We’re Going to Need a Bigger Boat

There’s a temptation to write about Steven’s Spielberg’s summer blockbuster Jaws , but actually this blog shall remain firmly on land (for most of the time)!  Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) requires investment to deploy the necessary components to build a solution…the question is what is actually being built? 

Recently our CEO Luis Alvarez gave an inspirational talk to the leadership team on the Next Generation of Global Services. He shared his vision on how we are going to evolve to better serve our customers. Part of Luis’ vision is developing new business capabilities. But it is also about approach, building a new mind-set that can make a huge difference – as one construction worker says to another “we’re not just laying bricks, we’re building a cathedral”. And stealing further from his blog the author Joel Barker, author and lecturer said: “Vision without action is merely a dream; Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.” [Read more...]

The wrong approach to BYOD

Amongst the Alfred Hitchcock classics is the Wrong Man. In it, Henry Fonda plays the role of a man whose life is turned on its head as the result of mistaken identity. His character, Manny, a devoted family man living on a tight budget, is identified by several witnesses as a bank robber, and a series of events see the devastating impact these errors have on him and his family. 

With BYOD, the immediate reference point, target and perceived “owner” is identified as Manny, or rather, the IT team.  The evidence suggests that they should take this on and do what is necessary (at the lowest cost). However if we pause to reflect, we see that BYOD is one of the factors that drive even bigger themes of: mobility, social and cloud. Thereby changing the way organisations interact with their customers, employees and partners. [Read more...]

RIP for NFC?

When the iPhone 5 was released recently, one of the big talking points was the decision not to include near field communication (NFC) capability. So is this a missed opportunity by Apple or a stark assessment of the technology’s prospects?

NFC facilitates contactless payments and data transmissions and it’s been bubbling under for quite a while. But it’s not hit the heights predicted for it just yet, with only 2 per cent of merchants globally equipped with NFC reader terminals. [Read more...]

Bring Your Own….Cube!

By Sanjay Maraj, Global practice Head of Mobility, BT Advise

Some film fans may have seen The Cube, a low budget cult film made by Vincenzo Natali, where characters wake up to find themselves in a series of connected cubes.

All cubes are the same shape and size, windowless, claustrophobic, and each one has a deadly secret which provides a nasty surprise — yes it is a horror film! [Read more...]

CIOs worry about enterprise mobile security, cost

With 100 million iPads and close to a billion smartphones in user, the mobile invasion of enterprise IT is underway.

A recent CIO survey by McKinsey affirms this, but warns that IT leaders are worried about security, cost and governance.

McKinsey’s poll of 250 CIOs worldwide found: [Read more...]

The reality of collaboration (INFOGRAPHIC)

Reality-of-collaboration [Read more...]

Is the future really about mobile?

Why do people adore mobile devices? Is mobile about apps, channels and devices? The fast adoption of mobile devices and the resulting phenomenon of consumerisation and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) have a reason, and it’s not mobile as such. So, what is it?

Smartphones have been dubbed Swiss Army knives. I like that comparison: they allow people to do what they like whenever and wherever they want. And that includes business-related activities.

Smartphones (and tablets) are multi-purpose devices that enable us to live our digital lives while on the go. They allow us to seek information, shop, communicate, network, read emails, share, navigate, locate others, take pictures, do business and…work. Although the usage patterns are different, the same goes for tablets.  [Read more...]