We saw some real changes in enterprise mobility in 2013, and it seems that it will continue to evolve through 2014. Here are some of the mobile trends that I see taking shape in the next year.
1. Wearable Computing
With the proliferation of wearable devices, it is reasonable to expect that employees will want to use their personal wearables to work just as they did for mobile devices. In no time, todays wearable computers that are largely targeted at consumers will shift focus to businesses. Devices like Google Glass has already opened up development options for consumer and enterprise applications. This not only serves to advance the economy but also advances mobile technology in general. Just like the introduction of mobile apps into cars, these wearable devices opens up mobile paths that were once unfamiliar with traditional mobile devices.
2. Mobile App Development
Apps will drive the next phase in the evolution of enterprise mobility in 2014. Enterprises would be seen creating new ways of working and realigning their internal business processes and enterprise mobile apps will become a core part of the enterprise IT application stack. User Experience (UX) will become the overriding measure of success for virtually every mobility project.
3. Mobile Device Management
The increase in the device adoption rate has changed the workforce habits. BYOD is now very common within workplace, since employees want to use devices that suit them rather than what IT provides them with. This increase of BYOD and the use of consumer apps has led to data security problems.
With all the security issues surrounding BYOD, next year we’ll see a greater trend towards Mobile Device Management (MDM) software. Companies like AirWatch, and Codeproof have already launched products to cater to this issue.
4. Cloud Adoption
The mobile boom has accelerated the growth of tremendous mobile technologies, which enterprises can no longer overlook or pretend to ignore. Mobile cloud testing is one of them. Mobile application testing has become a far greater challenge vis-Ã -vis desktop and web based application testing. It brings its own distinct challenges. Among those challenges, enterprises face platform/device fragmentation, high costs on mobile test infrastructures and application lifecycle testing. Therefore, cloud adoption has become important, in order to get better and cost-effective solutions that not only reduces test infrastructure costs but increases test quality.
Increase in cloud adoption, will continue to be driven not only by enterprises but also by demand from mobile users. There has been an increasing demand from mobile users for an easy way to share and access files. It seems providers of cloud services and apps will aggressively roll out new and powerful features to appeal to mobile business users in the coming days.