New WashingtonExec Series:
WashingtonExec reached out to executives in the government contracting community for their predictions regarding what to expect in 2012 as the federal government looks to significantly increase its adoption of mobile technologies.
Today’s outlook is from Ted Hengst, President of Harris IT Services, Vice President and CIO of Harris Corporation.
Ted Hengst:
The Federal Government is advocating adoption of mobile technologies, such as smart phones and tablets, as a means to advance agency connectivity with constituents and stakeholders, enabling secure access to data, collaboration tools, and enterprise applications from anywhere, via any authorized device.
Four fundamental change drivers that must be confronted head-on in the mobile computing revolution are managing multiple platforms (Apple iOS, Google Android, legacy BlackBerry RIM, etc.); managing network bandwidth demand (as increasingly consumed by video); managing/integrating employee-owned “BYOD” (bring your own device); and, managing the organization’s need for security with user expectations for access, speed and performance.
Mobility introduces fundamental application, network, administration support, policy and security challenges, from standardization and performance management, to business continuity and data vulnerability. To effectively navigate the rapidly-shifting mobility landscape, agile organizations must adopt a holistic approach to enterprise mobility management (EMM)—one that extends far beyond mobile device management (MDM) to encompass mobile infrastructure management (MIM), enterprise mobility strategy (EMS) and enterprise mobility governance (EMG).
MDM comprises the products and services used to manage software delivery, policy enforcement, inventory, configuration, security and telecom services. These tools leverage the ability to manage devices residing on multiple platforms from a common administration framework, along with the ability to control access to data and applications on BYOD.
MIM is a critical, yet often overlooked, aspect of a comprehensive EMM strategy. With more devices connecting to the network and rising bandwidth consumption from mounting data traffic on those devices, organizations need to optimize infrastructure plans to meet user demands, while concurrently minimizing total cost of ownership.
Precious few organizations now operate under an integrated EMG and EMS model that effectively leverages mobility’s momentum, yet safeguards against today’s mobility headache becoming tomorrow’s immobilizing migraine.
At Harris, our Board of Directors is fully mobile and paperfree, using tablets to conduct business over wireless networks, eliminating the expense (and environmental impact) of document printing and shipping. Further, our Business Development and Field Services teams are tablet-equipped to deliver efficient, responsive customer service. Moreover, Harris’ telecommunications costs are decreasing via streamlined acquisitions, leveraged pooling, negotiated volume pricing, and discount programs for BYOD. And, as you might expect, Harris benefits from the expertly integrated EMG and MDM to securely deliver accessible content and services to multiple thousands of mobile smart devices.
More than a third of Harris’ 17,000-strong global workforce now connects to the Harris network via BYOD. Harris was recently awarded a Mobile Architecture/Infrastructure Implementation Support Services contract by a U.S. government customer to integrate currently available and emerging mobile technologies to advance its field operations mission.
In view of Federal Chief Information Officer (CIO) Steven VanRoekel’s public declaration of 2012 as the “year of mobile government,” it’s clear that agency migration to the mobility imperative is here and now—and engaging the right enterprise partner can advance your agency’s adoption strategy and outcome.
