A Custom Technology Adoption Profile Commissioned By VeliQ & SAP January 2014 Managed Mobility Cloud Services Gain Momentum With European Midmarket Organizations
1 Introduction The mobile mind shift resulted in over 2 billion distributed smartphones/tablets worldwide and has transformed the business world. 1 A rising demand for distribution of business content and applications to mobile devices drives the proliferation of cloud services and for sourcing choices. Many midsized organizations are looking for solutions on how to manage the demands of their mobile workforce more effectively. Options include cloud-based mobility management delivered as a service the ability for firms to access mobility services and applications running on cloud infrastructure via the Internet from a variety of devices. This profile examines the specific challenges that midsized organizations in Europe face and how managed mobility services can help them resolve those issues. In December 2013, VeliQ & SAP commissioned Forrester Consulting to conduct a custom study of 54 European small to medium-sized enterprises (50 to 1,000 employees) to evaluate their plans for deploying managed mobility services. All survey respondents demonstrated a clear understanding of the definition for managed mobility services and claimed partial or final decision-making authority for these services. The study captures insight into the benefits and challenges to implementing mobility managed services applications, as well as the capabilities that firms look for in a vendor to assist with deployment. Results from the custom survey were complemented with Forrester s market data related to this topic. The profile s key findings are that small to medium-sized firms: Have high expectations for mobility management to enhance workforce productivity. Are held back as they struggle with operational issues such as mobile security and the number of different platforms and operating systems. Cloud-Based Shared Services Are In Their Infancy The growing array of smartphone/tablets and the pace of change in mobile technology is leading to an increasing demand being placed on IT organizations by the mobile workforce. Managed mobility services offer firms a platform to support the deployment of mobile devices and applications. This study explores how firms draw on managed mobility services to ensure that data is managed and secured across all devices. Data from Forrester s Forrsights Mobility Survey, Q2 2013, shows that 58% of European small to medium-sized enterprises that use thirdparty mobile device management solutions have deployed them on-premises (see Figure 1). A further 31% said that they deploy hosted services. FIGURE 1 More Than Half Of Organizations Deploy On- Premises Solutions For Third-Party Mobile Device Management Base: 67 IT decision-makers who implemented third-party device management solutions at European organizations with 20 to 1,000 employees Source: Forrsights Mobility Survey, Q2 2013 Expect managed mobility services to deliver enhanced security and improved employee and customer satisfaction. Turn to managed services and cloud-based portals to address security issues, while providing simple intuitive interfaces to employees.
2 Midsized Firms Look To Enable Mobile Productivity Services The custom study revealed that mobile enterprise management is widely perceived as more than mobile device management and offers productivity enhancing service like self-service portals, file sync and storage, user specific applications, application security, corporate application stores, and collaboration. Business objectives for mobilization of the workforce include better productivity for specific roles. The most common managed mobility service capabilities that firms plan to deploy over the next 12 to 18 months are (see Figure 2): Specific mobile applications supporting specific roles. Fifty-seven percent of organizations surveyed said that they plan to implement user specific mobile applications. This will improve employee productivity by providing dedicated applications to accelerate specific workflows relevant to the schedule of mobile employees. Cloud based self-service portal. Almost half (48%) of those surveyed also plan to deploy to cloud-based selfservice portals to empower employees to resolve issues themselves and manage their own mobile applications and devices. This relieves the IT organization from the administrative burden of dealing with numerous repetitive requests. FIGURE 2 Firms Plan To Deploy Mobile Applications For Specific Roles And Cloud-Based Self-Service Portals In The Next 12 Months Base: 54 IT mobility decision-makers at Germany, UK, Denmark, Norway small to medium-sized enterprises (20 to 1,000 employees) Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of VeliQ & SAP, December 2013 Social media integration. Thirty-seven percent of small to medium-sized organizations surveyed also planned to integrate social media into the mobile ecosystem. As more and more customers rely on mobile devices to find information, research products and services, and make purchases, companies need to be more visible and committed to social media channels.
3 Firms Are Held Back By Struggles Over Security And Complexity Despite the ambitions to create business value through mobile applications, developments are held back by operational issues with security and multiple platforms. Organizations still struggle to secure their most sensitive data when managing smartphone/tablet applications and devices (see Figure 3). Forrester s Forrsights Mobility Survey, Q2 2013, shows that 55% of organizations are challenged with securing smartphone/tablet applications and data, and almost half grapple with providing device security. In addition, the spread of platform and operating systems add further complexity to managing mobile applications and devices. FIGURE 3 Application, Data, And Device Security Are Key Concerns Midmarket Firms Agree On Business Benefits Through Managed Mobility Services Managed mobility services require firms to evaluate the business use case that best fits their needs. Survey respondents identified security, employee satisfaction, and improved customer service as business benefits contributing the highest value to managed mobility services (see Figure 4): Better security. As more and more business processes and customer engagement is conducted through mobile, it is more important than ever that firms secure applications, content, and devices across a broad ecosystem of operating systems and form factors. Eightyfive percent of small to medium-sized European organizations surveyed agreed that managed mobility services allow for better security of smartphones and tablets. Increased employee satisfaction. Four-fifths of respondents also agreed that managed mobility services can increase employee satisfaction. In support of empowering employees to optimize their personal mobile productivity, organizations look for the ability to deliver specific applications to specific personas, self-service portals, and social media integration. A critical success factor to deliver that experience is 24/7/365 multilevel support for multiple operating systems and hardware. Base: 376 IT decision-makers at European organizations with 20 to 1,000 employees Source: Forrsights Mobility Survey, Q2 2013 Better quality of customer service. Almost 80% also agreed that managed mobility services will deliver better quality of customer service. We have entered the age of the customer; an era that Forrester defines that the best approach for a company to build a sustainable competitive advantage is to become customer-obsessed. 2 To thrive in this era, firms must take a systematic approach to understanding, connecting with, and serving customers.
