These numbers pan out great for Android when you are only looking at smartphones, but the tablet data is an entirely different story.  ABI predicts that there will be 14 billion tablet applications downloaded in 2013 with 75% of those going to Apple. Android will bring up the rear with 17% and Windows with their highly anticipated Surface will most likely only garner 2%.

For the time being Apple will continue to rule the tablet department, but when it comes to mobile enterprise apps smartphones are the main focus right now.  As the consumer trend continues to lean toward Android powered devices and companies are finding ways to safely and comfortably implement BYOD the gap between Android and enterprise is starting to close.  It isn’t just luck that Android is on the rise and there are many more factors other than security that are leading to the shrinking disconnect.

For the first time ever there is a serious developer shift toward Android.  That is not to say that mobile app developers have not been developing for Android, it is just that up until now it has been Apple first.  The newest data shows that mobile app developers are starting to shift to Android first development.  This will eventually lead to business following consumer trends and more business app developers taking an interest in the Android OS.

A handful of enterprises currently support business apps for Android, but many have their concerns about the platform.  There have been concerns about the security and stability of the platform but all signs point to the fact that Android is and will get better.  Google and their hardware providers are working diligently to make their devices and platforms reliable.  As these companies do their share and Android continues to hold strong on the consumer market we will most likely see an increase in the use of the Android operating system in enterprise.

Apple still holds the top spot in enterprise mobility but their future as the forerunner is dicey at best.  They fact is that the sheer number of Android powered devices combined with BYOD will eventually turn the tides.  Google does have a few loose ends to tie up and it will most likely take a few years before enterprises truly trust the Android platform.  Eventually IT will most likely embrace Android because it is bound to offer more management options than the highly regulated iOS.

It may not be the most glamorous job, but Onsite Rental Group is charged with the managing of 10,000 portable toilettes in Australia.  This is a lot of ground to cover and can take a lot of time and effort.  Onsite’s IT manager Anthony Bolack explained, “When you have 10,000 of them, things can get tricky, and it gets even trickier when you have to empty 10,000 of those on customer sites.”  Thanks to a new mobile business app Onsite Rental Group is ditching paper and saving themselves $204,720 USD in the process.

In the past the company used a paper-based system to manage all aspects of their rentals but found them to be unreliable at best.  The forms were difficult to keep up and often had illegible or incorrect data.  What was most difficult was those in charge of forms found it challenging to turn the forms in on time.

Onsite wanted to go paperless and looked around for web apps and other out of the box software but nothing seemed to fit their business style.  That is when Onsite chose to implement a mobile enterprise app platform which was set in place by an outside mobile service provider.  It took only four days for the company to roll out their new system and do away with the old paper forms.

Driver’s for the company were given newer generation iPhones to run the app.  The new app is a hybrid HTML5 and native app which is being used to log and track jobs as well as retrieve customer information.  It even lets IT track employee whereabouts through geolocation and allocate new jobs based on their positioning.  The new app allows drivers to store data on their devices for situations where there is no reception which happens often in rural Australia.

While Onsite has saved $204,720 USD in overtime and contactor hours, the app is not all about the company’s bottom line.  Like many other companies Onsite is finding that mobile enterprise apps are improving the moral of employees.  “More importantly, now drivers are connected to our network, to HR, and company news — they are really engaged,” Bolack said.

Bolack also sends the message to other companies to give hybrid applications a chance.  He says that it is the perfect fit for their situation because it takes the best of both application types to create the perfect business application for their company.  So the future of mobile enterprise applications is bright, but it has to start somewhere and companies like Onsite in Australia are paving the way by showing how effective even a single app can be for companies.

Roambi is a data collection powerhouse.  The handy app collects data from almost anywhere including IBM Cognos, Microsoft Reporting and Analysis Services, OBIEE, and dTcuments from the likes of Excel and Google Docs and delivers them right to your iPhone or iPad.  This app does not have its own back end yet, but is amazing at organizing and displaying others’ data.

Meeting Mapper is an interesting and intuitive new iPad app.  Meeting mapper allows you to track people’s roles and opinions in the meeting to follow up on later.  This mobile business app will even schedule actions to be followed up before or at the next meeting.

