CIOs hit roadblocks in deploying mobile device apps

searchCIO.com writes about the challenges CIOs face when they try to go beyond mobile email and "try to deploy mobile devices with business applications."

Ellen Daley at Forrester Research said, "There is a notable lack of end-to-end solutions in the market. What is needed next is a focus on applications beyond wireless e-mail."

Gartner analyst Todd Kort pointed out that "when a CIO wants to deploy business applications to mobile devices, such as sales force automation, customer relationship management or field service applications, he must often gather together software components from several vendors."

Kort said, "Why HP, Dell, Nokia, Motorola, Palm, etc. have taken so long to create solutions that might strongly compete with RIM is difficult to comprehend. RIM has had a big target on their back for several years and everyone seems to keep finding ways of missing."

While there is a demand for mobile enterprise solutions, it has been neglected due to the mobile industry's focus on consumers. Daniel Taylor at the Mobile Enterprise Alliance said, "The device manufacturers and wireless operators can't seem to decide whether they even care about the enterprise market. He noted mobile vendors are drawn to video downloads and mobile gaming "like bugs to light."

Taylor remarked that are "hundreds of software developers focused exclusively on mobile business applications, but there is a disconnect that prevents them from effectively serving the market." He said, "Where things have fallen short is in the channel. There isn't yet a developed sales channel for mobility."

Taylor believed "developers need to be connected directly to businesses through the sales channel. Instead they're relying on the consumer model, whereby carriers of mobile services deliver software products." Taylor added, "There's a matter of application development, integration, device selection and ongoing management,. And carriers just aren't the best place to start for many of those IT-centric questions."