Mobile business intelligence

Mobile Business Intelligence (Mobile BI or Mobile Intelligence) is defined as “Mobile BI is a system

comprising both technical and organizational elements that present historical and/or real-time information to
its users for analysis on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets (not laptops), to enable effective
decision-making and management support, for the overall purpose of increasing firm performance.” (Peters
et al., 2016).[1] Business intelligence (BI) refers to computer-based techniques used in spotting, digging-
out, and analyzing business data, such as sales revenue by products and/or departments or associated costs
and incomes.[2]

Although the concept of mobile computing has been prevalent for over a decade, Mobile BI has shown a
momentum/growth only very recently. This change has been partly encouraged by a change from the
‘wired world’ to a wireless world with the advantage of smartphones which has led to a new era of mobile
computing, especially in the field of BI.[3]

According to the Aberdeen Group, a large number of companies are rapidly undertaking mobile BI owing
to a large number of market pressures such as the need for higher efficiency in business processes,
improvement in employee productivity (e.g., time spent looking for information), better and faster decision
making, better customer service, and delivery of real-time bi-directional data access to make decisions
anytime and anywhere.[4] But despite the apparent advantages of mobile information delivery, mobile BI is
still in the ‘early adopter’ phase. Some CFOs remain skeptical of the business benefits and with the
perceived lack of specific business use cases and tangible ROI, mobile BI adoption is still behind the curve
compared with other enterprise mobile applications.[5]

History

Information delivery to mobile devices

The predominant method for accessing BI information is using proprietary software or a Web browser on a
personal computer to connect to BI applications. These BI applications request data from databases.
Starting in the late 1990s, BI systems offered alternatives for receiving data, including email and mobile
devices..

Static data push

Initially, mobile devices such as pagers and mobile phones received pushed data using a short message
service (SMS) or text messages. These applications were designed for specific mobile devices, contained
minimal amounts of information, and provided no data interactivity. As a result, the early mobile BI
applications were expensive to design and maintain while providing limited informational value, and
garnered little interest.

Data access via a mobile browser

The mobile browser on a smartphone, a handheld computer integrated with a mobile phone,[6] provided a
means to read simple tables of data. The small screen space, immature mobile browsers, and slow data
transmission could not provide a satisfactory BI experience. Accessibility and bandwidth may be perceived
as issues when it comes to mobile technology, but BI solutions provide advanced functionality to predict
and outperform such potential challenges. While Web-based mobile BI solutions provide little to no control
over the processing of data in a network, managed BI solutions for mobile devices only utilize the server
for specific operations. In addition, local reports are compressed both during transmission and on the
device, permitting greater flexibility for storage and receipt of these reports. Within a mobile environment,
users capitalize on easy access to information because the mobile application operates within a single
authoring environment that permits access to all BI content (respecting existing security) regardless of
language or locale. Furthermore, the user will not need to build and maintain a separate mobile BI
deployment. In addition, mobile BI requires much less bandwidth for functionality. Mobile BI promises a
small report footprint on memory, encryption during transmission as well as on the device, and compressed
data storage for offline viewing and use.[7]

Mobile client application

In 2002, Research in Motion released the first BlackBerry smartphone optimized for wireless email use.
Wireless e-mail proved to be the “killer app” that accelerated the popularity of the smartphone market. By
the mid-2000s, Research in Motion's BlackBerry had solidified its hold on the smartphone market with
both corporate and governmental organizations. The BlackBerry smartphones eliminated the obstacles to
mobile business intelligence. The BlackBerry offered a consistent treatment of data across its many models,
provided a much larger screen for viewing data, and allowed user interactivity via the thumbwheel and
keyboard. BI vendors re-entered the market with offerings spanning different mobile operating systems
(BlackBerry, Windows, Symbian) and data access methods. The two most popular data access options
were:

to use the mobile browser to access data, similar to desktop computer, and
to create a native application designed specifically for the mobile device.[8]

Research in Motion is continuing to lose market share to Apple and Android smartphones. In the first three
months of 2011 Google's Android OS gained 7 points of market share. During the same time period RIM's
market share collapsed and dropped almost 5 points.[9]

Purpose-built Mobile BI apps

Apple quickly set the standard for mobile devices with the introduction of the iPhone. In the first three
years, Apple sold over 33.75 million units.[10] Similarly, in 2010, Apple sold over 1 million iPads in just
under three months.[11] Both devices feature an interactive touchscreen display that is the de facto standard
on many mobile phones and tablet computers.

