Research on mobile cloud users reveals growth opportunities

"Developing a portfolio of mobile cloud services now, including mobile extensions of enterprise cloud applications such as video conferencing and collaboration, will be the key to success for service providers globally," says Stuart Taylor, director of Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG), which carried out the research.

"It is important to develop an integrated device strategy by utilising capabilities such as speech recognition and messaging history that lend themselves to the features and functionality of mobile devices. The strategy should include the creation of cloud services that address both business and personal use, for example, gaming and social networking. Service providers need to focus on delivering the promise of fixed mobile convergence for business users with seamless voice and data experiences that span fixed and mobile networks."

While research has been conducted on mobile and cloud computing as separate trends, to date very little data has existed on the impact of mobility and cloud together. The research findings are important because they help service providers globally, gain insights into the size of the opportunity, develop strategies for success, and differentiate their offerings to become more competitive.

Top 5 findings

1. By the end of 2012, business users will routinely attend videoconference calls on their mobile phones, while making use of other video endpoints such as desktop webcams and TelePresence stations
   
2. Business users are looking to switch back and forth between device types in real time. For example, if they are on a call on their mobile device and they walk into the office, the call will seamlessly switch to their office phone
   
3. Using virtual desktop integration (VDI), users are seeking to replicate the desktop experience on their mobile devices, enabling these devices to become true extensions of both work and personal desktops. This will provide more flexibility and improved productivity while on the go
   
4. By 2012, professional and personal boundaries will blur on mobile devices. Business users are seeking a unified mobile cloud experience to access both professional and personal content from one device to increase productivity and improve work-life balance
   
5. There will be a shift from smartphones to thin-client, cloud-based mobile devices. Applications and data will also be stored in the cloud, rather than on the desktop. Survey respondents felt a thin-client approach would enhance security by reducing the risk of losing content and applications in case their devices were lost or stolen.
   

Cloud future is bright

Today, close to 80% of the world's population has access to a mobile phone and new devices like the iPhone and Android smartphones are bringing a host of applications and services to the palms of people's hands.

Cloud is increasingly becoming the new way of delivering - and charging for - IT services and functionality. Technology services and apps are also increasingly being delivered and paid for on-demand from remote data centres, accessible through the "cloud" of interconnected networks that constitute the internet. Everything from email and content storage to more complex computing and development platforms can now be accessed through simple browsers and delivered through the cloud, eliminating the need for end-user applications and high-powered computers.