I've never actually seen a new device disrupt business computing as quickly as the iPad has done this last year. From the power users Engineering, to the early adopter field guys, to the non-techies with the corner offices, as we approach 2012 it seems almost everyone has an iPad in the office.
The 'bottoms up' approach of end users bringing in devices will carry a business only so far. The challenge going forward for technology administrators and senior managers is to get behind this trend, and help unlock the business potential of iPad computing. Here are a few thoughts on first steps:
MDM (Mobile Device Management) ... figure out how to use MDM platforms to make your office's iPads even better. Among its many benefits, MDM lets you deploy and update applications on the iPad so that users have the means to bring line of business applications into their devices. The means that you can easily provision Salesforce and Keynote apps for the sales guys, or Numbers for the accounting folks, or iAnnotate for the field people. Whatever your user community's needs, they're going to be much better addressed with an MDM strategy.
Integration ... Getting your current computing to work with your mobile workforce is essential. This means that your systems from SQL to Exchange will need to be updated and configured for mobile. This is one of the cheapest and most transformative changes you can make, just taking the stuff you've already paid for and making it work for these new computing platforms.
Custom Applications ... there are so many great rapid application development toolkits available for cloud and mobile that development has never been easier. While off-the-shelf computing can work fine for many basic business requirements, custom applications designed to fit the exact needs of your business and its mobile workforce are essential for many successful companies. An experiened mobile cloud developer will be an essential relationship in 2012 and beyond.
I'm excited about the possibilities for the New Year, and to see what the mobile cloud vendors including Apple have in store for 2012. I would encourage anyone with responsbility for business success to look closely at the developments in iPad computing, and more broadly the mobile cloud, and to develop a parntership with a technology provider who can help realize the many opportunities in these great new technologies.