Version two of StratPad is not out quite yet, but promises to be a big hit with enterprises.  StratPad allows employees to collaborate on business strategies in real time.  StratPad v2 promises to synchronize files across all devices in real time, so whatever you are doing on your tablet automatically gets saved on your laptop.  This mobile business app also tracks trends and targets and conveniently graphs the results.

Captio is a simple yet incredibly effective mobile application for the busy entrepreneur.  Captio allows users to send themselves emails without going through the normal channels.  It may not be the most complex mobile business application but it helps busy business professionals save some of their valuable time.

One element that has been lacking since the dawn of the age of mobile enterprise is word processing.  UX Write covers that loss by offering a fully functional and feature packed mobile app for business professionals.  This is the perfect tablet application for those who need to more than just read a document.  UX Write goes far beyond the capabilities of other document software on the market.

Move over Linked In because Yammer is the hottest social media platform for enterprise at the moment.  Yammer is like Facebook for enterprise and allows employees to communicate while sharing files and ideas.  It is as easy to use as a consumer app but with the air tight security that enterprise apps need.  Yammer even offers easy integration into an already established enterprise ecosystem with all the IT support that a company would need.

Dundas fills the last spot on this list for the newest incarnation of their popular software.  Dundas Dashboard allows you to create intricate dashboards and reports and share them with coworkers online.  Now users are able to perform all of the tasks that have made Dundas so popular right from their mobile devices.  The company offers both HTML 5 and native apps to suit the needs of enterprise clients.

If you build it they will come.  

One myth that seems to cause a lot of problems internally is the idea that just building a mobile business app is good enough.  The idea is that if you build it your employees will flock to the app, the problem is this seldom happens for a number of reasons.  IT may need to push the apps to devices in order to remind employees that they are available.  For more technical apps employees may need some training before they feel comfortable using them.

Business App Development is Costly.

It is hard to put an average price on a mobile business app because they are all so different.  The truth is that as long as you are working with an experienced mobile business app developer your costs will be much less than expected.  If you are worried about the initial costs of a mobile business app it is important to factor in the back end savings in productivity and saved man hours.

Your Apps are making a Profit for Someone Else.

This is 99% not true.  A common misconception is that a mobile business app that is put up in a public market like the Apple App store is making Apple money.  The App Store and Google Play are just very effective distribution centers for apps.  While these companies are making a little bit of money off of the apps in their store they are barely breaking even.  They only group that would really benefit from you apps being in a public area like that is other companies that could download the app that you paid for.  To skip these issues entirely think about setting up an enterprise app store within your company.

Once our Mobile Business App is built the Job is done.  

When your mobile business app is finally ready for the big time it is an exciting time, but far from the end of your work.  Once it is launched it needs to be tested and tweaked to make sure that your app reaches its maximum potential.  An app may go through multiple stages of retooling before it is really ready for permanent business use.  Even when your app is tested and proven to work it will need to go through regular maintenance several times a year to make sure that is complies with software and hardware updates.

Enterprise Apps are for Smartphones Only

When we talk about enterprise apps it is easy to forget that smartphones are just the tip of the iceberg.  There are four main device types that mobile app developers design for; computers, smartphones, tablets, and TVs.  Another emerging device that will surely draw business app developers is mobile business apps for cars within the next few years.  Each of these devices plays their own part in business functions and has their own idiosyncrasies when it comes to development.

One of the coolest innovations in home security is also making quite a big splash in childcare.  In many childcare facilities across the country parents are able to use their mobile devices to watch what is going on at their daycare at any given time.  This allows parents to stay connected to their children and be a little part of their day.  It also helps to keep everything on the level as far as your child’s care as a whole.  If video monitoring is not available there are many mobile apps for childcare out there that are set up specifically for communication with a childcare provider or center through text.

One area where apps are helping businesses everywhere including childcare facilities is taking forms mobile.  This means that items like consent forms and privacy policies can be signed on the spot and stored in a cloud for safe keeping.  Now instead of filing cabinet filled to the brim taking up room all of the necessary paperwork is organized and stored on a single device.

