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Introduction The rapid adoption of mobile devices coupled with the undeniable benefits of Enterprise Mobility - the use of mobile devices for business, is creating complexity for many Enterprises. Developments in technologies such as Cloud Computing, Data Analytics, Social Media, Machine to Machine (M2M) further fuel the mobile revolution and add to this complexity. As enterprises move to mobile and virtual workforces, there is a risk of ending up with a patchwork of point solutions and significant amount of rework unless a comprehensive and holistic strategy is put into place. Challenges of Enterprise Mobility Multiple Mobile Operating Systems Heterogeneous device type and sizes Ease of Use Heterogenous back-end enterprise systems Diverse Needs and expectations Ease of application development and maintenance Complex Device Management and Support Rich and complex functionality extended to the device Seamless integration to provide synchronized and converged data Total Cost of ownership performance vs. development costs, or security vs. ease-of-use, wide adoption vs. limited usage etc. Absence of a strategy can result in a patchwork of discrete solutions that do not work efficiently with each other or with back-end data and systems A typical choice made is between a Point solution that addresses a specific mobility requirement and a Platform based approach that can provide an environment for multiple solutions. A Point solution may be rapidly developed and deployed leading to immediate benefit, whereas a Platform based solution may take longer but will provide a foundation for future initiatives and reduce overall cost of development. While either approach may be justified in a particular business context, it is important that a considered decision is made that takes into account the business needs, mobility roadmap, organizational objectives, and operating environment in a holistic manner and provides a strategic foundation for the future. This paper briefly introduces the key elements that need to be considered while crafting a strategy that is appropriate for the current and future needs of an organization. Any Enterprise Mobility initiative has to grapple with an array of choices that include devices and form factors, operating systems, mobility middleware and an ever-growing app ecosystem. Each of these choices present a trade-off to be made;
The Four Elements The development of a Mobility Strategy should involve executives from all the enterprise business functions along with technology professionals. Technology professionals contribute by highlighting the different capabilities brought in by mobile devices that can not only enhance a business process but also create new ways of doing things that were not possible in a non-mobile world. Importantly, they bring in an understanding of the mobility ecosystem and its alignment with the existing technology infrastructure within the enterprise. This teamwork is essential to create a practical strategy that can be implemented effectively. The final output of the exercise should be a Strategy document that provides guidelines and a framework within which all subsequent mobility projects operate. The figure below describes the key elements shaping the strategy. Mobility Mobility Roadmap The starting point of the strategic planning process begins with establishing a clear view of goals and objectives for the mobility initiative, and its alignment with overall business goals. This is followed by analyses of current business operations and processes in the light of available mobility hardware and software and resulting in a shortlist of candidates for the Enterprise Mobility initiative. A useful approach to evaluate candidates is to break the discussion down into two parts; the first dealing with the business benefits and the second with the requirements (costs) and risks. An example of questions asked during the process are; Will it increase revenues? Examples of this range from apps that provide information on products and services, m-commerce apps that allow customers to complete the purchase process, and apps that enhance the customer relationship Build Will it improve productivity? Policy Framework Connect Manage Security Framework Technology The ability to work seamlessly across multiple devices frees employees from the limitations imposed by time and location. Field workers in particular have reported significant benefits from the ability to access information from central repositories and collaborate with co-workers in real-time. Will it increase employee satisfaction? It is also important to note that each element has a bearing upon the others, for example Policy will influence the technology stack and vice versa. Therefore even though each element is described separately below, the planning team will have to consider all elements together to arrive at a final coherent strategic plan. The era of constant connectivity has given shape to digital natives a population that is highly reliant on mobile devices in their personal life. Use of such devices for business comes naturally to this population and becomes a virtual pre-requisite in the work environment.
