Avanade, a global business technology solutions and managed services provider, has launched the findings of a global survey on how the consumerisation of IT is changing the development of applications within enterprises. According to the survey, 80% of IT decision-makers believe this trend has changed expectations for user experiences - making them more demanding.
The consumerisation of IT has impacted many layers within organisations, from user expectations to mobility strategy, requiring a fundamental shift in the selection and adoption of technology. However less than 37% say it is currently a critical part of their application development process. Additionally, only 29% of organisations view their processes as always being agile enough to meet business needs - despite the fact that a majority (94%) report that there is an increased expectation to deploy applications faster.
"The impact of connected digital technologies - especially mobility - is very real, but organisations are hindered by a fragmented approach to changing needs and technology demands," said Rudi Greyling, chief technology officer and innovation director, Avanade SA. "The user experience is truly the new competitive frontier and enterprises need to make it an integral part of application development, thus ensuring the connection between users and technology is seamless and intuitive. To achieve this, companies must invest in developing a digital strategy that rethinks application possibilities and aligns them to real business outcomes."
Mobile-friendly applications and services are no longer optional - enterprises must design new applications with mobility in mind. This new research shows that many organisations are still struggling to define a clear strategy for these key areas. With the right approach, organisations can tap into this new window of opportunity provided by the blurring of physical and digital experiences.
Key findings from the research include:
* Mobility is already or will to be a major initiative for over 90% of enterprises, with the vast majority agreeing that new applications must be mobile-friendly to be successful. However, up to 38% said they lack a cohesive strategy for key elements of mobility including how applications are developed, deployed, maintained and secured.
* IT organisations are struggling to adapt application development strategies to meet changing needs, differentiate themselves against competitors and capture valuable market share. The majority of respondents reported the need to deploy applications more quickly (78%); develop applications that run across multiple device types (69%); and increase focus on user-centric design (68%).
* At the same time, 65% of enterprises believed that interfaces offering the best user experiences are the key to the successful applications. However, less than half (43%) said that user interface design and experience is included in every project.
* Additionally, 87% of respondents said they struggle to find external partners and vendors with an appropriate level of expertise for the design of user interface experience.
* Cloud computing is also a big factor. Ninety percent of organisations reported that they will deploy cloud-based applications within two years in order to remain nimble and take advantage of increased scalability to meet fluctuating requirements.
"Even though this global survey did not include South Africa, applications possibilities and mobility are relevant both globally and locally. We should take heed of the research findings and not make the same mistakes in South Africa. We have the opportunity to leapfrog over them into success," adds Greyling.
To read the entire survey or learn more, please visit http://www.avanade.com/advisor/application-development/us/Pages/app-dev-research.aspx
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Global survey
Avanade's survey was conducted from August to September 2013 by Vanson Bourne, an independent technology market research specialist. It surveyed 750 senior IT decision-makers, at companies with 1 000 or more employees and global revenues of $250 million or more in the following countries: United States, China, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Brazil, Japan, Australia and Sweden.
Avanade
Avanade helps customers realise results in a digital world through business technology solutions and managed services that combine insight, innovation and expertise focused on Microsoft technologies. Our people have helped thousands of organisations in all industries improve business agility, employee productivity and customer loyalty. Avanade combines the collective business, technical and industry expertise of its worldwide network of experts with the rigor of an industrialised delivery model to provide high quality solutions using proven and emerging technologies with flexible deployment models-on premises, cloud-based or outsourced. Avanade, which is majority owned by Accenture, was founded in 2000 by Accenture LLP and Microsoft Corporation and has 21 000 professionals in more than 20 countries. Additional information can be found at www.avanade.com.
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