In any childcare setting parents always want to know how their child’s day went.  Now there are mobile business apps that allow childcare providers to have all of that information at their fingertips.  Whether there was is an injury or an achievement the childcare provider can quickly record it in the mobile app and later pull it up to recount the child’s day word for word.

One of the most important and innovative uses of mobile technology in childcare is for the safety and protection of the children.  Childcare providers and parents are now able to use mobile devices to keep tabs on children.  Companies are finding unique ways to pair products like stuffed animals and backpacks with Bluetooth and GPS chips that make it possible to track your child no matter where they go.  One company is even developing GPS stickers that can be attached to almost anything and tracked from a mobile device.  This kind of technology is perfect for field trips to populated public places where a child can easily be lost.

A business like childcare depends on the safety and happiness of their clients.  This new era of mobile apps for childcare is making it easier than ever for childcare providers to do just that.  When one thinks of mobile business apps the first thing that most likely comes to mind is large corporation or big data but even the smallest of business are finding that mobile technology is creating a smarter and safer workplace.

In the corporate mobile environment of the past IT would simply push mobile enterprise apps to employee smartphones, but the consumerization of mobile devices has changed that.  Now employees are more apt to go to a public app store to download their mobile business apps rather than waiting for IT to push one.  Mobile enterprise app stores are one option to allow employees the freedom to download the business apps that they need, but often these are only for in house apps and many employees need more than just in house apps to perform at a high capacity.

Often mobile application management plans offer a list of public enterprise apps that are either recommended or required for download and can even direct them toward the app in the appropriate public store.  The problem with this approach is that many of these apps cost money and someone has to pay for them.  This leaves enterprises with the option of placing the payment on the shoulders of their employees or coming up with a payment solution for the thousands of apps that are downloaded to employee devices every year.

Apple has made it as easy as possible for IT to take advantage of their service.  The Apple VPP is completely free and requires only a few pieces of information to register.  Once an enterprise is registered IT administrators can log into the companies VPP account and purchase any number of licenses for a specific app on the Apple app store.  After payment is receive Apple emails IT an order confirmation and spreadsheet containing redemption codes and URLS.

Once the process is complete IT has four different options to allocate licenses.  Their first option is to email redemption codes to select employees.  They can post the URLs to an enterprise hosted webpage that is only accessible to authorized users.  In smaller work groups administrators can push codes to USB connected devices.  The most likely allocation option is for IT administrators to push codes remotely over the air to company devices.

While it is a step forward for IT the Apple VPP is not all together perfect.  Each license is only good for a one time download.  If an employee leaves the company the license used for their app download is not able to be reclaimed.  Unfortunately there is no way to stop an unauthorized user with access to licenses from using them at this time.  Employees will be able to carry apps over from one device to another if the need arises.

This is definitely a smart move by Apple and sure to gain them a little more favor around the water cooler.  Right now Google does not offer anything comparable for Android devices, but that will most likely change sooner than later.  When that time comes it will be another big win for BYOD and ease a big headache for IT administrators everywhere.

The first thing that stands out about Google Glass is that it is a truly hands free device.  These glasses are voice activated and can complete a list of tasks like checking email, taking a picture, or taking a quick glance at the local weather.  The fact that this device is completely hands free will make multitasking easier than ever before.  It may require some brain rewiring but it will be completely possible for someone to complete a manual task in front of them while sending an email from their glasses.  An office full of these devices could double productivity in theory.

These eye glasses may not have the full power of a smartphone when they are released, but they will have plenty of features.  There is a full version of the Google Glass and an explorer version that hooks onto a standard pair of eye glasses.  Each type displays information through the Android powered HUD.  The glasses can pair with Android or Apple devices but so far there is no word whether they will be compatible with BlackBerry or Windows devices.

One of the key attractions of Google Glass is that it opens up a whole new realm of innovation.  Any time new technology like this is introduce it sparks a whole new genre of software.  Google Glass will open up even more development options for consumer and enterprise applications.  This not only serves to boost the economy but also boosts mobile technology in general.  Much like the introduction of mobile apps into cars Google Glass will open up mobile paths that are just not there with traditional mobile devices.

