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Rise of MobileIn 1997, the inaugural editors of Personal & Ubiquitous Computing shared an idea that “the paradigm shift brought about
by portable computing is simply another phase in the development of truly personal computing”1. Two years later, Hans-
Werner Gellerson, guest editor of the same journal, laid the groundwork for what we know as “mobile” by describing
portable technology and personal computing as being “seamlessly integrated with the user, tasks, and the environment”2.
What the editors effectively described in a few unassuming words is the always on, always connected, and personally
tailored environment in which we live and communicate today.
Over a decade ago, few could imagine the rapid adoption of mobile technology. In 1998, the term “mobile” was largely
limited to cellular phones, and “portable” encompassed an array of battery-powered devices that enhanced productivity –
such as portable digital assistants and laptops. These devices were connected to online resources via local area networks
and dial-up services. WiFi (ie. IEEE 802.11b) hadn’t been formally released3, so “mobile connectivity” meant at best, portable
gear physically tethered to cellular handsets.
Mobile Agility and the Anytime, Anywhere Impact on IT
2
Just over a decade later, approximately 1.2 billion people
will possess tether-free mobile devices powerful enough to
deliver rich Web experiences4 and the total number of Web-
enabled mobile phones will eclipse the estimated one billion
personal computers on Earth5. And while fixed broadband
adoption in the developing world tripled in 2009, mobile
broadband penetration among the same parts of the globe
expanded by an astonishing factor of ten6. The global
volume of mobile cellular subscriptions were projected to
grow to 5.3 billion in 20107, a number – if taken at face value
– indicates that over half of the people on the planet will be
connected via a mobile device in 2011. Mobile, then, is the
emergent and arguably dominant platform for connecting
and communicating, regardless of where you are or who
you may be.
Like the Web, mobile is not a fad; it is a fundamental shift
in communication brought about by a number factors that
coalesced at the “right” time. The confluence of the Internet
and wireless, the Web and electronic communication, and
the miniaturization and commoditization of technology
created the perfect ecosystem for mobile to move into our
everyday lives.
According to the United Nations, “American teenagers
are using 3,146 [text] messages a month, which translates
into more than 10 messages every hour of the month that
they are not sleeping or in school”8. Always connected and
always on has become a part of teen culture but like so
many things, is texting simply a teen fad? The UN went
on to say that “even the under 12 segment are sending
1,146 messages per month”9. The youngest generation has
embraced mobile for communication and as such, it is no
longer an upstart technology. To this generation, mobile is a
norm like electricity, air travel, and the Internet.
Mobile is something else.
Charting a CourseIn the long term, indications are that mobile isn’t a bolt-on;
it is where things are headed10 and nowhere is this more
prevalent than in retail. The shift to mobile is obvious – to
reach today’s connected consumers, one minimally needs
to be on the Web. But to be truly effective, mobile has to
factor into the overall relationship strategy. Education isn’t
the same as retail, but what can it learn from the intensely
competitive world of the consumer marketplace?
A Web presence is much like a sign on a roadway; if it
catches your attention you may be convinced to pull over
and investigate. If not, you may take note of the business
and pass by because you don’t need that particular service
at that particular time. A mobile-enabled website extends
this experience by presenting Web content in a form
appropriate for on-the-go consumers. A mobile website is
analogous to a second sign that is added to the first sign on
the roadway. The second sign attempts to attract a differ-
ent clientele to the place of business, but in the end it is still
a sign and like the main one, can be ignored.
The youngest generation has embraced mobile for communication and as such, it is no longer an upstart technology. To this generation, mobile is a norm like electricity, air travel, and the Internet.
blackboardmobile.com
With the number of mobile devices eclipsing the number of
desktop computers on the planet, a Web presence tailored
to mobile users should factor into every organization’s
communications strategy. However, one’s mobile strategy
should not stop with the Web as mobile is in the midst of a
transformation from a discretionary entertainment vehicle
to a utility and lifestyle platform of necessity and conve-
nience11. Organizations that are recognizing this shift are
realizing the potential of mobile as a platform.
Today, many retailers are rapidly developing stand-alone
mobile applications (apps) as a means to connect with
consumers on a day-to-day basis. A downloaded mobile
app travels wherever she and her mobile device go, and
places the retail brand at the forefront of the consumer’s
experience. If well developed, the app enables the provider
to develop a personal connection with the consumer as it is
precisely available at the moment of desire or need. Or to
put it another way, there is no chance of ignoring the sign
on the roadway when the business itself is incorporated
into the dashboard – like an in-car GPS navigation system.