In 2008, Apple published the SDK for which developers can build applications that run natively on the
iPhone and iPad instead of Safari-based applications. These native applications can give the user a robust,
easier-to-read and easier-to-navigate experience.

Others were quick to join in the success of mobile devices and app downloads. The Google Play Store now
has over 700,000 apps available for the mobile devices running the Android operating system.
More importantly, the advent of the mobile device has radically changed the way people use data on their
mobile devices. This includes mobile BI. Business intelligence applications can be used to transform reports
and data into mobile dashboards, and have them instantly delivered to any mobile device.[12]

Google Inc.’s Android has overtaken Apple Inc.’s iOS in the wildly growing arena of app downloads. In
the second quarter of 2011, 44% of all apps downloaded from app marketplaces across the web were for
Android devices while 31% were for Apple devices, according to new data from ABI Research. The
remaining apps were for various other mobile operating systems, including BlackBerry and Windows
Phone 7.[13]

Mobile BI applications have evolved from being a client application for viewing data to a purpose-built
application designed to provide information and workflows necessary to quickly make business decisions
and take action.

Web Applications vs. Device-Specific Applications for Mobile BI

In early 2011, as the mobile BI software market started to mature and adoption started to grow at a
significant pace in both small and large enterprises, most vendors adopted either a purpose-built, device-
specific application strategy (e.g. iPhone or Android apps, downloaded from iTunes or the Google Play
Store) or a web application strategy (browser-based, works on most devices without an application being
installed on the device). This debate continues and there are benefits and drawbacks to both methods.[14]
One potential solution will be the wider adoption of HTML5 on mobile devices which will give web
applications many of the characteristics of dedicated applications while still allowing them to work on many
devices without an installed application.

Microsoft has announced their mobile BI strategy. Microsoft plans to support browser-based applications
such as Reporting Services and PerformancePoint on iOS in the first half of 2012 and touch-based
applications on iOS and Android by the second half of 2012. Despite popular perception that Microsoft
only acknowledges its own existence, recent moves suggest the company is aware that it is not the only
player in the technology ecosystem. Instead of attempting to squelch competition or suggesting new
technology developments were ridiculous, the company has instead decided to make its technology
accessible to a wider audience.[15]

There are many mobile devices and platforms available today. The list is constantly growing and so is the
platform support. There are hundreds of models available today, with multiple hardware and software
combinations. The enterprise must select a device very carefully. The target devices will impact the mobile
BI design itself because the design for a smartphone will be different than for a tablet. The screen size,
processor, memory, etc. all vary. The mobile BI program must account for lack of device standardization
from the providers by constantly testing devices for the mobile BI apps. Some best practices can always be
followed. For example, a smartphone is a good candidate for operational mobile BI. However, for analytics
and what-if analysis, tablets are the best option. Hence, the selection or availability of the device plays a big
role in the implementation.[16]

Demand
Gartner analyst Ted Friedman believes that mobile delivery of BI is all about practical, tactical information
needed to make immediate decisions – "The biggest value is in operational BI — information in the context
of applications — not in pushing lots of data to somebody's phone."[17]
Accessing the Internet through a mobile device such as a smartphone is also known as the mobile Internet
or mobile Web. IDC expects the US mobile workforce to increase by 73% in 2011.[18] Morgan Stanley
reports the mobile Internet is ramping up faster than its predecessor, the desktop Internet, enabling
companies to deliver knowledge to their mobile workforce to help them make more profitable decisions.[19]

