According to Gartner, a majority of collaboration applications will be uniformly available on desktops, mobile phones, tablets and browsers by 2016. Currently, a large number of applications and services for mobile content access, collaboration and productivity enable employees to collaborate in real time and work more effectively. However, fragmentation in the availability of such applications across platforms presents significant challenges for IT organisations.
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Monica Basso, research vice-president, Gartner, says, ?In the past, collaboration on mobile devices meant interaction through wireless messaging and voice calls. Today, smartphones and tablets have larger screens, touch-based user interfaces, location support, broad network connectivity, enhanced cameras and video support, voice over IP, etc. Such features enable a range of applications, both traditional and new, for employees to better communicate, collaborate, socialise, create and consume content.?
The research firm states that given the relative fragmentation and lack of standardisation of mobile applications, organisations often end up using different tools and platforms to address their IT-related requirements. However, this phenomenon is expected to change over the next three to five years with the availability of uniform solutions in the market as a large number of businesses are expected to use mobile collaboration to improve work processes.
Basso, says, ?Three trends are driving mobile collaboration strategies and investments in organisations. These are: bring your own device (BYOD), personal cloud file sharing and the increasing availability of mobile applications.?
Going forward, the concept of BYOD will drive new mobile and client computing strategies. Currently, employees who bring their own consumer smartphones and tablets to work are receiving support for corporate email, calendar and contacts from the management. Driven by smart devices and tablets personal cloud file synchronisation and sharing services are expanding in scope and capabilities. Gartner expects that by 2016, the average personal cloud will synchronise and orchestrate at least six different device types. Today, sharing capabilities are a must have, especially for tablet users as they need to move files such as documents, audio, pictures and videos across their multiple mobile devices, PCs, network drives and other storage repositories.
Gartner underscores that mobile applications have transformed the internet from a web-centric to an application centric model. Regardless of the technologies or architectures which are used to build them, mobile applications have become the primary medium to for individuals to access and consume information. Mobile collaboration can also take place in specialised corporate applications for people who extensively use mobile devices within the organisation or for their interaction with the company partners or customers.
?Empowering workers with mobile collaboration capabilities through smart devices, personal cloud sharing and mobile applications is a smart move for organisations to innovate at the workplace and stay competitive,? says Basso. She adds, ?Nevertheless, a number of challenges can arise from poorly-architected implementations. Successful deployments of mobile collaboration will need an analysis of business requirements, understanding the potential risks while assessing existing investments and obsolescence trends.?
