On the edge of a mobile explosion

Van Veenendaal: People are going to get into building their own apps, representing a headache for in-house IT

This month’s iPhone 4 launch was the latest in a long line of game-changing smartphone releases. It was consumer-driven, yes, but all business employees are also consumers – the average iPhone or Palm user has dozens of apps and is constantly seeking out even more.

Smartphones are penetrating further into the enterprise than laptops have done.

It’s no longer about the device, but about the user and the data. User-driven computing – fragmented operating systems, tariffs and data or application security – means IT departments have less control than ever while retaining all accountability.

Corporate IT departments are not yet prepared for an onslaught of mobile apps. This means the channel needs to be. Systems integrators and VARs can step in and provide the expertise to accelerate the adoption of mobile apps.

It is similar to when companies realised they had to deal with the influx of social networking and collaboration tools one way or another, and the channel tooled up on social consultancy services and security and management tools.

Organisations must seek out control and management systems that can balance the needs of IT with the needs and demands of the end user, across all major mobile platforms.

I believe the iPhone was the first handheld device to convince end users that mobile data was as important as voice. The iPhone offers 200,000 apps via Apple’s app store.

Those who have been delivering services for enterprise mobility know that while mobile enterprise apps have held productivity promises for many years, they have not yet evolved substantially beyond wireless email and ruggedised field service.

Now, with the iPhone 4, I believe all the pieces are finally in place to kick-start this evolution.

Everyone wants to, and can, build an iPhone app. IT can control such apps end to end. Data protection APIs now have additional layers. Also, individuals don’t need to be convinced to use such apps – they already love them.

Other platforms will quickly follow. The channel needs to be ready to support end users in embracing this change pragmatically in a way that will boost business productivity.

Data-driven apps such as real-time healthcare, CRM and industrial monitoring mean challenging enterprise application integration may be required. Questions about security will proliferate in every mobile apps deployment and IT will need assistance in setting security policy and technical architecture.

Departments and individuals will want to build their own apps instead of waiting for corporate IT. Many will look for consultancies to help them since their own mobile knowledge will be limited.

Platform fragmentation will require multi-OS expertise that most IT departments will not have. On top of that, user familiarity with the notion of mobile apps will ease adoption and increase demand quickly.

Kees van Veenendaal is vice president and general manager of EMEA for MobileIron