Michael Cooney from Gartner has identified bring-your-own-technology at work as becoming the norm,
not the exception. By 2015 media tablet shipments will reach around 50% of laptop shipments and
Windows 8 will likely be in third place behind Android and Apple. The net result is that Microsoft's share
of the client platform, be it PC, tablet or smartphone, will likely be reduced to 60% and it could fall below
50%.[20]

Business Benefits
In its latest Magic Quadrant for Business Intelligence Platforms, Gartner examines whether the platform
enables users to "fully interact with BI content delivered to mobile devices." The phrase "fully interact" is
the key. The ability to send alerts embedded in email or text messages, or links to static content in email
messages hardly represents sophistication in mobile analytics. For users to benefit from mobile BI, they
must be able to navigate dashboard and guided analytics comfortably—or as comfortably as the mobile
device will allow, which is where devices with high-resolution screens and touch interfaces (like the iPhone
and Android-based phones) have a clear edge over, say, earlier editions of BlackBerry. It is equally
important to take a step back to define your purpose and adoption patterns. Which business users can
benefit the most from mobile analytics—and what, exactly, is their requirement? You don't need mobile
analytics to send a few alerts or summary reports to their handhelds—without interactivity, mobile BI is
indistinguishable from merely informative email or text messages.[21]

Applications
Similar to consumer applications, which have shown an ever-increasing growth over the past few years, a
constant demand for anytime, anywhere access to BI is leading to a number of custom mobile application
development.[22] Businesses have also started adopting mobile solutions for their workforce and are soon
becoming key components of core business processes.[23] In an Aberdeen survey conducted in May 2010,
23% of companies participating indicated that they now have a mobile BI app or dashboard in place, while
another 31% indicated that they plan to implement some form of mobile BI in the next year.[24]

Definitions

Mobile BI applications can be defined/segregated as follows:

Mobile Browser Rendered App: Almost any mobile device enables Web-based, thin client,
HTML-only BI applications. However, these apps are static and provide little data
interactivity. Data is viewed just as it would be over a browser from a personal computer.
Little additional effort is required to display data but mobile browsers can typically only
support a small subset of the interactivity of a web browser.
Customized App: A step up from this approach is to render each (or all) reports and
dashboards in device-specific format. In other words, provide information specific to the
screen size, optimize usage of screen real estate, and enable device-specific navigation
controls. Examples of these include thumb wheel or thumb button for BlackBerry,
up/down/left/right arrows for Palm, gestural manipulation for iPhone. This approach requires
more effort than the previous but no additional software.
 Mobile Client App: The most advanced, the client app provides full interactivity with the BI
content viewed on the device. In addition, this approach provides periodic caching of data
which can be viewed and analyzed even offline.[25]

Companies across all verticals, from retail[26] to even non-profit organizations[27] are realizing the value of
purpose-specific mobile applications suited for their mobile workforce.

Development
Developing a native mobile BI app poses challenges, especially concerning data display rendering and user
interactivity. Mobile BI App development has traditionally been a time-consuming and expensive effort
requiring businesses to justify the investment for the mobile workforce. They do not only require texting
and alerts, they need information customized for their line of work which they can interact with and analyze
to gain deeper information.[22]

Custom-coded Mobile BI Apps

Mobile BI applications are often custom-coded apps specific to the underlying mobile operating system.
For example, the iPhone apps require coding in Objective-C while Android apps require coding in Java. In
addition to the user functionality of the app, the app must be coded to work with the supporting server
infrastructure required to serve data to the mobile BI app. While custom-coded apps offer near limitless
options, the specialized software coding expertise and infrastructure can be expensive to develop, modify,
and maintain.

