Business leaders are always thinking about the future, but their planning timeframes sometimes don’t commit to immediate, incremental change. Many leaders favor taking a “wait and see” approach to implement mobile technologies, but consistent, small actions create momentum so that it’s possible to confront future disruptions on the organization’s terms.
The following blog post is a curated list of enterprise mobility articles fit for IT and business leaders alike to better understand the changing mobility landscape as they build out holistic strategies to accommodate a world defined by mobile preference.
1. Seven key predictions for the future of voice assistants and AI
People are becoming more comfortable talking to their phones, cars and smart home devices. Changing user demands and the mass adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in our everyday lives is driving a significant shift towards the appropriation of voice applications. Even with a handful of simple scenarios, it’s easy to see the growing demand for expertise in voice interface design and voice-enabled app development.
In 2020, voice-enabled applications will not only understand what users are saying but the sentiment of what’s said and the context in which users make statements and inquiries. With more spoken interfaces than ever before (smart speakers, car dashboards and mobile digital assistants) it’s imperative for companies to act now on voice search optimization. Looking ahead:
- How will companies integrate voice technology into the broader context of existing mobile transformation strategies?
- How will search behaviors continue to change?
- How will voice applications change the contextual significance of meaningful brand interactions?
- How will companies address security concerns?
There is plenty of opportunity for more profound and more conversational experiences in both employee-facing applications and customer-facing applications. The question is, is your organization prepared to leverage this opportunity?
2. How is AI driving mobile app personalization
AI is one of the most pervasive buzzwords of all time, but contrary to much literature on the topic – AI is not a tech trend. In reality, there are many trends within the sphere of AI. The most suitable way to think about AI is not as a specific tool, software or interface, but as a representation of the third era of computing; it saturates everything we do in business and everyday life.
Today, AI technology is ubiquitous. Lightweight, user-friendly AI applications are not just a novelty anymore; rather, users expect AI-powered products. Likewise, digital assistants like Siri and Alexa are commonplace, and connected devices and wearables are playing more prominent roles in day-to-day activities. Overall, users expect mobile applications to understand and adapt to their habits, tastes, and preferences in every situation.
When you take a close look at the scope of AI penetration, the magnitude is astounding — digital assistants, cloud technology, machine image completion, bots, recognition technologies, voice search, ambient interfaces, augmented reality, virtual reality, interactive mirrors, home automation, smart cities, drones, robotic process automation, adaptive driving systems, intelligent cars, and the list goes on. Nothing is really off the table, and by 2022, global spending on AI is anticipated to exceed $79 billion.
A commonality behind all these AI-driven technologies is mobile. As the world’s digital framework expands, smartphones and mobile applications will grow in importance as central instruments for interacting with the digital world. The breadth of AI technologies has led mobile users to reposition the value benchmark for user experience completely. On a high-level, the next article in this list expands on how AI is delivering the personalization component users expect from applications today.
3. Implementing customer-facing applications
For businesses with customer-facing products, implementing a mobile app strategy is essential to overall success in a market where a mobile-first approach is a standard for verticals across the board. Customer-facing apps reflect a brand and act as major touchpoints between a company and its customers. Not only do these apps add value to a user’s daily routine by solving a specific pain point, but they have the potential to build brand loyalty, boost engagement, and increase revenue.
Organizations seeking to create customer-facing apps need to build a culture of continuous delivery to keep up with rapidly changing customer demands and provide the best user experience possible. The article below will look specifically at the most significant barriers to the successful deployment of customer-facing applications, specifically focusing on:
- Understanding resourcing and capability challenges
- The importance of user experience design and customer delight
- The benefits of choosing native development
- Prioritizing features
- Creating mobile-ready services
- Transitioning from waterfall to agile development
4. Implementing employee-facing applications
Powered by the rapidly changing expectations for digital and mobile experiences, forward-thinking organizations have turned existing processes inside out with agile digital teams focusing on employee-centric mobile app development and productivity suites. This digital shift has had a substantial impact on bottom lines and is forcing virtually every vertical to adopt a new structure within the enterprise. By delivering worthwhile and useful workplace applications, performance can move from incremental improvements to transformative long-term progress.