4 FIGURE 4 Managed Mobility Services Offer Better Security And Improved Customer Services Many Firms Seek Integration And Intuitive UI From A Managed Mobility Services Provider Managed mobility services touch all parts of the IT landscape and partner ecosystem such as network infrastructure providers, systems integrators, and telecoms providers. Many firms seek assistance from third-party vendors to help them integrate their mobility services in to the existing IT infrastructure. The key factors firms use to evaluate and select managed mobility service providers are (see Figure 5): Integration with other legacy applications and technical expertise. Forty-eight percent of respondents said that it is very important for a mobile service provide to integrate with legacy applications and systems. A further 44% also said it is important for the mobile service provide to understand key technological requirements. Base: 54 IT mobility decision-makers at Germany, UK, Denmark, Norway small to medium-sized enterprises (20 to 1,000 employees) Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of VeliQ & SAP, December 2013 An intuitive user interface. Over 40% of respondents identified that a managed mobile service provider must offer a simple and intuitive user interface for both administrators and end users. Transparent and flexible pricing. Current deployments of telecom expense management (TEM) solutions point to the need for managing, controlling, and monitoring expenses on mobility services. 3 So it comes as no surprise that 39% of respondents look for a provider that has transparent and flexible pricing that can meet business requirements. A further 39% also look for a vendor that can deliver services out of the cloud to further reduce the cost and burden of IT support.
5 FIGURE 5 Integration With Legacy Apps And Intuitive UI Are Top Criteria For A Managed Service Provider Base: 54 IT mobility decision-makers at Germany, UK, Denmark, Norway small to medium-sized enterprises (20 to 1,000 employees) Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of VeliQ & SAP, December 2013 Conclusions Many small to medium-sized firms have now realized the need to implement managed mobility services to combine the need for improve security and support with better customer and employee satisfaction. Successful managed mobility implementation requires firms to: Prioritize the opportunities and risks of deployment. Firms should establish a cross-team forum to identify, evaluate, and prioritize the most relevant managed mobility services and applications for the business. This solution s identification and evaluation process should take into consideration the firm s industry segment, unique value proposition, and competitive differentiators. Identify managed mobility capabilities. Successful implementation requires decision-makers to identify and evaluate vendors that can assist with developing and deploying effective managed mobility applications and solutions. Evaluate partner ecosystem. Firms should identify a list of current network infrastructure providers, systems integrators, and telecoms providers to help them achieve their mobility goals. These vendor partners must be prepared to help firms address various issues, including managed mobility services legacy application integration challenges and solution deployment.
6 Methodology This Technology Adoption Profile was commissioned by VeliQ & SAP. To create this profile, Forrester leveraged its Forrsights Mobility Survey, Q2 2013. Forrester Consulting supplemented this data with custom survey questions asked of 54 IT mobility decision-makers at German, UK, Danish and Norwegian small to medium sized organizations with between 50 to 1,000 employees. This custom survey was conducted in December 2013. For more information on Forrester s data panel and Tech Industry Consulting services, visit www.forrester.com. Endnotes 1 Source: Predictions 2014: Mobile Trends For Marketers, Forrester Research, Inc., January 13, 2014. 2 In the age of the customer, a focus on customers matters more than any other strategic imperative. Source: Why Customer Experience, Why Now?, Forrester Research, Inc., February 26, 2013. 3 Source: FAQ's About Telecom Expense Management, Forrester Research, Inc., November 1, 2013. ABOUT FORRESTER CONSULTING Forrester Consulting provides independent and objective research-based consulting to help leaders succeed in their organizations. Ranging in scope from a short strategy session to custom projects, Forrester s Consulting services connect you directly with research analysts who apply expert insight to your specific business challenges. For more information, visit forrester.com/consulting. 2014, Forrester Research, Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited. Information is based on best available resources. Opinions reflect judgment at the time and are subject to change. Forrester, Technographics, Forrester Wave, RoleView, TechRadar, and Total Economic Impact are trademarks of Forrester Research, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies. For additional information, go to www.forrester.com. [1-NASFCP]