The mobile space is heating up. As more and more devices, including smartphones and tablets, join the fray, wireless carriers are making more money, vendors are generating boatloads of revenue, and consumers are getting excited to see what’s next. The mobile market is arguably the hottest sector of the industry right now. And by the looks of things, it doesn’t seem like that will be changing anytime soon. But for the enterprise, the mobile space—while extremely important—is a bit of a conundrum. IT decision-makers are fully aware that they need to accept that the mobile market is changing and adapt to it. But they also know that there are several potential issues in the space that could limit its effectiveness. One of those issues is the popularity of mobile app stores. Mobile applications are all the rage in the consumer space. But for the enterprise, they pose several issues that potentially block productivity and offer limited usability to the average employee. Simply put, mobile app stores still aren’t ideal for the enterprise. Here we take a look at some of the reasons why.
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1. Too Much Entertainment
Whenever a person spends some time sifting through all the programs available in either Apple’s App Store or the Android Market, they quickly come to one conclusion: it’s filled with entertainment applications and games. For consumers, that might be a good thing. But for the average company that’s trying to maintain productivity, it’s a huge concern.
2. Productivity Isn’t Productive
As mentioned, productivity is a major concern in the enterprise. And unfortunately for most companies, mobile application stores fail to deliver programs that can offer a level of productivity that would make firms feel comfortable. That’s a problem. And until application-marketplace vendors address it, the enterprise will be loath to use too many programs.
3. It’s a Consumer Business
When it comes to mobile apps, there’s little debating that it’s a consumer business. A quick glimpse at Apple’s App Store reveals that the vast majority of programs are available to consumers, while just a small sampling of programs, in comparison, are available to companies. That doesn’t mean there aren’t any viable enterprise-focused apps — there are — but they’re few and far between.
4. The Devices Aren’t In the Enterprise
Mobile applications are currently running on smartphones and tablets. And for the most part, the smartphones they’re running on are touch-screen-based devices. That might be a good thing for consumers that want the next big thing in the marketplace, but considering most companies invested in physical keyboard-toting devices and they’ve been somewhat loath to switch to tablets, apps just aren’t all that important in that space.
5. The Onus Is On Apple
When it’s all said and done, Apple will decide the fate of mobile applications in the enterprise. After all, Apple is the leading mobile provider of apps. And the company seems to have a firm grip on how to appeal to developers to offer as many programs as possible. If Apple really wants to make mobile apps more enterprise-friendly, it can do it whenever it wants.
6. It’s A Two-Player Game (For the Most Part)
For now, the mobile-apps marketplace is dominated by two stores — Apple’s App Store and the Android Market. Research In Motion and Microsoft also offer mobile marketplaces, but they pale in comparison to the competition. Realizing that, the enterprise will most often be forced to choose between Apple’s option or Google’s option. And in both cases, enterprise availability falls short.
7. The Best Apps Aren’t There
For the average company, getting the right applications into the hands of employees is paramount. And at least so far, the best applications are available on Windows, and not in mobile app stores. That could change over time. But until the App Store or the Android Market gets the best apps, companies will be loath to warm up to them.
8. It Can Be Costly
As the Great Recession continues to impact companies around the globe, most firms are concerned with how much money they spend on what might be less-desirable products. Realizing that, many companies might take issue with the cost of some applications in the mobile marketplace. Although many are affordably priced, there are some enterprise-focused applications that are ridiculously expensive. And they tend to ruin it all for everyone else.
9. Security Concerns
There are very real security concerns when it comes to mobile apps. In some cases, users don’t know who made the program, and there is a real possibility of divulging too much through programs, that can then be “phoned home” to the app’s owner. Admittedly, those are few and far between. But as mobile apps become more popular, it might only be a matter of time before security issues start becoming a common issue in the smartphone and tablet spaces.
10. It’s A Fledgling Market
If there is anything that the enterprise doesn’t like, it’s a relatively new market. Companies want to know that there is an established history of security, success, and stability in markets that they engage in. And for now, the mobile application space is still very new. That’s something that the enterprise doesn’t like to see. And it might take some time before companies warm up to those stores.
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