Mobile Agility and the Anytime, Anywhere Impact on IT Chad J. Kainz, Solutions Director, Blackboard Consulting
Rise of Mobile In 1997, the inaugural editors of Personal & Ubiquitous Computing shared an idea that “the paradigm shift brought about by portable computing is simply another phase in the development of truly personal computing”1. Two years later, Hans-‐Werner Gellerson, guest editor of the same journal, laid the groundwork for what we know as “mobile” by describing portable technology and personal computing as being “seamlessly integrated with the user, tasks, and the environment”2. What the editors effectively described in a few unassuming words is the always on, always connected, and personally tailored environment in which we live and communicate today. Over a decade ago, few could imagine the rapid adoption of mobile technology. In 1998, the term “mobile” was largely limited to cellular phones, and “portable” encompassed an array of battery-‐ powered devices that enhanced productivity – such as portable digital assistants and laptops. These devices were connected to online resources via local area networks and dial-‐up services. WiFi (ie. IEEE 802.11b) hadn’t been formally released3, so “mobile connectivity” meant at best, portable gear physically tethered to cellular handsets. Just over a decade later, approximately 1.2 billion people will possess tether-‐free mobile devices powerful enough to deliver rich Web experiences4 and the total number of Web-‐enabled mobile phones will eclipse the estimated one billion personal computers on Earth5. And while fixed broadband adoption in the developing world tripled in 2009, mobile broadband penetration among the same parts of the globe expanded by an astonishing factor of ten6. The global volume of mobile cellular subscriptions were projected to grow to 5.3 billion7, a number – if taken at face value – indicates that over half of the people on the planet will be connected via a mobile device in 2011. Mobile, then, is the emergent and arguably dominant platform for connecting and communicating, regardless of where you are or who you may be. Like the Web, mobile is not a fad; it is a fundamental shift in communication brought about by a number factors that coalesced at the right time. The confluence of the Internet and wireless, the Web and electronic communication, and the miniaturization and commoditization of technology created the perfect ecosystem for mobile to move into our everyday lives. According to the United Nations, “American teenagers are using 3,146 [text] messages a month, which translates into more than 10 messages every hour of the month that they are not sleeping or in school”8. Always connected and always on has become a part of teen culture but like so many things, is texting simply a teen fad? The UN went on to say that “even the under 12 segment are sending 1,146 messages per month”9. The youngest generation has embraced mobile for communication and as such, it is no longer an upstart technology. To this generation, mobile is a norm like electricity, air travel, and the Internet. Mobile is something else.
Charting a Course
In the long term, indications are that mobile isn’t a bolt-‐on; it is where things are headed10 and nowhere is this more prevalent than in retail. The shift to mobile is obvious – to reach today’s connected consumers, one minimally needs to be on the Web. But to be truly effective, mobile has to factor into the overall relationship strategy. Education isn’t the same as retail, but what can it learn from the intensely competitive world of the consumer marketplace? A Web presence is much like a sign on a roadway; if it catches your attention you may be convinced to pull over and investigate. If not, you may take note of the business and pass by because you don’t need that particular service at that particular time. A mobile-‐enabled website extends this experience by presenting Web content in a form appropriate for on-‐the-‐go consumers. A mobile website is analogous to a second sign that is added to the first sign on the roadway. The second sign attempts to attract a different clientele to the place of business, but in the end it is still a sign and like the main one, can be ignored. With the number of mobile devices eclipsing the number of desktop computers on the planet, a Web presence tailored to mobile users should factor into every organization’s communications strategy. However, one’s mobile strategy should not stop with the Web as mobile is in the midst of a transformation from a discretionary entertainment vehicle to a utility and lifestyle platform of necessity and convenience11. Organizations that are recognizing this shift are realizing the potential of mobile as a platform. Today, many retailers are rapidly developing stand-‐alone mobile applications (apps) as a means to connect with consumers on a day-‐to-‐day basis. A downloaded mobile app travels wherever she and her mobile device go, and places the retail brand at the forefront of the consumer’s experience. If well developed, the app enables the provider to develop a personal connection with the consumer as it is precisely available at the moment of desire or need. Or to put it another way, there is no chance of ignoring the sign on the roadway when the business itself is incorporated into the dashboard – like an in-‐car GPS navigation system. Education has a significant advantage over retailers as learning experiences are built around individual relationships, group collaborations, and deep connections across affinity groups. Students, parents, staff, instructors, alumni, donors, and fans all have myriad reasons for staying in contact with a college, university, school, or educational program. Whether taking a class or keeping abreast of the latest sports scores, the community that circles a particular educational institution creates natural opportunities for mobile services. Retailers, on the other hand, often struggle with building these relationships as the reason for connecting consumers may only go as far as the next product release. What retail demonstrates is that mobile is more than a collection of technologies; it is a contemporary paradigm for connecting, communicating, and getting things done on mass-‐customized and yet personal relationship level that extends to the devices themselves. According to Robert Mitchell of Computerworld, a theme that permeated the 2010 Gartner Symposium was that “the need to accommodate the consumer's choice of end point mobile computing devices, each with its own application infrastructure and network, is increasingly being taken as a given”12. Case in point: the iTunes App Store by Apple. Launched in July 2008 with about 500 apps, mobile adoption skyrocketed from zero to 10 million downloads within a few short days13. In just 30 months (January 2011), 400,000 iOS apps were available in the App Store, and the download volume surpassed 10 billion apps14.