Fixed-form Mobile BI Applications

Business data can be displayed in a mobile BI client (or web browser) that serves as a user interface to
existing BI platforms or other data sources, eliminating the need for new master sources of data and
specialized server infrastructure. This option offers fixed and configurable data visualizations such as
charts, tables, trends, KPIs, and links, and can usually be deployed quickly using existing data sources.
However, the data visualizations are not limitless and cannot always be extended to beyond what is
available from the vendor.

Graphical Tool-developed Mobile BI Apps

Mobile BI apps can also be developed using the graphical, drag-and-drop development environments of BI
platforms. The advantages including the following:

1. Apps can be developed without coding,

2. Apps can be easily modified and maintained using the BI platform change management
tools,
3. Apps can use any range of data visualizations and not be limited to just a few,
4. Apps can incorporate specific business workflows, and
5. The BI platform provides the server infrastructure.
Using graphical BI development tools can allow faster mobile BI app development when a custom
application is required.

Security Considerations for Mobile BI Apps

High adoption rates and reliance on mobile devices makes safe mobile computing a critical concern.[28]
The Mobile Business Intelligence Market Study discovered that security is the number one issue (63%) for
organizations.[29]

A comprehensive mobile security solution must provide security at these levels:[30]

Device
Transmission
Authorization, Authentication, and Network security

Device Security

A senior analyst at the Burton Group research firm recommends that the best way to ensure data will not be
tampered with is to not store it on the client device (mobile device). As such, there is no local copy to lose if
the mobile device is stolen and the data can reside on servers within the data center with access permitted
only over the network.[31] Most smartphone manufacturers provide a complete set of security features
including full-disk encryption, email encryption, as well as remote management which includes the ability
to wipe contents if device is lost or stolen.[30] Also, some devices have embedded third-party antivirus and
firewall software such as RIM's BlackBerry.[30]

Transmission Security

Transmission security refers to measures that are designed to protect data from unauthorized interception,
traffic analysis, and imitative deception.[32] These measures include Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), iSeries
Access for Windows, and virtual private network (VPN) connections.[33] A secure data transmission should
enable the identity of the sender and receiver to be verified by using a cryptographic shared key system as
well as protect the data to be modified by a third party when it crosses the network. This can be done using
AES or Triple DES with an encrypted SSL tunnel.[30]

Authorization, Authentication, and Network Security

Authorization refers to the act of specifying access rights to control access of information to users.[34]
Authentication refers to the act of establishing or confirming the user as true or authentic.[35] Network
security refers to all the provisions and policies adopted by the network administrator to prevent and
monitor unauthorized access, misuse, modification, or denial of the computer network and network-
accessible resources.[36] The mobility adds to unique security challenges. As data is trafficked beyond the
enterprise firewall towards unknown territories, ensuring that it is handled safely is of paramount
importance. Towards this, proper authentication of user connections, centralized access control (like LDAP
Directory), encrypted data transfer mechanisms can be implemented.[37]

Role of BI for Securing Mobile Apps

To ensure high security standards, BI software platforms must extend the authentication options and policy
controls to the mobile platform. Business intelligence software platforms need to ensure a secure encrypted
keychain for storage of credentials. Administrative control of password policies should allow creation of
security profiles for each user and seamless integration with centralized security directories to reduce
administration and maintenance of users.

See also
Business Intelligence
Real-time business intelligence
Media intelligence
Data Mining
Online analytical processing or OLAP
Predictive analytics
Dashboards (management information systems)