The rise of the mobile workplace has given way to a new management environment and culture with the employee at the center of progress; an empowered employee is a productive employee. Unrestricted access to business applications is fueling a fundamental shift in an employee’s workday supporting faster decision-making, enhanced productivity, and stronger collaboration, which in turn, results in higher job satisfaction. Overall, companies that make mobile apps available to employees significantly outperform those who don’t. The next article expands on how mobile technologies create a holistic impact on the efficiency and desirability of workplaces, including:
- Building a more empowered enterprise
- The importance of learning from employee expertise
- Why you should avoid digitizing the status quo
- Using mobile for appropriate tasks
- Taking advantage of consistency
5. How to scale agile in enterprise environments
Agile software development is a methodology focused on iterative decision-making, where requirements and solutions are developed through collaboration between multiple teams. Traditionally favored by small groups, agile development has become increasingly popular with larger organizations across almost all industries.
According to the 13th Annual State of Agile Report
- 97 percent of enterprise respondents report practicing some degree of agile process
- 73 percent of enterprise respondents say they have planned or started a DevOps project
- 46 percent of respondents are using agile methods to manage outsourced development projects
- 40 percent of respondents indicate they plan to use agile practices in outsourced projects in the next 24 months
For many enterprise organizations, agility holds a high standing on the list of priorities. In response, enterprises are restructuring operations in multiple areas across the organization to become more agile. The article below looks at how to scale agile in enterprise environments, specifically covering:
- Current trends in enterprise agility
- Major challenges enterprises face in scaling agile
- Frameworks for scaling agile in enterprise environments
- Successful agile implementation
6. DevOps and change management in the enterprise world
One of the more prevalent challenges enterprises face is how to ensure changes (be it logistical or technical) impact the business positively. Traditionally, change management processes such as Information Technology Infrastructure Libraries (ITIL), for example, are used to implement these changes effectively. However, as DevOps initiatives have gained momentum in recent years, promising more frequent and faster development, organizations are struggling to find a balance between the two seemingly conflicting goals from each method. One offers continuous integration and delivery, while the other focuses on following a protocol, ensuring changes integrate with larger business initiatives, and mitigating the risk of oversight.
This article examines how DevOps and change management can coexist in an enterprise context and how the two strategies can work more closely together and automate the deployment process.
7. Five mistakes enterprises make outsourcing mobile app development
Over time, millions of smart, well-designed apps have allowed businesses to accomplish what was previously unimaginable; however, challenges arise when you have an exceptional idea, but lack the skill set to make it a reality. For this reason, many enterprises choose to outsource app development rather than designating development to their internal teams.
While there are distinct advantages to hiring a development firm, there are also challenges, and all too often, enterprises make several common mistakes when choosing a third-party partner. The article below explains how to outsource development effectively. Additionally, the article will detail how to go about selecting a firm that aligns with your business goals and values.
8. Ten most common mobile app development questions answered
Bringing an app to market requires substantial research and strategic planning. When you begin the process, there are several questions you need to consider. Understanding the following ten questions will help guide the decision-making process and determine the appropriate mobile transformation strategy to achieve your goals.
- Is a mobile website good enough?
- How can I validate my app idea?
- How will my app make money?
- Should I choose web, native, or native development?
- Should I outsource mobile app development?
- What is agile development?
- What should I look for in a development team?
- Which is better, manual or automated testing?
- How will I maintain my app post-launch?
- How much does it cost to develop an app?
