By Steven Cohen, Head of Sage One International (Africa, Australia, Middle East and Asia).

During these tough economic times, businesses have more incentive to start reviewing their systems and processes to find ways to become more profitable.

Mobility might be the answer they are looking for.

A decade long survey of Fortune 1000 companies found that teams given the technology and the choice of how, when and where to work, increased collaboration by 20% and project results by 18%.

A renewed demand?

Companies cutting costs during the economic slump may contribute to a slight shrinkage in the mobility market, but the potential for a renewed demand is more likely.  

There is a lot to be gained: lower costs of commuting, operational savings, and the increased efficiency that cloud-based mobile solutions offer. In the context of rising costs of doing business, mobility makes good sense.

What to consider when choosing mobility

The reality is that in most businesses BYOD (bring your own device) or mobility is already present. With executives and staff members already accessing company data on their smartphones, laptops and tablets it is happening - whether a company policy exists or not.

But to maximise on the benefits of mobility, a solid strategy tailored to company needs is essential.   

A mobility strategy is not restricted by BYOD, and can also consider CYOD (choose your own device), COPE (company issued personal enabled) and COBO (corporate owned business only).

Each option comes with its own pros and cons that need to be taken into account. It is important to find a technical solution that matches the chosen strategy as opposed to the other way around. Each solution is suited to certain scenarios and business requirements.

Once the strategy has been decided then ease of use, reliability, information security and governance need to be considered. In the financial management field, for example, a virtualised cloud-based application would be a potential solution to ensure that business’ sensitive information is kept within the bounds of the company and can be applied to any mobile strategy.

Mobility can help businesses streamline processes, be more effective, reduce costs and increase revenue. The future is mobile, and the ability to access real-time intuitive information from the palm of your hand may be the competitive advantage required to survive in today’s economic times.

The full Sage product portfolio will be on show at Sage Summit, the world’s largest gathering of entrepreneurs and leaders of Small & Medium Businesses, taking place in Chicago, IL, on July 25-28.