I love mobile apps.  Thanks, Apple, for invigorating the mobile app dev community with a platform and a zeal that has finally tipped the balance toward mobile data services.  All the mobile players have now been revving their own toolkits and appstores, and pumping loads of marketing dollars to promote this new era.  As a consumer, I think this is great.  I’ve never had so much choice (though it is increasingly paired with confusion, so someone’s gotta solve that too).

But what impact does this have on the enterprise?  Philippe Winthrop at Strategy Analytics recently blogged on this topic (http://www.enterprisemobilitymatters.com/enterprise_mobility/2009/07/revisiting-the-mobile-app-store.html), pointing out that IT will be dramatically impacted whether we like it or not.  And most companies aren’t ready for it.

A few weeks ago, I had a fascinating conversation with a CIO who doesn’t have immediate plans to deploy internal mobile apps beyond email but realizes that in spite of that he needs a mobile apps strategy NOW, not in 12 months.  Why?  To deal with the proliferation of consumer apps that are (and will be) suddenly appearing on his corporate smartphones. 

How many phones will run out of memory?  How many apps will crash the phone?  How many new backdoors will be created?  What types of problems will a smartphone with 30 apps have that one with 3 does not? 

His helpdesk is going to get hit hard.  And he knows he has to do something about it.  He needs a mobile apps strategy.  Waiting is not an option.  Mobile apps are here to stay.  Prepping now means avoiding big support costs and poor user experiences later.