Supported by just one platform’s data, Mitchell’s observation is an obvious one: consumers are adopting mobile apps on their platforms of choice. If properly conceived of as part of a holistic vision that looks at different communities and maps expectations and desires against services and capabilities, a strategic approach to mobile and mobile apps can help provide levels of interactivity and service delivery that align and best match with what people expect of a mobile-‐aware and engaged organization15, while taking advantage of infrastructure investments made to date. Although some may argue that a mobile-‐enabled website is good enough, charting a successful course should take into account the consumers’ platform of choice and the choices they are making to consume information and interact with services. Today and increasingly tomorrow, that means mobile apps that are rely upon Web services and technologies16.
Achieving Mobile Agility In many ways, mobile is much like the Web. It is a number of different technologies that work together in harmony to exchange information, enable creativity, and enhance productivity. Similarly, mobile moves at the speed of the Web. Consumers adopt new devices each day and expect applications and services to be available when they need them. Development cycles of 12-‐24 months simply don’t apply when new mobile functionality is rolled out every six to nine months by platform providers. To keep pace, organizations should develop their “mobile agility.” Sports cars are often judged by two things: power and handling. Success in any race depends heavily on striking a balance between these performance factors. As such, car that has greater power won’t necessarily beat one that is agile under certain conditions17. So by way of analogy, if the Web is a straight-‐line drag race, mobile is a road race on a twisting mountainous course. One won’t survive the mobile race with sheer power and speed; one needs to be both quick and nimble (or run the risk of flying off the track). Here, mobile agility refers to an organization’s ability to rapidly and appropriately respond to changing needs of mobile users, no matter whom they are or where they might be. Agility doesn’t specifically refer to how fast and organization can get a mobile solution out the door. Instead it equates to delivering the right apps and services at the right time in the most responsive manner. A rapidly developed app that doesn’t resonate with its intended audience is effectively a non-‐ starter and in the worst case, generates negative user feedback and disenchantment. Alternatively, a well-‐designed app that is released too late runs the risk of being usurped by other services or apps because it missed the window of opportunity. Although it seems like something new, mobile builds upon the technologies and services many organizations already have in place and as such, can be part of an overall enterprise IT strategy. Gartner predicts that we will soon see software development move toward a mobile-‐first paradigm18. The evolution of enterprise IT, brought about by applications migrating to the Web, is enabling this paradigm shift. Wireless, single-‐sign-‐on, access management, learning management, messaging and notification, web services, content management, virtualization, cloud services and service-‐oriented architectures are all components that contribute to the success of present applications as well as mobile. What existing services deliver for enterprise applications can be harnessed for mobile should and naturally fit into a program of continuous improvement and technology evolution.
Mobile agility is not merely about technology and execution. It is about recognizing mobile’s place in an overall strategy and becoming more nimble in designing, developing, and deploying services that are appropriate for the organization’s core users as well as its untapped communities.
Conclusion The mobile paradigm is one that has evolved over decades and only recently have the pieces fallen into place to bring it to the forefront of our connected global society. Educational institutions and organizations are perfect positioned to embrace what mobile has to offer, provided that they embrace mobile as a platform and integrate its possibilities into strategic planning. An awareness of context-‐driven use of mobile technology19, recognition that users desire access to information anytime and anywhere, and the acceptance of mobile as the personal productivity platform of choice20 are characteristics of an organization on a path toward a holistic mobile strategy. The a hallmark of an organization that possesses a high degree of mobile agility will be its ability take its strategy and transform it into action, thus delivering the right services at the right times on the mobile platforms users expect. Colleges, universities and schools should develop holistic approaches to mobile and grow their mobile agility to best connect with yesterday’s prospective students, today’s learners, and tomorrow’s alumni. 1
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