Get mobile Viewpoint careers advice blog

Get mobile Hays CIO, Steve Weston, on why mobile strategy will create a yawning gap between the businesses moving ahead and those running to catch up. Mobile technology will be the most disruptive influence on our society over the next ten years. According to the Millennium Development Goals database from the UN, and data from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), in 2001 there were 78 phones for every 100 people in the UK. By 2011, there were almost 131. Those figures are more remarkable as you look around the world. In Brazil, the rate in the same period leapt from 16 to 124. In Afghanistan, it went from less than 1 to 54. Many people misunderstood the internet’s power, so don’t do the same with mobile. Big numbers McKinsey predicts that by 2025, through new businesses, innovation and technologies mobile internet will have an impact of between $3.7 and $10.8 trillion on the world economy. That’s not in total â€" it’s every year. To put that into context, the impact of cloud technology was estimated between just $1.7 and $6.2 trillion, and 3-D printing as only $200 billion and $600 billion. Mobile’s growth is unstoppable. But why the attraction? Why is mobile so disruptive? Well first and foremost,   the devices are simple to use. They have a fantastic user experience. They are fast and intuitive and regularly updated, so â€" almost without exception â€" they only get better. They are always available, and almost always helpful. We wake up with them (literally, in most cases), and go to bed with them. They are our map, our contact book, our connection to information and our distraction on the train. Crucially though, while everyone has them, they make you feel like an individual. In our retail experiences, our social interactions, and in our workplaces, that sense of identity is becoming an increasingly powerful differentiator. And mobile is done badly far too often. Poor strategies get in the way: of customers, of talent acquisition and of staff just trying to do their job together and on the move. This is because mobile is not about mobile phones. It is not about calling people at all. My son is 18 and to call anyone remains an anathema to him. But that’s ok, a phone is for interacting with the world, however you want, wherever you are. The reality is that people expect to be able to do that with minimal fuss. Anything else creates frustration and disengagement with whomever they are interacting with, whether that is their employer, a retailer or someone else. Big deal This matters across every industry and every geography. The ITU estimates that there are 4.5 billion mobile phone subscriptions in emerging markets. In these fast-growth regions or in established economies, whether you are a recruiter, a bank, or a retailer, b2c or b2b, you’ve got to have a mobile strategy for your customers, arguably before you even think about any other platform. And what about your staff? Worldwide, 1.3 billion people will work remotely by 2015, according to IT consultancy IDC. That’s 37.2% of the workforce. Whether that is true or not â€" and one suspects that’s slightly optimistic â€" businesses need to consider whether they are ready. Can their infrastructure cope? Can their culture? Can their leaders? For sure, managers need to start working differently. Developers need to adopt new systems and skills. IT staff need to become enablers, not administrators. Marketing departments need to understand mobile as well as anyone. Organisations need to keep pace and find out now whether it is a lack of skills hindering them, or a lack of vision. Are they shackled by security concerns? Is their infrastructure obstructive? Are generations of their leaders unwilling to move with the times? Mobile is big â€" the biggest challenge to businesses in the next five years. Dealing with it will make or break organisations, so in this series, we’re going to take a look at some of the most important questions organisations should be asking themselves. So ask yourself now: are you ready for mobile? Mobile in numbers                   $3.7-10.8 trillion annual impact on the world economy over next 12 years                   1.3 billion remote workers by 2015                   1.3 devices for every person living in the UK Many people misunderstood the internet’s power, so don’t do the same with mobile. Please join our IT Industry Insights Group to discuss the most pressing challenges and opportunities in our sector. Search for mobile device management jobs in the UK  here. To find opportunities for mobile device management roles where you reside,  visit Hays in your country.