Recently, I was able to chat with Forbes contributor Dan Woods about how Cisco increases productivity and efficiency of its sales staff through a methodical approach to mobility.

Specifically, today's mobile landscape is demanding constant evolution. From listening and responding to the mobility needs of employees to deploying home-grown apps, a flexible and holistic roadmap for mobility and mobile apps is essential. While mobility continues to be a growing trend that offers businesses new opportunities, many companies have yet to fully realize the true potential of mobility.

With this in mind, many business leaders may ask:

• How can my enterprise recreate Cisco's approach to mobility success?
• How can my organization realize all of the benefits a mobility strategy can offer?

Why Mobility Matters

You don't have to look very far -probably the nearest airport lounge, coffee shop, or even living room -to see how the influx of smart, connected devices is changing how and where we work.

However, basic BYOD and mobility policies are becoming more comprehensive in order to support emerging trends like the rise of enterprise apps and demand for a faster and personalized user experience. In fact, according to a CIOL article, CIOs will continue to put mobile first, understand and invest in mobile enterprise apps, and integrate corporate mobility policies in the next year.

In addition, mobility -and its untapped potential -is shaping the bottom line.

A recent CIO Insight article sheds some light: A survey from Mobile Helix supports that CIOs and IT leaders recognize there is untapped business value potential from investing in mobility.While many decision makers worry about the cost or the complex nature of integrating disparate mobile solutions, business leaders need to understand how investing in mobility and mobile apps can help your organization be more efficient and have a competitive advantage.

Develop a Mobility Roadmap

While there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to embracing a mobility strategy, large and small  organizations can benefit from following a strategic plan to successfully embrace mobility and emerging mobile apps.

One key part of the mobility roadmap is careful experimentation, especially when it comes to apps.

For example, when considering how to deploy enterprise apps, organization size should be considered. The business case for native/homegrown apps is better for medium to large enterprises due to the investment and ongoing maintenance requirements.  Small enterprises may start with an outsourced/cloud model at first to conduct research and pilots before a larger investment of resources.

There is some risk by experimenting on app deployment models. Organizational leaders may not get  a full understanding of a larger app opportunity until after IT leaders invest in a few apps could eventually thread together. This can be especially true for larger enterprises as often small to midsize businesses have a better handle on processes. However, the risk can be worth the reward, especially when overall strategy is top of mind.

We are quickly moving to the always connected and always-on workforce that blurs the lines between work and personal time throughout the day. Apps that allow for quick updates, approvals and workflows will make sense anytime that an employee decides to spend a few minutes on work, much like we already skim and respond to our email throughout the day and evening.

As we are always online, mobile apps can also trigger events and make notifications based on your location, recommendations based on your actions and those around you or users who have similar job roles. In addition, enterprises can stay ahead of the curve and make adjustments to their apps via in-app analytics that can monitor how often users are using the app, how long are they using it, and what features they click on most.

By experimenting and developing a right-sized, strategic mobility roadmap, organizational leaders can access the benefits of a more mobile and application-centric workforce and prepare for the future of mobility.

How will you embrace mobility? Join the conversation; follow @Cisco_Mobility on Twitter,#FutureofMobility.

Additional Information:

• Cisco Mobility
• Cisco Intelligent Network