Why Mobile Apps Are More Important Than Ever

Many companies are still figuring out the right mix of technologies for their end-user computing environments. Some continue to rely heavily on laptops and remote work solutions such as virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) or virtual private network (VPN) connections. But increasingly, business and IT leaders are realizing just how vital mobile apps are for empowering their mobile workforces. 

Here are four drivers that help explain why mobile apps are more important now than they’ve ever been.

It’s become dramatically simpler and more efficient to build and deploy mobile apps, even compared with just a few years ago. Google and Apple have continued to improve development tools that help organizations create their own custom apps, and the number of business-focused, off-the-shelf apps available to companies has exploded. Not long ago, getting mobile apps into the hands of employees was often a complex, cumbersome process. Today, with the ability to roll out apps quickly and easily, companies are jumping at the chance to improve the employee experience and power productivity.

If business and IT leaders didn’t already understand how important mobile apps are for employees who are working outside the office, the COVID-19 pandemic illustrated the point in vivid detail. It’s now clear that VDI, VPNs and Desktop as a Service (DaaS) are all great for delivering desktop experiences to workers sitting in their home offices, but these solutions typically don’t create a very user-friendly experience for employees who are trying to access data and documents on their mobile devices. Trying to access a traditional desktop on a 5-inch smartphone screen can be incredibly frustrating, and users who have access to mobile applications will be much more productive.

A mobile app, of course, is only as effective as the device that’s running it. In recent years, mobile devices have come down in cost and improved in quality, making them an attractive option for organizations that may not have previously considered mobility to be central to their business strategy. In particular, the shrinking price of tablet devices has prompted many companies to create single-use (or “kiosk”) mobile experiences. For instance, a company might install a tablet in a fixed location and use the device solely as an employee time clock or a visitor registration portal.

Mobile device management and enterprise mobility management solutions have continued to improve, making it easier than ever for organizations to deploy, monitor, manage and secure their mobile environments. With the appropriate MDM and EMM tools, organizations can whitelist or blacklist applications, limiting what employees can do on mobile devices to job-related tasks. For instance, an organization might roll out tablets in its warehouse and allow only inventory management apps to run on the devices. 

In 2021, mobile apps are common in the business world. But by finding new and innovative ways to arm their workers with mobile tools that help them to be more productive, organizations can enhance employee satisfaction and give themselves a competitive edge.