This article is written specifically from a South African perspective, but it certainly applies to many other countries with a similar infrastructural and/or legislative environment. It is in press release format, so the tone is a little more formal than some of my other posts. I thought it was worth posting all the same.
The number of South Africans who use their cell phones to access the Internet and other mobile web applications definitely exceeds the number of those who rely on traditional computers to connect with the digital world.
Although some in the industry say it is contentious, the figures are undeniable, when considering that the future of business lies in the hands of the youth of today and that the majority of them are connected via their mobile phones. What we are faced with is the future of business-focussed applications that enhance productivity and data accessibility and this future resides firmly in the continual development of software as a service (SaaS) technologies.
When comparing the pros and cons of SaaS, hosted applications and proprietary software in the context of a mobile world, which is the anticipated future of business in South Africa, proprietary is good, hosted applications is better, and SaaS is best.
When you consider that while around 5-million South Africans are online today, almost 10-million are registered Mixit users. It is clear that successful businesses will incorporate more mobile users and addressing these mobile user application requirements will entail a growth in trust and adoption of SaaS technologies.
The future of applications that make businesses money lies in their ability to service mobile workers and, it is the predictability of costs and the defined reduction in the complexity of SaaS applications that will enhance adoption in Africa going forward.
Businesses that are using proprietary software today know the costs associated therein. A deployment of vendor products requires a vendor to install the software and then manage it in an ongoing fashion, making it a very cost intensive approach. Prices are unpredictable and businesses are therefore often required to enter into expensive, long-term contracts or license agreements.
SaaS applications typically offer a per user pricing model that is charged on a month-to-month basis with no contractual lock-ins. Business can realise the total cost of ownership (TCO) sooner, as the simplicity and broad appeal of the solutions designed require only a single installation to serve multiple users.
South Africa is somewhat unique in its adoption of mobile technologies, with more South Africans (as a percentage of population) using mobile phones than users in other countries.
What this should prove is that enhancing productivity in the workplace will require investment in mobile web applications that empower users with consistent access to business data and applications that do this cost effectively and reliably.
Mobile web is better (from a provider’s perspective) than installed mobile applications for similar reasons to preferring SaaS over on-premises software deployments. Mobile web applications simplify the requirement of delivering the application to users with differing mobile devices, operating systems, screen sizes and screen resolutions. As mobile web browsers become more similar to one another in terms of standards, this requirement is expected to become simpler over time.
The Internet is a highly reliable medium that has evolved into something that allows developers to build an application that resides in one place but is accessible to many. When these applications are developed with a target audience in mind, adoption will be rapid and broad.
A key aspect to the future of the successful enterprise lies in its use of mobile technologies. Consider the fact that deploying a ‘mobile worker’ approach to business equates to less operational overheads and other cost saving attributes. Couple these savings with the additional savings proffered by SaaS-based applications that effectively and affordably address the mobile warrior’s connectivity requirements and you have a streamlined operation that makes money instead of spending it.
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