the future of wireless business applications

© Copyright 2008. Yankee Group Research, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Future of Wireless Business Applications

Eugene SignoriniVice President, ResearchMobility Applications and [email protected]

The Future of Wireless Business Applications© Copyright 2008. Yankee Group Research, Inc. All rights reserved. September 25, 2008

What Do We Mean by Wireless Business Applications?

• For the purposes of this discussion:– The delivery of business information and applications over wireless connectivity to

handheld devices, such as feature phones and smart phones– Where wireless is seen as the principal delivery mechanism for the exchange of

business information– Wide-area wireless connectivity (i.e., cellular data) as the principal wireless network for

connectivity– Wireless business-to-employee (B2E) applications, meaning applications to support

mobile workers with information access


Wireless Applications Are Being Influenced by Numerous Forces

Wireless Business

Applications

Supply-Side Factors

• Wireless network evolution

• Device form factors and platform evolution

• Application service delivery and Web 2.0

• “Open” vs. “end-to-end”

Demand-Side Factors

• Consumerization of the enterprise

• The “prosumer” majority

• End-user application discovery


What Do Wireless Apps Look Like Today?

• E-mail and PIM remain the key driving wireless applications today.

• Most enterprises have deployed mobile applications in silos.

• Currently, less than 20% of the 50 million mobile workers in the United Stateshave wireless wide-area data access to business applications and information.

• But mobility is becoming more strategic—finally.

33%

41%

45%

55%

35%

33%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Providing more in-context info withincurrent and future business apps

Bringing elements of the consumer webto our IT strategies and business apps

Implementing collaborationtechnologies to improve productivity

Reducing app silos to become process-centric

Enabling mobile access to corporateapps through wireless technology

Replacing legacy apps with service-oriented apps to provide IT agility and

empower line of business

Which of the following IT strategies are most important in your opinion and will impact your strategic business

application decisions for the future?

Source: Yankee Group Anywhere Enterprise—Large: 2007 US Mobility and Business Applications Survey

Percent of Respondents


There Will Be No “Killer” Device in the Enterprise

• Conventional cellular phones will remain the most commonly used mobile device through 2010.

• Notebook PCs will not be replaced by mobile handheld devices.

• IT decision-makers will warm to adopting integrated Wi-Fi and cellular dual-mode devices.

• Although wireless connectivity is a critical component for mobile devices, notebooks and PDAs without it won’t disappear overnight.

What percentage of your mobile workforce currently uses the following devices? Which will

they be using in 3 years?


14%

22%

15%

20%

23%

22%

30%

33%

37%

10%

13%

14%

14%

15%

18%

23%

25%

38%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

Ruggedized notebooks orhandhelds

Dual-mode Wi-Fi/cellular phones

PDAs without wireless connectivity

PDAs with short-range Wi-Ficonnectivity

Notebooks with wireless wide-areaconnectivity

Notebook computers withoutwireless connectivity

Notebook computers with short-range Wi-Fi connectivity

Smart phones

Conventional cellular phones

Will use in 3 years Currently usen = 302



What Does Open Access Mean for Apps?A Historical Analogy…

Infrastructure

Original Killer App Real Killer App

• Devices:– Appliances, consumer

electronics, heating/cooling, transportation

• Standards:

• Device Ratings:– Based on electricity

consumption• Volts/amps/watts

Source: Yankee Group, 2008


…for a Future Perspective

Infrastructure

Original Killer App Real Killer App

Source: Yankee Group, 2008

• Devices:– Consumer appliances,

consumer electronics, heating/cooling, automotive

• Standards:WiMAXLTEUMB

• Device Ratings:– Based on bits and data

consumption• Bandwidth/latency/speed


Consumerization Will Drive Technology in the Enterprise

• Workers by and large feel more productive today than they were 2 years ago.

• Mobile professionals feel their personal technology is more advanced than their workplace technology.

How strongly do you agree or disagree with the following statements?


n = 302


54%

49%

19%

26%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

I would be more productive inmy business activities if I had

access to many of theapplications and technologies I

use in my personal life

My personal technology is moreadvanced than my workplace

technology

Strongly Agree/Somewhat AgreeSomewhat Disagree/Strongly Disagree


The “Prosumer” Majority Will Influence Decision-Making

The Enterprise

ProsumerIT/LoB

Manager

• Prosumers obtain mobile service themselves.

• This category includes corporate-sponsored users and workers who expense bills back to company.

• 34 million US subscribers in 2007

• The company is liable for the bill.

• IT or line-of-business manager controls the decision-making process.

• 33 million US subscribers in 2007

Mobile opera

torMobile Solution

IT channel

Buys through consumer retail channels

Buys through IT channels (i.e., operator direct sales, systems integrators)


Wireless Applications Are Not Just About Software

• Multi-network• Roaming• Security• Latency• Bandwidth

• Back-end applications• Middleware• Developer

environments• Security

Software

Mobile Devices Networks

Successful wireless applications find the sweet spot.

• Form factor• Operating

system• User interface• Power

consumption• Security and

management


Wireless Application Architecture: No Universal Approach

Homegrown In-House Development(e.g., using mobile database or

development environments, or web-development tools)

Third-Party Developer(e.g., SI, VAR, contractor)

Packaged + Customization(e.g., mobile platform, mobile database with custom-built apps and workflows,

typically systems integrator)

Mobile Middleware/Gateway with Front-End Application

(e.g., mobile software provider with pre-built components or workflows)

Mobile Extensions(e.g., ISVs providing extensions of

existing back-end applications)

End-to-End Mobile Applications

(e.g., mobile-specific ISV application providing off-the-shelf functionality)

Application Components and Approaches

Secure Browser

Forms-Based

Messaging/Query

SOA/Composite Applications

Database Synchronization

Thin Client

Thick Client

Fully Connected

Disconnected

Custom

-Built

“Packaged”

Off-the-Shelf


What Does the Future Hold for Mobile Apps?

• Wireless applications will:– Begin to incorporate

mobile-specific capabilities– Transform from mobile

extensions to true mobile applications

– Become increasingly componentized

– Mean extending enterprise content instead of back-end system replication

– Focus on collaboration and interaction rather than access


Percent of Respondents Answering “Very Interested”

How interested would you be in incorporating the following functionality in your mobile applications?

22%

23%

28%

29%

31%

32%

35%

36%

39%

39%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

Video recording

Imaging/digital photos

RFID asset tracking

Dispatch/paging

Instant messaging

Push-to-talk services

Location capabilities

Remote device management

Web browsing for services orapplications

Presence


Three Phases of Wireless Application Evolution

Time

Optimized Point Solutions

Collaborative and Mashups

Dynamic Mobile Apps

2 to 4 Years 5+ Years

Application Maturity

Today

The Future of Wireless Business Applications© Copyright 2008. Yankee Group Research, Inc. All rights reserved. September 25, 2008Unleash the Hidden Power of Your SMB© Copyright 2008. Yankee Group Research, Inc. All rights reserved. Page 14January 31, 2008

Q&A


Upcoming events

• Live Webinar: Anywhere Consumer Segmentation– Presented by Joshua Martin– October 30, 2008 – 10:00 am-11:00 am EDT (14:00 GMT)

• Mobile Internet World– Boston, MA, USA– October 21-23, 2008


Thank You

Eugene SignoriniVice PresidentResearch Mobility Applications and [email protected]

For schedules, please visit our web site:

www.yankeegroup.com

Come and visit us at one of our upcoming events or tune in to one of our free webinars.

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