According to a Citrix Mobile Analytics report released in the first half of 2015, the number of devices managed in the enterprise nearly doubled, growing by 72 percent year over year. Needless to say, organizations are adopting mobility to drive transformation and competitive advantage in the market. This is where becoming “truly mobile” comes into play. 

One becomes truly mobile when they are able to do everything on the mobile device of their choice that they can do from behind a desk in an office. There should be no limitations and nothing pulling them back to the office — especially during the summer months. One major component in becoming truly mobile is, of course, the management of mobile apps.

For many organizations, the risk of a rogue or questionable mobile app has led to apps being blocked, slowing productivity. That’s why Citrix executives Manoj Raisinghani, vice president, Product Marketing, Mobile Platforms Group and William Lau, principal product marketing manager, are sharing seven types of applications you should be using to become “truly mobile” and manage apps within your organization, so that risks are minimized and efficiency remains. 

Becoming Truly Mobile

Click through for seven types of applications you should be using to become ‘truly mobile’ and manage apps within your organization, as identified by Citrix executives Manoj Raisinghani, vice president, Product Marketing, Mobile Platforms Group and William Lau, principal product marketing manager.

Secure Cloud Access

Sixty-seven percent of technology decision makers are concerned about the lack of data protection capabilities on mobile devices.* Because employees want the ability to access any file, anywhere, on any device, IT professionals are wary of the unsafe cloud solutions being used to achieve this mobile lifestyle. Move your files to a mobile app with a secure cloud, where you can access, edit and present information on-the-go. (*Source: Forrester’s Business Technographics Security Survey; Q2 2013)

Editing and Presentations

Another part of a successful mobile workflow is having the ability to edit documents, spreadsheets, and presentations when you’re away from your desk. An e-signature tool is also a good idea for all of those important documents that you may need to sign and send, enabling collaboration and streamlining the revision cycle workflow. 

Videoconferencing

Sixty-one percent of information workers work outside the office, be it at a Starbucks, their home, while traveling, or the soccer field.* This majority of mobile and remote workers should be able to take their calls from anywhere via videoconferencing apps that can even allow screen sharing and chat functionality. (Source: Forrester Research, Inc.’s Business Technographics Application and Collaboration Workforce Survey; Q4 2013)

Email

The main form of communication in any office is going to be email. An app that allows for a containerized email, calendar and contact information will ensure secure mail while not compromising the user experience. In addition, the content that gets delivered over email, whether it’s file downloads, web pages, mobile apps or videos, etc., will be expected to be delivered in an efficient manner.

Mobile Management

With the continual increase of BYOD in the enterprise, IT professionals need to employ Mobile Application Management (MAM) strategies. MAM by definition applies management and policy control functionality to individual applications on mobile devices.* An application like Citrix XenMobile is equipped with enterprise-level security and management capabilities, such as data encryption, password authentication or an application-specific micro VPN. These capabilities are essential to achieve a workplace that is not only “truly mobile,” but truly safe. (*Source: Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Mobility Management Suites; 2014)

Remote Access

The BYOD trend isn’t exclusive to the enterprise. In fact, a recent survey of SMBs revealed that the average person uses 3.5 different devices just for work. What does this mean? Employees are struggling to work seamlessly across devices while maintaining productivity. By using applications that enable remote access, you can work from your tablet as easily as you could from the office. 

Collaboration

The most commonly whitelisted apps are Adobe PDF Reader and Notes. This calls out the importance of productivity and collaboration apps within a “truly mobile” workplace.* Companies should begin using a business-class secure note taking applications with email and calendar integration for a streamlined and accessible workflow. (*Source: Citrix Mobile Analytics Report; 2015)