Mobile Technology: Binding Social and Cloud into a New Enterprise Applications Platform

Abstract

Nowadays, IT industry is revolving around build-out and adoption of a new characterized by mobility, cloud-based application and service delivery, and value-generating overlays of social business and pervasive analytics. The paper explores convergence of mobile, cloud, and social, as well as effects for enterprise and emergence of new enterprise application platforms. In beginning we set stage, while showing expansion of mobile, cloud, and social in business information system, as they were found in literature. We then look over IT trends, especially consumerization of IT, as reasons and basis for information systems embracing of mobile. Afterwards, we present a mobility roadmap for enterprise and illustrate reconfiguration of enterprise application platform.Keywords: Mobile Technology, Cloud Computing, Social Networking, Enterprise Applications1 IntroductionThe changes set in motion by Internet and web technologies are irreversible and have strong impact, but it will take more time to diffuse through organizations. Migrating from old to new ways of doing business has always been a continuous, open-ended process [1],We have witnessed so many IT trends in last 20 years and we believe that none was as pervasive as mobile technology. The ability to access any content, on any device over any network in any location, is becoming a reality. While whole IT budget is either same or declining, one bright point is mobility. According to some studies, in 2011 and 2012, mobility budgets were 40% larger than in 2010 [2], Organizations consider enlargement of number of employees with smartphones (from less than 50% in 2010 to over 70% by 2013), which triggers raise of number of devices requiring support (Apple, Android-based and RIM devices, as well as tablets) and associated costs. The new environment demands to deliver services to employees in a mobile cloud computing model.Social networking evolved massively in last few years, at an incredible pace and became preferred way of interaction, sharing and collaboration between people. Particularly, last few years repositioned interaction and sharing on mobile devices. According to some studies, 60% of Facebook updates are from mobile devices and around 80% of staff members are using their phones and other devices for both work and personal purposes and these figures must prompt managers' interest and reconfigure enterprise information architecture [3], Passing over social networks, other social technologies like blogs, wikis, emeetings, instant messaging or document sharing are noteworthy instruments for employees to collaborate and come upon innovation.From business point of view, wireless access ubiquity, proliferation of mobile devices and urgency to keep business moving have brought mobile technology in enterprise information system. From users and consumers point of view, their real-time, continuous collaboration and their new behavior combined with first two arguments have brought social in enterprise information system. If we add a fourth ingredient - cloud - we obtain entire representation of enterprise mobility. Today state of art in business technology is repositioning in the third platform, which includes mobile devices and applications; cloud services; explosive data growth and a new generation of solutions. Let us mention that first two platforms were: (1) mainframes and terminals and (2) client-server model supported by PC.This blend of social capabilities, mobile technology and cloud computing materialize into a new platform that forms basis of a new information system [4], The interdependency is illustrated in Figure 1, where we also considered position and role of enterprise applications. …