Mobile business intelligence (BI) has accelerated following the unveiling of the Apple iPad more than a year ago.
Research firm, Gartner predicts that by 2013, 33% of BI functionality will be consumed on mobile devices. It positions mobile BI at the “technology trigger stage”, and believes current adoption rates are likely to “generate a strong wave of mobile BI users”.
According to Michael de Andrade, CEO of information solutions firm, EnterpriseWorx, despite widespread smartphone adoption, the small screen size prevented the smartphone from leading the charge for mobile BI. However, the arrival of the tablet PC changed all that, he says.
“Suddenly, it became possible to make sense of bar charts and dashboards on the move,” adds De Andrade. “BI's promise of instant access to critical, operational data for business managers was one step closer to reality.
“The tablet revolution sparked by the iPad makes it possible to serve up BI quickly and in a variety of settings, using a mobile device that is less socially intrusive than a notebook PC.”
Gartner also believes that the biggest value lies in operational BI, and that mobile delivery of BI is about practical, tactical information needed to make immediate decisions. If the organisation embraces tablets and disseminates BI in a highly accessible way, mobile BI will become a reality.
“This leads to greater efficiency, improvements in employee productivity and better customer service. Data is available instantly from anywhere, and the mobile device can access it via 3G or a WiFi network. Intuitive tablet interfaces mean managers can get up and running quickly with little training.
According to IDC's 2011 Digital Universe survey, 49% of respondents regard delivering information to mobile devices as very or extremely important. But while 47% are happy to give full mobile access to e-mail, only around 15% are prepared to allow access to customer information and reports and dashboards.
“Security and compliance, along with data leakage, are concerns, particularly as companies introduce the 'bring your own device' (BYOD) concept,” says De Andrade. “To maintain high security standards, BI software platforms must make certain that mobile applications are secure, compliant, available and leak-proof.
“BI on the move has arrived, and agile solutions are needed to ensure that mobile BI is tailored to business requirements. Companies that have a sound BI infrastructure in place are likely to reap the benefits.”
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