It is clear that Google Glass will send a message from the wearer.  In a business setting these can not only be a functional mobile tool, but a symbol of a company’s status and willingness to embrace new technology.  It is pretty easy to imagine walking into an office in the future and seeing a pair on every individual behind a desk.

How much of an impact Google Glass has will most likely depend on its price point and how quickly consumers adopt the technology.  The potential is there to change the market and it is foreseeable that Google Glass will again change the enterprise app market, a market that never seems to get a chance to settle.  One thing is certain this type of technology is an exciting indication that the future of mobile technology is bright.

The FTC report entitled “Mobile Privacy Disclosures: Building Trust Through Transparency” questions end user privacy protection.  The report does not focus on a single arm of mobility instead choosing to point out that device manufacturers, mobile operating system providers, and mobile app developers all play a role in what the FTC calls a “complex mobile ecosystem.”  The report questions what is being shared and how much the end user knows about what is being shared.  The FTC boldly states in their report, “They are sharing information about their daily lives with a multitude of players.”  It also goes on to ask, “How many companies are privy to this information? How often do their access such content and how do they use it or share it?”

The FTC is not just asking questions.  Years of research into the matter has given the commission piles of data that they are using to offer suggestions to the mobile community.  Their first suggestion is that mobile operating system providers that have not already done so obtain consent from users before accessing sensitive information.  They also suggest a secondary option of allowing consumers to choose other functions that they consider private to carry the same types of consent requirements.  One of the most interesting suggestions is the FTC urging OS providers to consider the use of icons to inform users when their data is being transmitted.  The responsibility is not falling solely on operating systems.  The FTC is recommending that mobile app developers provide in-app privacy disclosures.

These are all just suggestions but there is a possibility that some will become law in the future.  This is especially interesting to enterprises that run BYOD policies because there could be some legal ramifications if protocols were not followed.  If the FTC has their way enterprises and mobile app developers will be forced to work closer together in the development of mobile enterprise apps, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  In fact there are a few modifications that will come out of policy change that will make the lives of enterprise, IT, and employees just a little bit better.

Security is always a big concern when talking about mobile enterprise application and mobile devices in enterprise.  Many of the FTC’s proposals will create a safer mobile environment for everyone involved.  These policies have yet to become the law of the land, but when they do they will still only be the ground work of policies which are yet to come.

In your day to day work life the chances are that you come in contact with hundreds of people a day.  Whether it is the repair man or an important client you probably don’t have all of your contacts memorized.  When you start adding social media into the mix your number of contacts quickly jumps to the thousands making it literally impossible to keep them all straight.  That is where the Brewster Instant Rolodex comes into play pulling all of your contacts from email and social media straight to your phone.    Unlike that old paper rolodex the Brewster rolodex creates a relationship algorithm for the contacts that is collects and automatically sorts them into categories like favorites and trending.

Though it has been around for years you will find drop box on every list of this sort every time, and for good reason.  This mobile business app allows users to access their hard drive anytime and from anywhere.  Dropbox allows you to access and even edit your files from anywhere including your PC, tablet or smartphone.  Users can even mark favorites to be read and edited off line making them available in situations when an internet connection is unavailable.

UberConference was created by the mind behind Google Voice and meant to diminish the hassles of conference calls.  Instead of having coordinating timetables and making sure everyone has the correct pin UberConference allows you to select conference attendees right from your smartphone and it automatically calls, emails, or texts them to join the conference.  Once the call is under way the mobile app will show you pictures and profiles of all in attendance and even has the capability to let you know who is speaking at the time.

Speaktoit is a consumer centric app that will be making a big splash business markets this year.  This app for business is a mobile assistant in the vein of Siri but it works on Apple, Android, and Windows devices.  Speaktoit as a mobile business app will allow users to schedule meetings using their voice, and set reminders for those meeting at the same time.  The company also plans on partnering with financial firms to offer up to date information on stock quotes and market news.

EchoSign by Adobe is sure to catch on quick this year especially in sales positions.  This mobile business app for the IOS allows users to sign, send, and receive documents right from the application.  This will be an important sales tool in the future as salespeople will be able to access documents from their mobile devices or the cloud and close deals on the spot without having to lug around a briefcase full of paperwork.