Our research confirms what Stratix routinely hears from our customers. The corporate view of mobile solutions has entirely evolved from a "nice to have" to now being critical to success. Ninety-seven percent of 2023 Enterprise Mobility Outlook respondents said mobile is very, or extremely, important to their business (see Figure 3.1).
It's easy to see why. Mobile solutions drive:
Nimbleness
More efficiency
Superior user experiences
Higher ROI
Better business outcomes
Those are outcomes that business leaders always want to see, but they are especially valuable for combating uncertainty—economic or otherwise. Nimbleness, efficiency, and a high ROI help organizations weather tough times and move faster to take advantage of new opportunities.
Alternative financing models like Device as a Service not only give companies the ability to scale up or down in reaction to economic conditions quickly, but they empower them to claim the high ROI of mobile solutions while also moving technology costs from the capital expenditure column. Our research shows organizations are prioritizing implementing mobile solutions for digital transformation, improved internal collaboration, and supply chain improvements, amongst other use cases (see Figure 3.2).
The top three priorities align with the need to evolve, work smart, and solve current headaches.
The adoption of mobile technology is moving at a fast pace. Eighty-six percent of organizations are using more technology now than in the past three years, with 33 percent saying it's significantly more (see Figure 3.3).
When asked about their reasons for investing, the top five answers were increasing productivity, improving workflows, internal collaboration, improving employee experience, and helping customers (see Figure 3.4).
It's clear that mobile devices save time and improve communication. Employees prefer mobile devices whenever possible, and they empower them to do a better job of helping customers.
As mobile technology has gotten smaller, lighter, and more wearable, companies are using it in new ways. Smartwatches send alerts and other communications that workers quickly see and respond to. Wearable scanners assist store associates in picking inventory for curbside pickup. It's common now to see a waiter wearing an arm-mounted device to take orders and payment. Nearly 60 percent of our respondents told us they're using more wearable technology now in workflows than in the past three years (see Figure 3.5).
59% of enterprises are using more wearables now than in the past 3 years
Another trend we see in the 2023 Enterprise Mobility Outlook is the increasing use of evolving technology like Internet of Things (IoT) devices. The use cases for connected devices are almost limitless, and 5G connectivity has made it easier to deploy exponentially more of them. The medical field uses IoT for remote patient monitoring. Retailers are doing everything from gathering data on customer behavior to installing "smart" shelves that know when something is removed from inventory. Industrial IoT is improving quality control, supply chain logistics, and much more. Advanced 5G use cases and the expansion of private 5G networks will accelerate IoT growth. Sixty-seven percent of our respondents said their organizations are using somewhat or significantly more IoT now than in the past three years (see Figure 3.6).
67% of enterprises said their organizations are using more IoT now than in the past 3 years
One of the enormous benefits of IoT is the ability to create a real-time view of operations—including behavior, processes, performance, and more. Businesses use that data to quickly make strategic decisions and adjustments that foresee and correct problems, reduce costs, increase efficiency, boost productivity, improve customer experiences, and grow profits.
The fast pace of technological development and the enormous benefits enterprises reap from it have made them realize they must be ready to adapt and change faster to stay ahead. Seventy-eight percent of our respondents said emerging tech has had a moderate, or major, impact on overall IT management strategy (see Figure 3.7).
77% of enterprises say emerging tech is pushing them towards more comprehensive endpoint management strategies
Three-quarters also told us that emerging tech will impact their relationships with vendors and partners. That's not surprising, given that many enterprises don't have the internal expertise, time, or resources to keep up with new technology developments and look for potential use cases that improve business functions. They need partners who do.
The proliferation of mobile solutions means there are exponentially more devices for IT teams to support. Seventy-seven percent of respondents told us emerging technology will push them towards more comprehensive endpoint management strategies. IT teams once only had desktops, networks, and servers to worry about. Now, they're maintaining smartphones, tablets, wearables, and a constellation of IoT.
Many of those solutions have independent endpoint management platforms—which only adds to the complexity and workload. New and better Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) solutions allow teams to control, update, and secure everything from a single pane of glass.
The 2023 Enterprise Mobility Outlook paints a clear picture of the use of mobile solutions within corporations. Only a tiny percentage don't see mobile as a major factor in success. Those that aren't leveraging mobile and looking for more ways to take advantage of it run the risk of being left behind by competitors and unprepared for disruption—whether that be economic or other factors like changing consumer behavior.
