Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2019. Read them in this 11th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.
Contributed by Henning Volkmer, President & CEO of ThinPrint Inc.
Cloud computing and enterprise mobility strategy in 2019
Enterprise mobility became a more mature space in 2018. We expect
to see a continuation of this trend throughout 2019 as digital transformation
and cloud computing adoption promote changes in the way we work and concepts,
such as Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), are implemented.
Digital transformation is driving organizations and their
employees to re-imagine how they run their business and how they fulfill the
responsibilities of their jobs. Mobile devices, for example, remain a huge
opportunity to enable such re-imagined organizations and workflows. Increasingly,
advanced devices now accommodate applications that would have required a laptop
just a year or two ago.
However, while native applications on a tablet or smartphone are
a great way to revamp stale workflows, we need to be mindful to provide
connectivity to more "old school" resources required for certain workflows.
This could mean providing connectivity to a file server for organizations that
are not quite ready to move their files to cloud storage. In this scenario, mobile
applications can be fed with the data required to complete a task, like
printing, to ensure a receipt, prescription or handout can be easily produced.
The continued adoption of cloud computing and cloud services
influences enterprise mobility in three major ways:
Management of mobile devices
Historically, managing mobile devices was seen as a rather
complex addition to the on-premises infrastructure, much like a Domain
Controller, which managed policies and access rights for users and traditional
computers. Large scale, complex enterprises are still best served by
integrated, feature-rich and somewhat complex EMM or UEM solutions. However, many
small or mid-size organizations are simply looking to have control over their
devices or their data on someone's (personal) device and are best served by
easy-to-use cloud-based MDMs that build on the extensive security features
built into Android and iOS.
Management of data on the device
It is also important to evaluate how to best deliver the data
users need to do their work. Cloud storage solutions usually come to mind first
since they have mobile applications, and users are often familiar with them for
personal use. However, those storage solutions often lack proper manageability
for business use cases and require a lot of trust when they are used for
proprietary, personally identifiable or otherwise sensitive information.
Connecting mobile devices to on-premises storage with the same functionality as
a cloud storage might be preferable.
Connecting devices
Connecting devices, which require open Internet connectivity to
access applications and data, to infrastructure, such as printers, which have
to be a behind the firewall, separate network, on-premises application, is an
example where on-premise versus cloud must be addressed. Depending on an
organization's needs, this can be accomplished through an on-premise
installation that provides printer connectivity through a cloud-service.
Both users and organizations remain interested in BYOD concepts. However,
they are also unsure of how to best implement such concepts both from a legal
perspective as well as an IT perspective. Smart companies and users are asking
the right questions to determine the best strategies moving forward. How much
access does my employer have to my device? Is my company's BYOD approach really
secure? Do we have the resources we need to really be productive? These
questions are just the start of the conversations that must be had in 2019.
With the advancements outlined above, as well as continued
advancement of mobile operating systems, we will continue to see a growing
interest in BYOD. While there are best practices and guidelines to start from,
working with the right industry experts can help you and your organization
determine the correct implementation strategy for 2019 and beyond.
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About the Author
Volkmer is the President and CEO of ThinPrint Inc., driving the execution of ThinPrint’s strategy as the leading provider of endpoint print management software and services.