points out the SAP is the industry leader in providing a platform that integrates the Nexus Forces that are key to future business operations: mobility, information, and cloud.
This year’s Mobile World Conference (Barcelona, February 25-28) is devoting a huge space to the SAP Mobile Platform and SAP Mobile Apps Expert Area. Anyone whose business activity involves mobility should pay close attention to what is happening in Barcelona. Click on the “Experience SAP at Mobile World Congress” link to see what we have going there or sign up for a meeting with our product experts at sap.com/mwc.
