The mobile past was simple: Blackberrys for employees under the control of IT. Today, however, smartphones, tablets like the iPad, and the rise of bring-your-own devices have put tremendous pressure on IT to revamp and rethink its mobile strategy: everything from procurement and development, to security and app stores.
Saying it is helping companies address these issues, new research from Forrester identifies seven steps companies "must take" if they are to develop and execute a sound mobile strategy:
1. Segment employees to forecast mobile needs
2. Tier device support
3. Take a multi-technology approach
4. Mast multiplatform development
5. Fund the infrastructure
6. Adopt a sensible reimbursement policy
7. Plan for an enterprise app store
To turn this collection of steps into a mobile program, the report notes that IT leaders should designate a mobility czar and charter a mobility council to deal with the priorities, policies, governance, and funding of employee and customer apps.
