Key trends for digital transformation of European industry - Business use of private mobile

The mobile trend may be defined as the use of portable devices connected to the Internet and other networks to extend business capability. The majority of these devices are owned by individuals rather than businesses. The application of these technologies to a business context can provide a new platform to deliver business applications, enable richer interaction with customers and allow for more streamlined business operations by extending the computing environment to previously unreachable areas.

Business use of mobile technologies continues to evolve rapidly. Despite widespread use and adoption, expanding mobile use should be anticipated to mitigate business risks. Benefits from mobile device use still continue to grow by the increase of business agility and the creation of new or refined business abilities. While most mobile devices continue to be issued to employees for business use, the number of personal devices used for business activities is still increasing. The use of mobile devices could improve interaction with people outside the Commission and also increase the satisfaction of users. Furthermore, mobile use simplifies the access to critical applications or data.

The use of mobile devices and the BYOD[1] principle should be part of the IT corporate strategy taking into account the scope of mobility and how it will improve business activities. Employee behaviour linked to the use of private devices for business purposes and new business way of using mobile devices should also be considered in mobile corporate strategy. However, progress in mobile intranets is slower than expected in most organisations.

The impact of the introduction of new devices in the organisation should be carefully studied as well as the potential loss of theft of a device or the expansion and dissemination of data. Security strategy should also be adapted to assure a gap-free security allowing the best possible use of mobile devices.

Furthermore, the digital workplace principle could be used as a strategic approach allowing more choice in the tools employees use, and providing a more consumer like work environment that emphasizes mobility, data access, a focus on user experience (UX) design, personal analytics and social interactions. Employees will bring their own knowledge, devices and applications as part of their own digital workplace.

[1] BYOD: Bring your Own Device