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Mobile will be integral in everything we do: CTIA exec

SAN DIEGO ? There have been a number of advances in mobility in the last 12 months, however marketers still need to have a sound mobile strategy to be able to reap the greatest benefits from their initiatives, per an executive at the CTIA Enterprise & Applications 2011 conference.

During the ?Enterprise Mobility Strategy & Policy? session, the executive shared key ideas companies need to consider when defining or refining their mobile strategy. According to the executive, the enterprise mobility conundrum is yesterday?s view.

?In the last seven months, look at what happened,? said Philippe Winthrop, founder and managing director of The Enterprise Mobility Foundation.

?The Symbian OS is gone, WebOS is gone, Nokia has officially partnered with Microsoft to develop Windows devices and Google is looking to acquire Motorola,? he said.

?All the unthinkable has happened in the past seven months and it?s impossible for organizations to stay on top of it because it?s moving so quickly.?

No winner wins all
According to Mr. Winthrop, there is no one winner in terms of platforms.

?There?s no one platform that?s going to rule the world today or tomorrow,? Mr. Winthrop said. ?Organizations have to support cross-platforms.

?Complexity is beyond just one platform ? it?s so unbelievably intertwined,? he said.

Today?s problem is that mobility is accelerating, per Mr. Winthrop. Especially with the growing adoption of devices, the amount of smartphones out there, as well as the choices.

?Mobility is no longer a privilege,? Mr. Winthrop said. ?It?s increasingly a right.

?It?s no longer just about devices,? he said. ?It?s about the apps.

?From a business perspective, things are accelerating also and companies have to adapt.?

Key challenges
Mobile still present many challenges for marketers.

Take measurement for example.

In many cases, rate on investment is still elusive in enterprise mobility.

?What are you going to measure, what is success,? Mr. Winthrop said. ?Treat mobility like any project, but appreciate the unique business process issues.?

According to the executive consumers want pretty apps and shiny devices.

?It makes stuff more intuitive,? Mr. Winthrop said. ?Mobile applications make the enterprise more nimble.
?You have to be more market and customer savvy.   

Enterprise mobility is all about speed, per Mr. Winthrop.

It is about rapid decision making, development, deployment, monitoring and updating and rapid business.

Consumers are no longer carrying multiple smartphones, they are carrying multiple devices.

Marketers need to look at the converged devices and what the impact is on IT management, according to Mr. Winthrop.

Additionally, mobility policies matter because it increases workforce flexibility, efficiency, overall competitiveness, revenues and profitability.

?Mobility will be integral in any shape and form of everything that we do,? Mr. Winthrop said. ?It?s growing and evolving at an accelerating pace.

?We are still in the early stages of mobility,? he said. ?Think about the duality of the consumer versus the enterprise ? each have their pros and cons.

?Success with mobility requires a strategic planning process.?

Final Take
Rimma Kats is staff reporter on Mobile Marketer, New York