In previous posts such as Boom in Mobile Workforce Predicted and Enterprise Mobile Applications we’ve discussed the major IT trend surrounding mobility that many organizations are facing. The topic deserves attention because it is one of the biggest and most challenging trends mass-requirement computing has faced
since Windows replaced DOS.
Mobile computing is completely changing the way business is getting done. As the enterprise embraces the rapid adoption and subsequent expansion of Internet-based computing — the emerging cloud — agile companies are seeing the wisdom in adopting mobile computing to help accelerate transactions, outsource disruptive technology, and make significant strides in customer service. However this trend presents a challenge to IT: IT is charged with finding a way to bridge the gap between new mobile technologies and older mainframe technologies.
But how? IT departments can’t ignore the issue, but there are several ways they can address the challenges.
There are emerging solutions that will help those devices gain access to mainframes, AS400s, VAXs, or other host systems. Solutions such as Attachmate’s Verastream, IBM’s Broker, and Rocket’s offerings focus on putting the needed changes into the middle tier and don’t require any direct modifications to any of the existing critical enterprise applications or systems. Hence, the associated risks of these solutions are low, allowing them to be put in place quickly.
Recently, I discussed these solutions and how IT can address challenges in a contributed article, “Going Mobile: Introducing Your Mainframe to Modern Tools,” published in Enterprise Systems Journal. Read the full article here.
