As 2011 began, Gartner published their traditional set of annual predictions. Two of them caught my eye. First, they predict that by 2014, 90% of organizations will “support corporate applications on personal devices.” Secondly, they predict that by 2013 80% of businesses will support tablets.
These predictions are very much in line with what we are seeing in the marketplace. The trend towards a mobile workforce is very strong and we do not see it slowing down. One of the most common questions we get from businesses looking to develop a mobile strategy is how to secure and provision apps for consumer-oriented devices (phones, tablets, etc.) in a way that is in alignment with their current IT policies.
There is no question that the mobile revolution has been driven by consumer – not business – demand. Business is being forced to react. Even Apple, which has traditionally been very consumer-oriented, seems to be embracing and strategically pursuing mobile for the enterprise.
What types of innovations are you seeing in the B2B mobile market? How do you think enterprise mobility will evolve? Do you agree with Gartner’s predictions?