It wasn’t that long ago that the thought of employees using their personal mobile devices during work hours was frowned upon. Fast forward to today and businesses are now adopting a mobile-first approach and arming their employees with the tools necessary to increase efficiency, accuracy, and customer engagement. A mobile-first strategy also means that employees can work effectively from anywhere, especially in regional locations and in the field.
New apps enter the market almost daily, making innovative mobile technology a standard employee expectation. Enterprise mobility management solutions have become essential for managing hardware, software, and network operations.
The effectiveness of these solutions is based on the organization’s understanding of key enterprise mobility trends in 2024 and beyond. The four main trends are:
Trend 1: Internet of Things (IoT) and operational integration
IoT is a network of interconnected devices that connect to the Internet, meaning they can transfer data without the need for human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction.
IoT devices are prevalent in the workplace today, ranging from refrigerated cargo trailers and construction machinery to utility poles and smart hospital beds. Importantly, asset tracking using GPS tags helps organizations manage mobile assets in real-time.
One of the significant shifts in 2024 will be the rise of 5G in both the public and private sectors. This will increase the incorporation of IoT in various industries, especially in regional areas. The remarkable speed and minimal latency of 5G technology is particularly suitable for industrial automation and control systems. Applications Through 5G, mobile devices become collaborative agents, using sensor data and innovative technologies to create a dynamic, intelligent overlay that transforms how tasks are performed. However, the presence of each endpoint represents a potential vulnerability, with attack surfaces extending well beyond traction networks and security perimeters.
Trend 2: Tightening security measures for mobile devices
The second trend focuses on securing enterprise mobility devices. Mobile devices used within the office or in a remote environment require an enterprise mobility security strategy that adopts more stringent safeguards. These safeguards ensure data confidentiality and protect corporate resources from unauthorized access or security breaches.
To address this need, there is a shift from conventional mobile device management (MDM) to mobile application management (MAM). This shift represents a stricter but adaptable approach to managing the use of smartphones and tablets in the workplace.
Trend 3: Edge computing continues to rise
The growth of enterprise mobility programs is redefining the concept of the workspace, allowing employees to perform their duties from virtually any location and access corporate data on the go. For example, utility workers in the field use rugged tablets to access and record data, navigate to service locations, and communicate with central offices, even in remote areas with limited connectivity.
Advances in the capacity of mobile devices to access enterprise data and support edge computing are driven by two significant trends. First, the evolution of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platforms gives employees the flexibility to use business tools and data from any Internet-connected device.
Second, edge computing is set to play a key role in facilitating the widespread adoption of sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) services powered by large language models (LLM). This includes distributed job processing in tandem with cloud services. To meet these demands, the performance of mobile devices is evolving to meet the stringent requirements of high-level computing.
Trend 4: Augmented Reality (AR) in field operations
The advancement of AR is supported by the deployment of 5G networks, which provide the necessary bandwidth and reduced latency that augmented reality (XR) applications require.
AR integrates digital information with the user’s view of the physical world in real-time, overlaying virtual elements with real objects. Mobile devices intended for AR applications must be powered by high-performance processors capable of performing complex calculations instantly. They also require appropriate cameras, motion sensors, and other hardware to ensure seamless interaction with AR software.
In practical applications in the field, AR allows users to augment the reality of their tasks with interactive data overlays. For example, repair teams can use AR applications to project step-by-step repair instructions onto a real-time video of the device being repaired. The potential of AR goes beyond the future concept; is already integrated into current practice.
Enterprise mobility and the way forward
As we look to 2024 and beyond, the enterprise mobility management sector will play a key role in shaping business strategies. Mobile devices are critical to enabling organizations to improve operational efficiency, deliver superior customer service, and embrace innovation that delivers tangible benefits to business clients and stakeholders.
