Mobility and the key challenges before enterprises

BANGALORE, INDIA: The rise of internet accessibility has changed the equation for businesses and workforces alike. As employees and their devices spread outside the traditional office walls, it presents new support challenges and burdens for IT.  According to IDC the number of mobile workers accessing enterprise systems worldwide will top the 1 billion mark this year on the way to 1.2 billion by 2013.

Anil Sharma, sales director, LogMeIn, India talks about the challenges faced by enterprises while adopting mobility in an interview with CIOL.

Q: As a mobility enabler, how do you rate the challenges posed by mobility to enterprises?

Anil Sharma: There is no doubt that mobility is a great enabler. In fact, mobility it is more happening than the cloud computing. But adopting mobility brings more challenges to enterprises too.

As per analyst estimates from Frost & Sullivan, the market is estimated to reach Rs 1,800 crore by FY 2015-16. India has an impressive mobility growth rate. The availability of multiple devices with different operating systems has brought ever-increasing challenges to the IT managers.

Q: What are the specific IT challenges?

Anil Sharma: Some of the IT challenges faced due to enterprise mobility are securing information systems, integrating technologies, implementing security and training the users.

Also read: SAP India bets big on enterprise mobility

When it comes to managing enterprise mobility, it has been noticed that the devices like tablets and smartphones are becoming “access” devices and enterprises are still figuring out how to best ensure data is neither lost nor accessed by unauthorized persons.

Enforcing password policies and employing capabilities that allow IT helpdesk to remotely lock a lost or stolen device are musts.  Furthermore, keeping data behind a firewall on the network (where it can be backed up regularly) helps ensure its integrity. 

Q: How is LogMeIn helping the enterprises in this regard?

Anil Sharma: Software like LogMeIn’s remote access solution, Ignition, enables users maintain the high level of mobility that they have become accustomed to and get access to the data on the corporate network via their tablet or smartphone, without actually downloading or storing that data on the device itself.

Q: Are you seeing enterprises adopting remote access/ support technology in a big way?

Anil Sharma: Enterprises are rapidly understanding that their employees are going mobile whether it’s sanctioned by it or not.  Business users are going to use/introduce the products they want (iPhone or Nexus One vs iPad or Samusung Galaxy Tab 10.1 etc.) 

The practices of standardizing IT equipment and environments in order to simplify IT support have become antiquated as businesses change. Also, workers demand mobility, flexibility and choice, and Internet-based devices and platforms proliferate.

This evolution demands that IT teams and the enterprise keep pace with the business and likewise adapt their processes, tools, and approach to supporting an increasingly dispersed and technologically diverse workforce.

According to IDC , the combined India domestic IT-ITeS market will grow by 15 per cent in 2010 to achieve revenues of Rs 1,20,666 crore. The domestic IT market is expected to grow 13 per cent in 2010 to touch Rs 1,07,655 crore. Also, as per IDC, the worldwide market for remote support tools will grow from $171 million in 2008 to $473 million in 2013, representing a five year CAGR of 22.6 per cent.

It is observed that this market is niche and growing. Several trends are driving this growth:  the economy is forcing businesses to do more with less; there is a shortage of skilled IT workers at branch locations, and telecommuters, remote workers and mobile workers are increasing as a percentage of the workforce. 

What are the evolving trends and challenges in remote access/ support technology?

Q: Anil Sharma: According to Frost & Sullivan, the clientless remote support market is projected to hit global revenues of US$588 million by 2014. Several trends are driving this growth:  the economy is forcing businesses to do more with less; there is a shortage of skilled IT workers at branch locations, and telecommuters, remote workers and mobile workers are increasing as a percentage of the workforce.

Security is the biggest challenge when it comes to remote access; however, in a world that depends on an increasingly mobile workforce as well as online communications for conducting business, eliminating remote access in the interests of security is counterproductive to say the least.