Is Your Company Prepared for the “Mobile Only” Era?

How long before enterprises primarily – or even exclusively- deploy mobile devices and focus on developing mobile solutions? While this might sound far-fetched to some, remember that there was a time when the thought of abandoning land lines was barely fathomable. Likewise, I remember all too well when laptop computers were primarily used for business trips and the occasional work-from-Starbucks session.

It begs the question: which devices will be phased out next? Workers are hungry for new mobile solutions to help them perform tasks on the go. It’s no surprise that Mobile CRM apps are currently most sought after by enterprises. So when will this “mobile only” era begin? According to some, it has already has.

Deloitte consulting just released a new ebook announcing that the “mobile only” era has already begun. The book posits that we are seeing a shift from the “mobile first” philosophy lauded throughout 2012 (calling for each project to contain a mobile component) to a “mobile only” era in which end users’ mobility is universally assumed.

Embracing this “mobile only” mentality can give CIOs an edge over companies that are dragging their feet. Right now, Deloitte reports that only 62% of Fortune 100 companies have developed a mobile app, while only about half boast mobile-optimized websites. But the times they are a’changing, and they’re changing quickly.

• In 2012, both Google Play and Apple surpassed 25 billion app downloads
• Square is processing $8 billion annually, up from 1 million a year before
• 13% of all internet traffic is from mobile devices
• The global install base of smartphones and tablets will overtake PCs this year

These are just some of the reasons that companies need to invest in mobile solutions. So what are the implications of “mobile only?” Companies will need to embrace new advances in mobile tech like embedded sensors and actuators to come up with out-of-the-box IT solutions for end users. But more simply, companies will have to provide their workers with an always-present hub to leverage actionable data and diverse solutions. Though the term “disruptive” has gained traction in this context, the goal shouldn’t always be changing the way that employees work. Some of the most innovative mobile solutions we’ve seen simplify and augment the way employees inherently work.

To that end, our first release was a free mobile CRM app for Salesforce.com users. Our sales solution merges telephony with customer relationship management and social listening to enable sales reps to use big data to their advantage. We wanted to make sure that our app was a no-brainer for any CIO to add to an approved app list for BYOD programs. Since our app syncs with Salesforce.com, reps’ activities are automatically logged as reps take calls, send emails and close deals.

But BYOD is just the beginning. For CIOs to stay ahead of the curve, they’ll need to go beyond supporting bring your own device (BYOD) programs and get even more granular. It’s the role of CIOs to catalyze the “mobile only” era. But to usher in this new age of information technology, CIOs will need to strategize logistical ways to deploy groundbreaking mobile apps to workers while still keeping vital data secure. As BYOD evolves into a bring your own app culture, CIOs will have to invest in more sophisticated mobile device management (MDM) solutions and work with marketing to develop best practices for transforming analytics data into actionable insight.

We’ve been hard at work developing new solutions to increase sales reps’ productivity while on the go, and we’re almost ready to unveil some exciting new mobile features. Stay tuned!

2020 update: This post contains legacy content regarding Revenue.io features. For the most recent up-to-date information about Revenue.io, please check out our amazing solutions at www.revenue.io