TPS (The Practical Side):Six degrees of separation

TPS is a series I’ve decided to create to “talk” about  #strategy whether it is on #mobility, #governance or anything else.

So you’re at some fancy conference and proudly speaking about your #mobility strategy aren’t you? I bet you are even convinced of have the strongest and successful one. Every man need a dream after all but please before continue to explain your “so-called” strategy take a look at this six points:

1. #mobility is about data not devices:  forget devices, apps, API,etc.. what you’re strategy needs is a plan to enable users to access to data from everywhere, anytime. So it’s not about devices and it’s not about apps but the data you’re “using” through them.Why? Because what users need is a simple way to make the work done in any circumstance so device really doesn’t matter. For further discussion: “Survey: Tablet Owners Prefer Browsers to Native Apps”
2. #mobility is not about location: enabling workforce to work “location-less” doesn’t mean you are allow them to work from “home”. #mobility only means you make no difference if a worker is in office,home, on a train or a plane when works and AGAIN it’s about the way he/she get the data needed to do his/her job done.
3. #mobility is not about “lock-down” devices (aka Security all around):securing you’re devices, building up the “perfect” architecture to lock down the device in case of breach will not help you anyway, users will continue to “share” data in the old way: allowing the person seat beside them on a plane to read their sensitive email because of a lack of #security #habit.
4. #mobility is not (always) about saving money: if you really think that enabling workers to access to your corporate data anytime and from anywhere can cut down your costs then you’re totally wrong. Removing a classic “from 9 am to 5 pm” access policy will bring more effort to IT/Helpdesk in terms of support, troubleshooting reactivity and compliance. For further discussion:”Survey: Two-Thirds of IT Pros Say BYOD Connectivity Increases Company Costs”.

5. #mobility is about the basics not the naïve operations: having the latest app or be able to upgrade/switch workers devices will not do the trick. What  a #mobility worker want is the basics: Be able to manage the passwords on his/her own, be able to manage his/her data so to decide who to allow and who to deny access, be able to get data from anything in a “secure” way (see point 6), be able to switch from a device to another and find an updated version of what he/she was working on.

6. #mobility is about #habits not #trends:setting up a strategy focused on apps,devices, lock-down methodology will not give the payoff. At the end of the day what pays for you is engage you’re co-workers (at any level) and help them  to learn to protect corporate data through the applications of simple #habits like: pay attention to location and people around you when you’re going to read something “important”, do not share easily information about who are you and what you do in your company “just to make a good impression to a stranger on a plane”,etc… An #habit is not a volatile #trend to follow is a way to act that mark down a fundamental point: there are many “new gadgets” that may be appealing, suggested by the “friend of a friend” but at the very end the only #trend that is worth to be followed is “act like a good father/mother of family” with your corporate data . For further discussion: “CIOs Must Address The Growing Mobile Device Security Threat”.

So are you still convinced that you’re #mobility strategy is strong as it seems?