Mobility Shines On, with WWDC and More News

Every day we see more mobility -- and everyone's reliance on mobile phones means mobile apps are clearly a cornerstone of this. We see the mobile app as entertainment, as tool, as necessity. I've been witness to how using the web as a platform for application and business process development has increased the value to enterprises -- and to individuals. Consumer uptake drives the enterprise these days. Think of BYOD, bring your own device. The future of computing at work is based on staff buying and maintaining their own (multipurpose) devices.

Mobile technology means more open access to business applications for employees and partners. SOA, as many readers should know by now, opens the door to the API level of business application access. But consumer apps are following that trend. Recently, a note taking app I like released its own API, so anyone could utilize the service layer it provides.

Corporate intranets are being architected in DMZs allowing for mobile browser access -- again, supporting the BYOD model. This type of open access will only accelerate.

One metric drives much of this -- there's a huge increase in mobile web browsing.


At WWDC, we see many new advances in iOS and other Apple technologies. But it's still "Apple vs everyone", as even snarky anti-Google comments highlight. Just yesterday Apple CEO Tim Cook introduced iOS 7, Apple's newest mobile operating system, calling it "the biggest change to iOS since the introduction of the iPhone." In a video showing off the redesigned system, design guru Jonny Ive revealed it will have a quick settings area, new swipe-to-unlock screen and flatter icons in an interface envisioned differently from the recent past. Change is inevitable in the mobile world, and Apple seems to be leading the way.