Mobile Apps to Become 2014′s Most Invested-In Startups? Apparently So

 By Joseph Czikk

Mobile apps could take over the world in terms of venture capital investment next year. At least that’s what one UK-based report is predicting. According to the “Global State of Enterprise Mobility for the Past, Present and Future” report, mobile apps look set to be the top global investment among enterprise mobility and IT practitioners in 2014.

Nearly half of those enterprise mobility and IT folks told the survey that their investment priorities for 2014 focus around mobile applications (47.6 percent) followed by BYOD devices and Mobile Device Management (MDM). Meanwhile, mobile security is set to become a bigger priority in the next 12-18 months, with 42.9 percent of respondents selecting it as a likely investment. 20 percent had already made an investment in the past 18 months.

In fact, not only did respondents say they were planning on making investments in the future, but like mobile security, a fair amount had already made investments. 44 percent of practitioner respondents made investments in mobile applications, 40 percent made investments in mobile devices consumer (BYOD), 32 percent in “ruggedised” mobile devices and 32 percent in Mobile Device Management (MDM). Ruggedised refers to products that make the device stronger or more resistant to damage. Meanwhile “BYOD” is “bring your own device,” and solutions pertaining to this area could revolve around data security solutions. 70 percent of respondents cited increased productivity as the main reason behind their mobile solution investments. The biggest obstacles hindering mobile implementation today include change management issues, integration with legacy systems and budget limitations.

The Enterprise Mobility Exchange is a London-based online community for global mobility professionals and business leaders who are leveraging mobile technology and services to improve operational efficiency, increase customer acquisition and loyalty, and drive increased profits across the entire enterprise. If Canadian trends mimic those of the UK, then another study can be seen as positive as well. American Express Company and CFO Research released a report recently, which revealed that 8 in 10 senior finance professionals agree that they will need to make much better use of mobile technology over the next year.

http://www.betakit.com/mobile-apps-to-become-2014s-most-invested-in-startups-apparently-so/