Rise of the “mobile computing platform”

IT organizations are getting blindsided by a change that seems incremental, but is in fact revolutionary: the rise of the “mobile computing platform”. Mobility budgets have risen by 16% from 2008 to 2009. That’s correct, an IT line item budget that’s going up. Why? Although the costs of basic access and voice services is dropping (generally due to effective negotiations with carriers), users are consuming an increasing amount of messaging services and “data features” — including UC. And more and more, the distinction between a mobile phone and a networked PC is blurring. In a few years, there won’t be a difference. How can IT departments best prepare? Confront the issue head-on. Recognize that the notion of a desktop for every user may be on the way out. And plan to extend your UC strategy to mobile devices (or, if you prefer, expand your mobility strategy to encompass UC).