Interop New York is jumping - I've not seen crowds like this in quite some time. And the conference program is leading to a lot of interesting debate. What's at the top of your list of mobile IT issues?
OK – I think it’s safe to say that the recession, at least in IT, is over. The show floor at Interop New York is packed. It’s been a long time since getting down the aisles at an IT event took more than the occasional “pardon me”, but that’s what we have here. Attendance at the conference sessions is also heartening, and with that comes a good deal of discussion of the key issues facing wireless and mobile today.
I finally got to speak at this event, other than as a moderator, participating in a panel discussion on the top wireless and mobile issues facing IT management today. Also on this panel were Alex Wolfe, who’s the Editor in Chief of InformationWeek.com (and for whom I also write a monthly column), and Michael Brandenberg, who is a technical editor for TechTarget’s Network Media group, and the session was moderated by Paul DeBeasi from Gartner. There was just a little overlap in our opinions, particularly with respect to Michael and I both placing mobile device management (MDM), with my addition of mobile policy management (MPM), at the top of our respective lists. I added the policy element for a simple reason – too many firms still have inadequate policies covering mobility, or are even missing these altogether, a strange situation indeed in the era of Sarbanes Oxley, HIPAA, PCI, and other laws and regulations. It’s just common sense, IMHO, to have an acceptable use policy (covering networks, devices, and information, a security policy (covering a definition of sensitive information, who should have access to this and under what circumstances, and what to do in the event of a breach), and likely a policy regarding the use of personal devices on the corporate networks – if one goes the personal liability route, which I think will become dominant over the next few years. This is a major trend with a simple justification: why buy someone a special corporate PC and handset when mobile device management, along with mobile policy management, will allow a given worker to carry less and keep their personal life under control as well? MDM/MPM are in their early days, but they’re at the top of my list for good reason – a firm set of policies form the basis for successful mobile operations (and thus all enterprise operations) over the long run, keeping in mind, of course, that these policies like all others require regular review to keep up with changes in technology and to make sure that they’re enhancing, not inhibiting, productivity.
My other big issue is related to cost – this is another year where 10% cuts in IT budgets are once again at the top of many IT manager’s lists. The reasoning here is simple – equipment costs have been declining, thanks to the ever-present faster/better/cheaper phenomenon that typifies technology coupled in many cases with increased vendor competition. Unfortunately, this calculation ignores personnel costs, which are rising due to increasing costs for health insurance and many others. Thus operating expense, predominantly labor-intensive, are going to dominate total cost of ownership, perhaps especially for mobility solutions based on immature technologies. And upgrades, help desk, etc. etc. etc. will consume the time of those whose productivity has already been pushed to the max.
The best strategy here, I think, is to convert OpEx into CapEx – in other words, invest in management systems and related technology that makes mobile and wireless systems more reliable, easier to use, and functional. If an operational problem continues to rear its ugly head over and over, it’s time to re-think the approach rather than overworking the operations staff.
I’m participating, BTW,in a Webinar covering both MPM and cost issues next week if you’re interested. Registration is free, and I hope you can attend.
My remaining key issues include an app strategy that minimizes handset lockins, and putting in place a VoFi solution that will likely include convergence (hard handoff) between cellular and Wi-Fi. In addition to convenience and simpler operations, real cost savings are possible here as well.
Regardless, it doesn’t seem likely, even if the recession really is over, that the emphasis on productivity and cost control will be going away anytime soon. Indeed, these elements will likely be with us forever. This is probably as it should be, but we have, or are rapidly developing, the technology solutions that will eventually switch the focus back to simply getting the job done.
