SMBs Take Mature Mobile Technology Approach
While new data from Frost & Sullivan indicates that small businesses understand the value proposition of mobile technology, it also suggests that SMBs are most interested in and familiar with mature mobile technologies. So, how can MSPs help small businesses to balance existing mobile investments with new innovations?
Current mobile application users are very satisfied and represent a significant incremental sales opportunity, with half of current users planning to expand their deployments. Meanwhile, one quarter of SMBs do not currently use mobile solutions, but are planning to introduce one or more mobile enterprise applications during the 2011-2013 time period.
The percentage of MSPs who are disinterested in mobile office applications has shrunk in recent years, but rates of disinterest are substantially higher for newer solutions. Frost & Sullivan did not distinguish whether the bulk of the disinterested segment lack interest due to not having a business need or due to poor marketing from mobile vendors and service providers, but did indicate that price sensitivity remains by far the single largest barrier to SMB mobile adoption.
MSPs Must Motivate, Mind Maturity
MSPs have a great opportunity to serve the needs of an increasingly sophisticated SMB mobile technology audience, but must design their service and sales approach around the marketplace’s plans and biases. With most SMBs primarily interested in mature mobile technology, SMBs need to make sure their initial pitches are based on mature solutions.
Even those existing SMB mobile users who are planning to expand their mobile technology installations most likely intend to extend mature assets with additional mature assets. However, once MSPs have gotten their foot in the door with mature mobile technology services, gained trust and demonstrated competency, they can then begin considering introducing clients to the benefits which newer, leading edge mobile applications can deliver. There is no set “right time” to do this and it will vary by individual client, with some conservative clients perhaps best left using familiar, mature solutions.
Whatever the case may be, a little maturity never hurt anyone, and MSPs have plenty of room to grow in the mature mobile space. Also keep in mind that with the breakneck pace of technological advancement and obsolescence, a “leading edge” technology can become “mature” at a rate guaranteed to draw the envy of any parent of a teenager.
