Is your Mobile Enterprise Stuck in the Past or Ready for the Future?

The one thing we know for certain when it comes to mobility, there is constant change afoot. A blog article I recently read took me back to August 2014 and it got me thinking how much has changed in just the last 36 months. What did our landscape look like then?

Well, there was nothing-called Windows 10 or Windows 10 Mobile, no Cortana, no Edge, no iPhone 6, no Galaxy Note 7, etc.  Google Chrome, a widely accepted cross-platform browser, was at v37 (if you’re not keeping up we are now at v62), and to boot, Office 365 had not yet arrived in Alpha, but there were four other previous versions since 2013. The typical lifespan of a smartphone is just 18 months and only 36 months on tablets and laptops. If you’re finding it hard to keep up, you’re certainly not alone!

You might have asked yourself the question, “what if I just don’t do the browser updates?”  Well, many folks don’t take browser updates, and therefore expose themselves to other risks—most importantly security but also overall device performance. But in many cases, organizations don’t move forward because their current mobility solutions could fail (or the providers have not been able to keep up). Browsers are just one example. Net Market Share and StatCounter looked at the data in December 2013 and found a depressingly large number of versions still in use.

Since browser updates are typically without charge, the obvious reason for lack of implementation is the potential to disrupt software applications that were tied to specific browsers or operating systems. Providers, in this case, have no real impetus to stay current, such as ensuring compatibility with the App, Play or Microsoft stores. Not only does the customer suffer by not being able to take advantage of new features, but this also leaves them open to risks of hacking due to security holes.

When you consider how the mobile landscape has changed in the past three years, you may get a little queasy thinking about the ‘what-ifs:’

  • What if I selected a software platform that only ran when connected to the Web and fails when there is no network connectivity?
  • What if I selected a software program that was specific to IE 8, which although still being supported (for now), the security issues alone would prompt any sane IT resource to place it on the shelf?
  • What if I locked into a mobile app that only ran on IE and my new CEO just announced new browser standards that exclude it?

Indeed, the ‘what if’ scenarios can be frightening and in some cases, career debilitating.

When it comes to building your mobile enterprise, there are a great number of benefits to selecting a platform that is fully agnostic and completely unencumbered from environmental conditions such as hardware, browsers, and network connectivity. Conversely, there are a large number of risks when you select one that is proprietary or tied to a specific browser, operating system, or hardware vendor.

With the one constant being change, visionary business leaders expect all their investments, especially in the software solutions and mobile portfolio, to accomplish several key benefits beyond an initial ROI such as:

  • Leverage current investments
  • Deliver freedom to adapt to changing business conditions
  • Remain hardware independent allowing migration to new platforms and the ability to support a BYOD culture
  • Remain compatible with updated operating systems and web browsers for investment protection and the best security

As the Mobile Impact Platform has evolved over the past 17 years, Mi-Corporation has kept these technology and business drivers at the forefront of our development roadmap.  At each release of products, we ensure compatibility by passing the rigorous testing process to ensure the download stores accept the releases and the platform is current and compatible with all browsers and operating systems. Our clients count on us to be able to run on older Operating Systems until they’re ready to upgrade. Equally important, they appreciate the fact that we are always laying out a safe path to the future.

That, of course, is what you would expect, wouldn’t you?