Education has a significant advantage over retailers as
learning experiences are built around individual relation-
ships, group collaborations, and deep connections across
affinity groups. Students, parents, staff, instructors, alumni,
donors, and fans all have myriad reasons for staying in
contact with a college, university, school, or educational
program. Whether taking a class or keeping abreast of the
latest sports scores, the community that circles a particu-
lar educational institution creates natural opportunities
for mobile services. Retailers, on the other hand, often
struggle with building these relationships as the reason
for connecting consumers may only go as far as the next
product release.
What retail demonstrates is that mobile is more than a col-
lection of technologies; it is a contemporary paradigm for
connecting, communicating, and getting things done on
mass-customized and yet personal relationship level that
extends to the devices themselves. According to Robert
Mitchell of Computerworld, a theme that permeated the 2010
Gartner Symposium was that “the need to accommodate the
consumer’s choice of end point mobile computing devices,
each with its own application infrastructure and network, is
increasingly being taken as a given”12. Case in point: the iTunes
App Store by Apple. Launched in July 2008 with about 500
apps, mobile adoption skyrocketed from zero to 10 million
downloads within a few short days13. In just 30 months
(January 2011), 400,000 iOS apps were available in the App
Store, and the download volume surpassed 10 billion apps14.
Supported by just one platform’s data, Mitchell’s observation
is an obvious one: consumers are adopting mobile apps on
their platforms of choice.
Whether taking a class or keeping abreast of the latest sports scores, the community that circles a particular educational institution creates natural opportunities for mobile services.
4
If properly conceived of as part of a holistic vision that
looks at different communities and maps expectations
and desires against services and capabilities, a strategic
approach to mobile and mobile apps can help provide
levels of interactivity and service delivery that align and
best match with what people expect of a mobile-aware
and engaged organization15, while taking advantage of
infrastructure investments made to date. Although some
may argue that a mobile-enabled website is good enough,
charting a successful course should take into account the
consumers’ platform of choice and the choices they are
making to consume information and interact with services.
Today and increasingly tomorrow, that means mobile apps
that are rely upon Web services and technologies16.
Achieving Mobile AgilityIn many ways, mobile is much like the Web. It is a number
of different technologies that work together in harmony to
exchange information, enable creativity, and enhance pro-
ductivity. Similarly, mobile moves at the speed of the Web.
Consumers adopt new devices each day and expect appli-
cations and services to be available when they need them.
Development cycles of 12-24 months simply don’t apply
when new mobile functionality is rolled out every six to nine
months by platform providers. To keep pace, organizations
should develop their “mobile agility.”
Sports cars are often judged by two things: power and
handling. Success in any race depends heavily on striking
a balance between these performance factors. As such,
car that has greater power won’t necessarily beat one that
is agile under certain conditions17. So by way of analogy,
if the Web is a straight-line drag race, mobile is a road
race on a twisting mountainous course. One won’t survive
the mobile race with sheer power and speed; one needs
to be both quick and nimble (or run the risk of flying off
the track). Here, mobile agility refers to an organization’s
ability to rapidly and appropriately respond to changing
needs of mobile users, no matter whom they are or where
they might be.
Agility doesn’t specifically refer to how fast and organi-
zation can get a mobile solution out the door. Instead it
equates to delivering the right apps and services at the
right time in the most responsive manner. A rapidly devel-
oped app that doesn’t resonate with its intended audience
is effectively a non-starter and in the worst case, generates
negative user feedback and disenchantment. Alternatively,
a well-designed app that is released too late runs the risk of
being usurped by other services or apps because it missed
the window of opportunity.
Although it seems like something new, mobile builds upon
the technologies and services many organizations already
have in place and as such, can be part of an overall enterprise
IT strategy. Gartner predicts that we will soon see software
development move toward a mobile-first paradigm18. The
evolution of enterprise IT, brought about by applications
migrating to the Web, is enabling this paradigm shift. Wire-
less, single-sign-on, access management, learning manage-
ment, messaging and notification, web services, content
management, virtualization, cloud services and service-
oriented architectures are all components that contribute to
the success of present applications as well as mobile. What
existing services deliver for enterprise applications can be
harnessed for mobile should and naturally fit into a program
of continuous improvement and technology evolution.
Mobile agility is not merely about technology and execution.
It is about recognizing mobile’s place in an overall strategy
and becoming more nimble in designing, developing, and
deploying services that are appropriate for the organiza-
tion’s core users as well as its untapped communities.
blackboardmobile.com
ConclusionThe mobile paradigm is one that has evolved over decades and
only recently have the pieces fallen into place to bring it to the
forefront of our connected global society. Educational institutions
and organizations are perfect positioned to embrace what mobile
has to offer, provided that they embrace mobile as a platform and
integrate its possibilities into strategic planning.
