Crossing The Chasm of Enterprise Mobility

There was an interesting article written yesterday over at IT World regarding some new research from Forrester re: IT managers “starting” to officially support individually liable devices in the work place.  At first glance, I wasn’t sure I agreed with the notion that organizations are only now “starting” to support individually liable devices.  This topic – as part of the great (and obviously ongoing) debate between corporate liable devices and individually liable devices – is certainly not a foreign or rare discussion here at the Enterprise Mobility Forum.

However, upon further thought and introspection and re-reading of the article, there were two quotes that really stood out to me:

Forrester said in a new research note that increasing numbers of employee-owned devices and questions of supporting them are “crippling” existing mobile strategies.

and

The most progressive companies are investing in mobile device management software, available from many vendors, to track employee devices and the applications used on them.

Two very different – albeit highly intertwined – statements.  Let’s review them both.

1. Obviously, the word “increasing” has no effect on the time line, nor the quantity of devices that are already owned by the employee and not the employer.  Regardless of where the demarcation line may be, there is no question that more and more mobile devices are entering the workplace via groundswell.  It’s not surprising really, because how can we ever imagine “stodgy” procurement processes ever be able to keep up with the relentless launch of new mobile devices and platforms.  I do however question the comment regarding the “crippling of existing mobile strategies.”
   In my experience, the current mobile strategy in the workplace is, candidly, virtually non-existent.  Heck, if there is a mobile “strategy,” it is fundamentally predicated on mobilizing inboxes and calendars, as opposed to mobilizing people and business processes.  These are two very different things, and I strongly believe that the distinction between the two can not be emphasized strongly enough.
2. I absolutely agree with this statement.  The most progressive ones have already deployed mobility management (not just mobile device management) solutions.  Let’s think back to Geoffrey Moore’s “Crossing The Chasm.”  I firmly believe, however, that we are at the stage where mobility is truly going from something understood by the “technically literate customer base” (Moore’s words) to something deployed by “mainstream buyers.” (again, Moore’s words)  The flood gates are opening (faster than what Forrester’s panel may suggest IMO).

One point I will highlight however is the assertion that mobile device management software is being used to track employee devices and the applications used on them.  How Orwellian…and the wrong strategy.  Enterprise mobility management solutions should be used as tools to enable and facilitate the mobilization of an organization’s workforce in a convenient, measured and secure fashion.  It’s not about building and deploying apps….it’s about providing your workforce the best possible tools so that they can be more effective at their job at the most appropriate time and location.  That, in and of itself, should be the linchpin of how an organization should go about developing its mobility strategy.