The Mobile Architecture Imperative

The past eight years have shown little business adoption of mobile applications beyond wireless email and a few key applications. As a result, firms have been able to limp along without comprehensive mobile architectures. No longer. Today, the imperative for defining a holistic mobile architecture is red hot. As IT reacts to a chaotic increase in device types, wireless networks, and demand for mobile apps, firms report that providing more mobility support to information workers, task workers, and now customers ranks at the top of their 2008 priorities. Enterprise architecture professionals must assess which applications these mobile users want and the attributes of that use — the devices, networks, and security — as well as define an architecture that can support development, management, and security. In the end, two major architectures — thin client and thick client — will evolve, and a comprehensive mobile architecture strategy will need to include both options.