Out-Mobilize Your Competition

82% of Executives believe mobile is changing business*

The proliferation of smartphones and tablets has combined to change the way we work, collaborate, and communicate.  In fact, mobile data traffic in 2013 was 18 times more than all traffic across the global Internet in 2000.*

However, the real question every executive asks is, “what are the best ways my business can capitalize on this trend?”

There are a multitude of opportunities, both internally and externally, to take advantage of this connectivity.

Internally mobility is facilitating:

• Increases in supply chain collaboration, tracking, & efficiency
• Untethered access to data from production floors
• Sales & customer service with the ability to access customer account information remotely
• Real-time access to executive dashboards for better decision-making
• Monitoring of employees activity/location real-time
• Better collaboration between all divisions (e.g. sales, engineering, customer service, etc.)
• A portal for employees to interact with HR
• Location-based alert capabilities when combined with geo-fencing & beacons
• Partners & distributors with remote placement/tracking of orders real-time
• The list can go on-and-on…

However, despite all the opportunity this BYOD revolution represents, some corporations still crawl along relying on old networks, software, and desktops.  If your corporation is in this group consider these facts:

• Only 11% of end users access business applications from the corporate office 100% of the time*
• By the end of 2014, there will be more mobile-connected devices on earth than there are people.*
• By 2017, half of employers will require employees to use their own devices for work **

Amazingly, despite all the efficiencies & ROI these internal applications represent, most corporations are focused primarily on customer facing or external applications. For example…

External mobility is facilitating:

• Remote customer ordering/payments/tracking
• Contest & loyalty programs
• Push campaigns employing coupons, e-newsletters, & video
• Hi-jacking of customers from competition using geo-fencing in conjunction with push coupons & discounts
• Tracking of customer activities & interests
• Gaming applications to generate buzz & viral exposure
• Turning customers into interactive contractors
• Surveys & customer feedback
• Real-time resolution to customer complaints
• Again, the list can go on-and-on…

If you’re looking for justification to join this mobile trend, keep these facts in mind:

• Smartphones are checked on the average 150+ times a day***
• Mobile data traffic grew 81 percent in 2013 alone*
• Worldwide mobile devices and connections last year grew to 7 billion — up from 6.5 billion in 2012 — with smartphones accounting for 77 percent of that growth. *
• In 2013 alone, 406 million new smartphones were connected.*

Regardless of where your business falls in this trend, BYOD & customer mobilization are here to stay! Embrace the technology, disrupt your market, and position your corporation as an innovator.

One last thought: don’t believe one platform or device will cover the bulk of your target audience.

• Cisco’s data shows that, in September 2013, for instance, iOS devices generated 1,296 Mbytes per month, while Android devices generated 1,255 Mbytes per month.*

*Cisco’s 2014 Mobile Traffic Forecast

** Gartner

***Samsung