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Half of CIOs Say Their Firms Have or Will Offer a Mobile Application in 2012
Got Mobile?
“There’s an app for that” may apply to nearly half of U.S. businesses before the year is over, a new survey by Robert Half Technology shows. Twenty-seven percent of CIOs polled recently said their companies already offer a mobile application, while another 22 percent said they plan to offer one in 2012.
CIOs were asked, “Has your company developed a mobile application for customers and clients, or do you plan to offer one in the next 12 months?” Their responses:
You have one now……………………………………………………………27
You don’t have one now but plan to offer one in the next 12 months……22%
You don’t have one and don’t plan to offer one in the next 12 months………43%
Other/don’t know…….…………………………………………………………
Total…………………………………………………………………
As mobile applications become more prevalent, there is no shortage of issues for the IT teams tasked with developing them. In the same survey, CIOs said the two greatest challenges for IT teams developing these applications are collaborating across departments and finding IT professionals with the skills to build them.
CIOs were asked, “What is the greatest challenge for IT teams when developing a mobile application for the business?” Their responses:
Collaborating across departments…………………………………….29%
Finding and hiring IT professionals with the necessary expertise…..28%
Keeping the application up to date………………………………………19%
Gaining approvals from the application store or market…………………16 %
Other/don’t know…………………………………………………………8%
“Building mobile applications requires intense collaboration between numerous groups within the organization, including marketing, IT, operations and sales,” said John Reed, executive director of Robert Half Technology. It’s important for mobile application developers to have strong soft skills, in addition to the ability to write code and test and debug software applications.”
As more companies look to develop mobile apps, the demand for IT professionals who specialize in this area has increased, according to the Robert Half Technology 2012 Salary Guide, which shows starting salaries for mobile applications developers are expected to increase 9.1 percent next year — one of the largest increases of any IT position researched.
Added Reed: “Because the demand for professionals with a track record of building successful mobile apps currently outpaces the supply, companies are willing to pay a premium for professionals with these skills.”