Enterprises may be able to more easily outsource app management if apps move into the cloud, a new report suggests.
According to Juniper Research ¨C cited by ZDNet UK ¨C apps will shift into the cloud in the future as developers offer app functionality to users of lower-end mobile devices. While high-end smartphones are increasingly popular among mobile customers in developed nations, people in many parts of the world simply can¡¯t afford them.
The vast majority of mobile devices are so-called "feature phones" that support only the most basic calling and messaging technologies. But most feature phones do support web access ¨C and, if properly configured, they can take advantage of cloud-hosted apps.
Current cloud apps, Juniper noted, are Google¡¯s Gmail and Docs services.
For enterprise users in particular, apps¡¯ migration to the cloud will be beneficial, Juniper predicts. By allowing third parties to manage enterprise-level apps, report author Windsor Holden said, cloud-based apps offer "far more flexibility combined with a significant reduction in capital expenditure."
And outsourcing portals like oDesk could see an uptick in popularity as apps move to the cloud. In recent months, oDesk¡¯s growth has been rapid.
|
