Enterprise mobility has been the prime focus of IT investments in 2016 and will remain so well into 2017. In fact, the global enterprise mobility market is expected to bring in $140 billion annually by 2020. This should come as no surprise considering how 71% of today’s enterprises believe mobility to be a top priority. Further tempting them to go mobile is the 240 hours per employee per year they can gain through mobile productivity, which equals $5,114 or 6-weeks’ worth of work per employee per year.
With three billion mobile devices to be sold by 2017 and a growing percentage of your competitors jumping on the enterprise mobility bandwagon, you can’t afford to stay behind. However, to establish a robust mobility strategy and create effective enterprise mobility apps, you need to be aware of the latest trends to harness their power.
If your next business app will be available for employees in 2016 or 2017, make sure that it incorporates the following seven trends.
Trend #1) Device Security and Manageability
Security is a growing concern, especially with bring your own device (BYOD) becoming a popular trend in today’s top enterprises. To guarantee security, mobile device management (MDM) software will become an integral part of every mobility strategy. Even if an enterprise has already integrated an MDM solution, it will need to assess whether or not it meets today’s challenges while offering better pricing.
Trend #2) Companion Apps
Industry experts believe that 2016 and 2017 will witness the rise of companion apps, i.e. applications which don’t try replicating every single feature of a desktop app. These apps are rising in importance as users don’t deem mobile as their only option. By understanding that mobile is one of several options, organizations can build applications that benefit their employees and, ultimately, themselves.
Trend #3) Multiplatform App Development
BYOD is fueling the growth of multiplatform app development. Organizations will need to effectively create cross-platform apps rather than just bind employees to a single platform. Luckily, there are many vendors that can help create a single app that runs perfectly on different operating systems. The same may also support the development of web apps or migration of paper-based processes to mobile.
Trend #4) Citizen Developers
With the rise of low-code and no-code app development platforms, more citizen developers have made their way into the market. These individuals have little or no knowledge of application development yet can create functioning and secure apps. The huge upswing in rapid mobile app development (where functioning apps are created by dragging and dropping options) has further fueled this trend. Therefore, if you want to save development time and get your app to users as soon as possible, this may be the trend for you.
Trend #5) Personal Assistant-Friendly Features
Personal assistants, mainly Siri, Google Now and Cortana, have become more ‘intelligent’. In addition to helping find information, they also help in taking action. Just recently an app has made it possible for iOS device users to control lighting, heating and security systems using Siri. Therefore, you may want your app’s features to reflect this new change.
Trend #6) Mobile Centers of Excellence
To ensure the long-term success of their enterprise mobile strategy, many organizations are using a mobile center of excellence (MCoE). Through it, multiple stakeholders with IT and business expertise collaborate to develop enterprise mobile apps. If your organization doesn’t have one set up, this is the right time for you to establish one and reap its benefits. In addition to centralizing mobile best practices, it ensures that your app effectively achieves the common goals of both IT and business.
Trend #7) Effective Threat Management
With more mobile apps making their way into organizations, the latter need to think about potential vulnerabilities and operating system-specific threats. This is especially true for companies that handle sensitive data through mobile devices. Therefore, your next app needs to be able to guarantee the security of data, application, device, and network with every use.
Keep in mind these seven trends before getting your next app professionally developed or configuring one yourself using rapid mobile app development platforms.