Will it reduce Operational costs? Replacing paper based processes with automated processes has immediate impact on cost. In addition to the material costs, there are significant reductions in the time taken and personnel required to execute the process. Will it improve Customer Satisfaction? Many of the above examples have a direct and indirect impact on Customer Satisfaction. Additionally, there may be opportunity to enhance the customer experience by creating solutions that engage and delight the customer. Examples are apps that allow customers to interact with products and services during the pre-sales process, or apps that provide customers an easy channel to track and resolve their support issues. Readiness, Resources and Risks are other critical aspects that should be factored into the analysis. Readiness in terms of existing IT infrastructure (systems, networks, security) influence the resources (hardware, software, skills) required and therefore the costs and timeliness as well. Finally, risks (legal, financial) arising out of the information now available on mobile devices have to be assessed against the potential benefit and in light of measures that may become necessary to control the risks. The outcome of the above will be a Candidate list and a high level understanding of the relative cost-benefit for each of the candidates that are aligned with the goals. The cost analysis will need to be redone when the Technology Framework is selected, however it is important to get a broad understanding of the costs at this stage. A final step is the prioritization of each Candidate considering business needs, budgets, resources and skills required and culminates in the preparation of an overall roadmap for the mobility initiative.
Technology Framework Any EM solution should address the following aspects: Build (mobile client), Connect (to backend services) and Manage (user, application, device and data). The degree of relevance for each of these aspects may vary depending upon the needs of the situation. For instance, Manage may not be of high relevance in a B2C situation when the information provided is available in the public domain. There are a wide range of technology options available for each of these aspects. Build: Mobile applications can be built as a native, hybrid or web-based apps. Each approach has its advantages and drawbacks. In many BYOD scenarios, a hybrid approach strikes the right balance between cost -effectiveness and flexibility. A hybrid application is built mostly using web technologies, while devicedependent features like push notifications, NFC, GPS, maps etc. are implemented natively, sometimes using other Toolkits such as PhoneGap or Sencha Touch. Connect: The mobile client connects to the enterprise backend services to interact with data. In a heavyweight solution, the connection to heterogeneous back ends and services may be facilitated using a MEAP server such as SAP Mobile Platform, IBM Worklight, or a Custom built integrator module. Further, some MEAP solutions provide support for cross-platform development and device management. Manage: Mobile Device Management tools like Afaria, Mobile Iron, Airwatch, Zenprise provide security features like device lock, remote data wipe and authentication management. Enterprise app stores allow the corporate IT department to host corporate apps, roll out application updates, modify app configuration, perform app inventory reporting, volume license management or broadcast important notifications. An EM strategy therefore has to factor in the cost-benefit of various technology options keeping in mind business objectives, skills available and resources required. Security Framework Security concerns regarding mobile devices are usually the biggest challenge to overcome as more and more business processes go mobile. The BYOD trend, when personal devices are used for corporate purposes further increases the vulnerability of sensitive corporate data on devices that may easily be lost, stolen or shared with unknown people. Security measures such as device and user authentication, anti-virus/anti-malware solutions are often minimally mandated in Enterprise Mobility scenarios. Additional measures such as the use of biometric sensors, encrypted on-device data storage may also be used when appropriate. However with the increasing usage of mobility within an enterprise, it is also necessary to consider the deployment of third party or custom solutions described below; MDM (Mobile Device Management) solutions provide the ability to define and enforce policy over-the-air (OTA). There are a range of solutions currently available that provide facilities such as remote device wipe-out, device lock, or configuration of the device remotely. MAM (Mobile Application Management) solutions, including Enterprise App Stores, provide for secure access and deployment of enterprise apps. They enable discovery, distribution, and download of approved mobile apps along with the ability to track and manage usage of apps by employees. The approach to security has to be one of fitness for purpose. A balanced approach to security needs to take into account the impact on user-experience and productivity, nature of the mobile app/solution, sensitivity of data, user s role while choosing the right solution.
