By now we’ve all seen the numbers, mobile app downloads are expected to hit the upwards of 44 billion by 2016 and the worldwide online app market is expected to grow from approximately $6.8 billion in 2010 to $25 billion by 2015. Clearly consumers have been the leading force behind the mobile app industry’s industrial sized growth, but make no mistake, the next big mobile app shift won’t come from on-the-go gamers, but from C-level execs.

Salesforce Chairman and CEO Marc Benioff had this to say during his second day Keynote at the Dreamforce 2011 event. “This social revolution is going to require a new platform. The success of Facebook isn’t just in status updates, it’s in the platform, it’s in the applications on top of Facebook. Same goes for tablets and smartphones, which have become havens for applications and app developers.”

Decision makers are starting to understand how incorporating the right set of mobile apps and relevant mobile devices can increase productivity and revenue streams as well as improve communication channels and workforce management, all while reducing cumbersome paperwork.

 

Apps For The Workforce

Mobile apps in at the enterprise level are the future, period. However, Enterprise like all other apps come in many different flavors such as Customer Relation Management (CRM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), and Business Intelligence (BI). Below are a few prime examples of Enterprise apps taking the lead.

Salesforce’s fleet of apps, Chatter Mobile and Salesforce Mobile deliver a lifeline to all of the late-breaking developments at the company level. Additionally, Salesforce has just announced a new application for mobile devices – Touch.salesforce.com – based on HTML5 technology, scheduled to be available in 2012.

Workforce Mobile by Kronos helps organizations across a variety of industries manage their most valuable, and expensive, strategic asset — their workforce, by giving them the tools they need to help them control labor costs, minimize compliance risk, and improve workforce productivity.

IBM’s Connections social networking app for mobile devices enables users to connect with colleagues, share files, publish blog posts as well as view activity streams. IBM Connections also lets users plan and track projects, share ideas and collaborate on tasks within the company’s existing intranet.

 

Tablets Built For The Workforce

When it comes to the Enterprise, tablet devices are taking center stage. We’re now starting to see the emergence of smaller form factor tablets, specifically the Samsung Galaxy Note  built for business solutions.

In conclusion - Enterprise focused apps use will vary greatly from company to company mainly due to IT influences and business use cases. On that note, I’m turning it back over to you. What mobile apps have been integrated into your enterprise or what apps would you like to see becoming commonplace in your workplace? Let us know in the comments or reach out to me via Twitter @OrenTodoros