An awareness of context-driven use of mobile technology19,
recognition that users desire access to information anytime and
anywhere20, and the acceptance of mobile as the personal pro-
ductivity platform of choice21 are characteristics of an organiza-
tion on a path toward a holistic mobile strategy. The hallmark of
an organization that possesses a high degree of mobile agility
will be its ability take its strategy and transform it into action,
thus delivering the right services at the right times on the mobile
platforms users expect.
Learning organizations of all kinds should embrace the opportuni-
ties embedded in anytime, anywhere learning, and develop holis-
tic approaches to mobile and grow their mobile agility to best
connect with yesterday’s prospective students, today’s learners,
and tomorrow’s alumni.
About The AuthorChad Kainz is a Solutions Director within Blackboard Consulting
with a strategic focus on the effective use of educational technol-
ogy and mobile strategy. His professional background is rooted in
two decades of exploring how information technology and digital
media can best support the creation and sharing of ideas and
knowledge, and how these technologies can be applied within
virtual, mobile and physical settings. Prior to joining Blackboard,
Chad was the Assistant Chief Information Technology Officer
and Executive Director for Campus & Academic Services at the
University of Chicago, co-principal investigator and co-director of
Project Bamboo, and served as the vice-chair of the IEEE Learn-
ing Technology Standards Committee from 2003-2007.
The hallmark of an organization that possesses a high degree of mobile agility will be its ability take its strategy and transform it into action.
6
1 Frohlich, David, Peter Thomas, Mike Hawley, and Kenkichi Hirade. “Inaurgural issue editorial: Future personal computing.” Personal and Ubiquious Computing, 1997: 1-5.
2 Gellersen, Hans-Werner. “Guest editorial: Handheld CSCW: Personal Technologies for Collaboration.” Personal and Ubiquious Computing, 1997: 1-7.
3 Wikipedia. IEEE 802.11. November 12, 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_802.11 (accessed November 16, 2010).
4 Gartner. Gartner Identifies the Top 10 Strategic Technologies for 2011. October 19, 2010. http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1454221 (accessed November 16, 2010).
5 Forrester Research. Worldwide PC Adoption Forecast, 2007 to 2015. June 11, 2007. http://www.forrester.com/rb/Research/worldwide_pc_adoption_forecast%2C_2007_to_2015/q/id/42496/t/2 (accessed November 16, 2010).
6 United Nations News Service. “UN agency reports phenomenal mobile telephone expansion in developing world.” UN Daily News, June 32, 2010: 4-5.
7 International Telecommunications Union. “The World in 2010: ICT Facts and Figures.” Information and Communication Technology Statistics. October 20, 2010. http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/material/FactsFigures2010.pdf (accessed November 16, 2010).
8 Entner, Roger. Under-aged Texting: Usage and Actual Cost. January 27, 2010. http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/under-aged-texting-usage-and-actual-cost/ (accessed November 16, 2010).
9 Entner, Roger. Under-aged Texting: Usage and Actual Cost.
10 Gartner. Gartner Identifies the Top 10 Strategic Technologies for 2011.
11 Bar, Aaron. “Study: Mobile Internet Necessity, Not Luxury.” Online Media Daily. MediaPost News. February 19, 2009. http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=100576 (accessed December 7, 2010).
12 Mitchell, Robert. Gartner Symposium: Mobile increasingly driving the IT bus. October 19, 2010. http://blogs.computerworld.com/17199/gartner_symposium_mobile_increasingly_driving_the_it_bus (accessed November 16, 2010).
13 Wikipedia. App Store. January 21, 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/App_Store (accessed January 21, 2011).
14 Apple. 10 Billion App Countdown. January 21, 2011. http://www.apple.com/itunes/10-billion-app-countdown/ (accessed January 21, 2011).
15 Gartner. Gartner Identifies the Top 10 Strategic Technologies for 2011.
16 Constantinou, Andreas. Apps is the new Web: sowing the seeds for Web 3.0. November 23, 2010. http://www.visionmobile.com/blog/2010/11/apps-is-the-new-web-sowing-the-seeds-for-web-3-0/ (accessed January 21, 2011).
17 Hammond, Richard. BBC Top Gear. Series 1, Episode 1. Aired October 20, 2002.
18 Mitchell, Robert. Gartner Symposium: Mobile increasingly driving the IT bus.
19 Gartner. Gartner Identifies the Top 10 Strategic Technologies for 2011.
20 Mitchell, Robert. Gartner Symposium: Mobile increasingly driving the IT bus.
21 Mitchell, Robert. Gartner Symposium: Mobile increasingly driving the IT bus.
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