Policy Framework Right policies will encourage adoption while maintaining control over information security The explosion of mobile devices has significantly increased the importance of having the right policies in place. If the policies are too liberal one runs the risk of sensitive data reaching the wrong people, and anything too restrictive reduces usage and the potential benefits of enterprise mobility. Specifically in the BYOD context, the right policies will encourage more employees to embrace the new way of using mobile devices for work and speed up the adoption for mutual benefit. A clear identification of sensitive information and of people who need access to such information is a starting step for defining the policy framework. For example, sales people may have a genuine need to access customer and product data and even store it locally on their mobile devices whereas someone in the HR function may not need any of that information. Further different sales people may need access to only relevant information depending upon their roles and hierarchy. This identification defines the access to relevant apps and data only to the people who need to know. The erosion of Blackberry devices from the Enterprise has brought in a range of devices that provide varying support for Enterprise security. Android, ios and Windows Mobile devices possess different vulnerabilities and provide varying level of control to device and application management features. It may therefore be required to provide a safe list of devices for access to sensitive applications and data. Only devices on this list will be allowed access to sensitive apps and data. It is also important to identify, and communicate, the trade-offs that are required when employees use their own or company owned devices for business purposes. For instance, it may become necessary when a device is lost/stolen or when an employee exits the company, to remotely wipe all the content including all personal data on the device. Further, employees may have to include additional passwords to access their devices and may not be able to freely download apps or media of questionable quality. All such policies, along with the rights and responsibilities associated with using BYOD devices, have to be clearly identified, listed and communicated to all relevant employees. Conclusion To obtain the best returns out of its investments in mobility, an organization should start with a holistic view of its mobility needs, deliberate upon and choose the appropriate technology stack, consider security and manageability of devices, data, users and the apps. A well designed Strategy with the right policy framework will optimize investments and maximize the benefits of Enterprise Mobility. Having stated the above, a One size fits all approach to mobility will be counterproductive, and each Enterprise will have to factor in their needs and considerations. A point solution developed in time may prove its worth because of the immediate benefits that result from the deployment. It is however important that such decisions are made while being aware of strategic and long term implications. The fast changing and evolving world of mobility poses a challenge to the Strategic Planning Process. Strategy as a pattern in a stream of decisions as described by Henry Mintzberg from McGill University, perhaps aptly describes it for the Enterprise Mobility Scenario.
How SPAN can help SPAN s Enterprise Mobility Services address multiple industries and business processes.. Experts at SPAN bring rich domain and technology experience with a proven methodology for mobile application development. SPAN has developed solutions that range from point solutions to end-to-end deployments that use custom and third party middleware such as Mobile Device Management (MDM) and Mobile Enterprise Application Platforms (MEAP). SPAN also maintains partnerships with many leading providers of mobility tools and middleware. SPAN understands that each enterprise will have varying requirements for their enterprise mobility initiative. It can help in building solutions where businesses mix and match features, efficiency and user experience that is optimal and beneficial. Giving appropriate weightage to meet diversified needs is essential to the success of an enterprise mobility initiative. For more information on our entire range of solutions and related offerings, get in touch with SPAN at: sales@spanservices.com About SPAN: SPAN is an established software services company offering comprehensive IT services since 1994. Our clients include Fortune 1000 companies, software firms (ISVs) and tech start-ups. SPAN s offshore development centers in India are certified for ISO 9001:2008 & ISO 27001:2005 and appraised at CMMI Maturity Level 5 and PCMM Maturity Level 5. SPAN has a global footprint with offices in the U.S., Singapore, India, and group offices in Europe. There are multiple offshore development centers in Bangalore and Chandigarh, India. SPAN is ranked as #7 Best IT Employers in India by a leading IT publication. SPAN s Relationship Management (RM) Model is a well-defined, yet flexible framework, which provides ongoing business value to both, the client and SPAN. SPAN is wholly owned by the largest Nordic IT services major, EVRY (www.evry.com). USA Headquarters >>> SPAN Systems Corporation, 1425 Greenway Drive, Suite 490 Irving, Texas 75038 Phone: 972-514-1113 / 1-888-SPAN-SYS Fax: 972-514-1109 www.spansystems.com India Headquarters >>> SPAN Infotech (India) Pvt. Ltd. 18/2, Vani Vilas Road, Basavanagudi, Bangalore 560 004, India Phone: +91-80- 40219600 Fax:+91-80- 40219632 Copyright 2015 by SPAN. All rights reserved. The contents of this document are protected by copyright law and international treaties. SPAN acknowledges the proprietary rights of the trademarks and product names of other companies mentioned in this document. The reproduction or distribution of the document or any portion of it thereof, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of SPAN is prohibited. www.spansystems.com