Execs Say IT Is Too Slow to Deliver on Mobile

A growing number of enterprises are in a hurry to move into customer-benefiting mobile initiatives. However, many top business decision-makers feel that IT can't respond rapidly enough to accommodate the swift speed of the market, according to one finding from a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of OpenMarket. The accompanying report, "The Rise of Holistic Enterprise Mobile Engagement," depicts a landscape in which ambition is thwarted by reality: Organizations rank mobile strategies as a top priority, citing it as a critical component of future customer-based expansion and loyalty efforts. However, they're still not devoting a significant share of budgeting to mobility—nor are they ramping up required staffing in a notable way. Ultimately, the report concludes, these decision-makers should adopt a bigger-picture view of the topic and invest accordingly. (Perhaps that would change the perceived "slow" follow-up from IT.) "Mobile represents a critical communication channel for enterprises to engage with their customers," says Jay Emmet, general manager of OpenMarket. "Companies are already tackling siloed mobile projects. But there is a need for a more comprehensive, cross-channel approach that lowers operational costs and increases loyalty by engaging customers throughout their entire life cycle." More than 165 mobile decision-makers and nearly 11,100 smartphone owners took part in the research.