9. Experts share five high-priority mobile app development trends for 2020
In 2020, businesses will need to put a spotlight on mobility to match the pace of mobile transformation and meet evolving customer demands. At any moment, there are millions of small shifts in technology; it’s essential to differentiate what advancements are “trendy” and what advancements carry consequences without action. This article explores several mobile technology trends that expose potential opportunities, challenges, and plausible scenarios for next-order impacts, including insights on:
- 5G networks
- OTT market maturity
- Mobile app moment-marketing
- Digital addiction
- Deep linking with ambient interfaces
10. Managing mobile app development costs: three essential considerations
Many companies find it difficult to introduce a mobile transformation strategy into the current business model. Existing modes of thought, legacy systems, development philosophies, and even undervaluing the importance of mobile app development overall are just a few of the reasons companies are lagging behind the demand for mobile transformation. This opportunity to build a new channel of scalable business is a blind spot for many entrepreneurs, founders, and enterprise executives. On top of that, the costs involved in transitioning from existing processes and launching a successful mobile app weigh heavy on the minds of management.
When companies are evaluating investments like app development, avoiding the errors that can cause development costs to inflate is a must. So, the question is at the top of mind for many: how much does it really cost to build a mobile app?
What other industry experts are saying about enterprise mobility
McKinsey’s executive guide to AI
Staying ahead in the high-speed AI race requires executives to make, quick, flexible and informed decisions about where and how to use AI in their businesses. One way to prepare is to act quickly and know the essentials presented in this interactive guide.
The journey to an agile organization
Transitioning to an agile operating model is not an easy task, especially for long-standing enterprises. There are multiple paths to agility and many different starting points. This article from McKinsey explores several commonalities between successful agile transformations.
How to do strategic planning like a futurist
In the face of deep uncertainty, planning for the future is difficult to navigate. This article from Harvard Business Review explains how ongoing, incremental action puts leaders in the best position to shape the future of their business and become more resilient in the face of constant disruption.
Seven ways to keep up with emerging tech
The Enterprisers Project asked CIOs and CTOs for tips on the perennial struggle of assessing and implementing new technology. This article shares sage advice on keeping up with the most pertinent technology trends without getting distracted, how to prioritize fact-finding in a busy schedule, and which people in the organization are in the best position to plan for change.
DevOps terms: ten essential concepts, explained
Here’s a primer from The Enterprisers Project on ten key DevOps terms you need to know – whether you’re new to the practice or you want to bring a colleague up to speed quickly.
Eight common project management mistakes – and how to avoid them
In this article from CIO, IT executives and certified project management professionals reveal the most common reasons mobile transformation projects get derailed and what to do to keep them on track.
Three ideation methods to enhance innovate thinking
In the enterprise world, many leaders concern themselves with “best practices” rather than new practices. As a result, many mobile products end up looking the same. Arriving at groundbreaking ideas is exceptionally difficult, and we often turn to competitor products for inspiration. This article from the Interaction Design Foundation explores three practices to step away from a typical way of thinking and devise genuinely innovative ideas.
A corporate blueprint for innovation
Organizations need to take a closer look at how other organizations, particularly in different industries, come up with ideas, how to evaluate those ideas, and how teams collaborate across departments to bring new ideas to market. IDEO shares practical tips for creating a culture to foster innovation over and over again in this article.
Eight best practices to strengthen data security (and avoid a data breach)
For the digital enterprise, it’s imperative to bolster the organization’s data security measures and protect any personal information that’s at risk. G2 Crowd talked to security professionals in this article to break down the data security methods they implement to protect against data breaches.
Thirteen cybersecurity tips from the experts
This article from G2 Crowd explores the field of security and information technology to see what tips organizations can implement to protect personal data and help ensure the business is unhackable.
Building a Mobile Transformation Strategy in 2020
There is a multitude of obstacles cited by enterprise decision-makers that are affecting the ability to implement mobility initiatives. By staying on top of emerging technologies and thinking critically about trend signals, enterprise organizations can build a roadmap that aligns with both organizational goals, is purposeful and focused, and supports a broader mobile transformation strategy.
