The Aberdeen Group just published a survey about how (and how effectively) companies are providing mobile access to enterprise data. It turns out that it’s not done very often… and it’s not done very well. That’s surprising on one level (because so many professionals rely on their smartphones to stay in touch and remain up-to-date about business activities, but it’s not so surprising on another – the cost and time involved for transforming enterprise apps (through custom programming) into mobile-compatible form has, traditionally, been significant.
Even among organizations that Aberdeen categorizes as “best in class” when it comes to adopting technology, less than 30% provide their mobile employees with access to business intelligence, and that’s just for static information – analytics delivered in email or spreadsheets sent as attachments. Even fewer offer any kind of interactive data.
As a result, Aberdeen characterizes mobile users as “underserved” though, at the same time, it says that mobile versions of enterprise applications are getting more attention… because senior executives want access from their mobile devices. Why is that not surprising?
Actuate, which powers its mobile reporting capabilities with the Webalo Mobile Dashboard, removes nearly all of the obstacles between the enterprise and the smartphone. Any BIRT report can be converted into mobile form simply by pressing a button, and eSpreadsheet reports can be transformed just as easily. There’s no time delay, no custom programming.
Yes, more and more BI vendors are offering separate mobile applications. But, no, they can’t access any data but their own, and they deliver it in pre-determined formats. However, according to David Hatch, the author of the Aberdeen report, “Conversations with survey respondents revealed that the feeling of being in ‘control’ of the mobile device is an important factor when it comes to user adoption.”
So, let’s review. No programming, no time delays, no extraordinary costs, no set formatting, no loss of control, no restrictions on whose data can be accessed, and no limits on interactivity with the enterprise – all on a smartphone.. That sounds remarkably like the Webalo Mobile Dashboard. Why is that not surprising?
If you’d like to get more of David Hatch’s perspective on mobile BI, just go here.
Comments