References
1. Peters, Twan; Isik, Öykü; Olgerta, Tona; Popovic, Aleš (2016). "How system quality
influences mobile BI use: The mediating role of engagement". International Journal of
Information Management. 36 (5): 773–783. doi:10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2016.05.003 (https://doi.or
g/10.1016%2Fj.ijinfomgt.2016.05.003).
2. "BusinessDictionary.com" (https://web.archive.org/web/20191028221553/http://www.busine
ssdictionary.com/). Archived from the original (http://www.businessdictionary.com/) on 2019-
10-28. Retrieved 2010-09-16.
3. Business Intelligence for Intelligent Businesses (http://www.information-management.com/s
pecialreports/2008_89/10001705-1.html?pg=1Mobile)
4. Mobile Business Intelligence: Best-in-Class Secrets to Success (http://intelligent-enterprise.i
nformationweek.com/channels/enterprise_applications/development/showArticle.jhtml;jsess
ionid=VCS3TZ0FEKCO5QE1GHRSKHWATMY32JVN?articleID=212300110)
5. FSN publication, "Why CFOs must embrace the new era of mobile BI and Enterprise
Performance Management " (http://www.fsn.co.uk/channel_bi_bpm_cpm/why_cfos_must_e
mbrace_the_new_era_of_mobile_bi_and_enterprise_performance_management) Archived
(https://web.archive.org/web/20180203064318/http://www.fsn.co.uk/channel_bi_bpm_cpm/w
hy_cfos_must_embrace_the_new_era_of_mobile_bi_and_enterprise_performance_manag
ement) 2018-02-03 at the Wayback Machine, July 2013
6. Smartphone definition (https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia_term/0,2542,t=Smartphone&i
=51537,00.asp)
7. "Resources" (http://www.information-management.com/specialreports/2008_111/10002254-
1.html?pg=2).
8. Intelligence on the Go: Mobile Delivery of BI (http://intelligent-enterprise.informationweek.co
m/channels/business_intelligence/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=QJ2ILLXEXQ0SDQE1GHO
SKHWATMY32JVN?articleID=207801077&cid=RSSfeed_IE_News)
9. "Android is Destroying Everyone, Especially RIM -- iPhone Dead in Water - Business
Insider" (https://web.archive.org/web/20111104230047/http://articles.businessinsider.com/20
11-04-02/tech/30089528_1_android-phones-google-s-android-smartphone-market).
Archived from the original (http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-04-02/tech/30089528_1_
android-phones-google-s-android-smartphone-market) on 2011-11-04. Retrieved
2011-11-19.
10. Apple Reports Second Quarter Results (https://www.apple.com/pr/library/2009/04/22results.
html) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20110521104112/http://www.apple.com/pr/librar
y/2009/04/22results.html) 2011-05-21 at the Wayback Machine
11. Apple Sells 1 Million iPads (https://www.cnbc.com/id/36911690)
12. Henschen, Doug (April 15, 2010). "Mobile BI Apps Target iPad" (http://www.informationwee
k.com/news/software/systems_management/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=224400267).
InformationWeek.
13. "Retail Ecommerce Research & News – Digital Commerce 360" (http://www.internetretailer.c
om/2011/10/26/android-surpasses-apple-app-download-share).
14. Eckerson, Wayne. "Architecting for Mobile BI" (http://www.b-eye-network.com/blogs/eckerso
n/archives/2011/04/architecting_fo.php), BeyeNetwork, April 21, 2011.
15. "Microsoft Announces Mobile Business Intelligence Strategy" (http://www.cmswire.com/cms/
mobile/microsoft-announces-mobile-business-intelligence-strategy-013091.php).
16. "10 Mistakes to Avoid in Mobile BI Delivery" (http://www.information-management.com/news
letters/mobile_BI_integration_apps_data_management-10020527-1.html?pg=3). 14 June
2011.
17. Business Intelligence Goes Mobile (http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9179090/Busine
ss_intelligence_goes_mobile?taxonomyId=9&pageNumber=1)
18. Worldwide Mobi le Worker Population 2007–2011 Forecast (http://img.en25.com/web/Citrix
Online/IDC_MobileWorker_excerpt_0_0.pdf)
19. "Morgan Stanley - Internet Trends" (https://web.archive.org/web/20101003203306/http://ww
w.morganstanley.com/institutional/techresearch/pdfs/Internet_Trends_041210.pdf) (PDF).
Archived from the original (http://www.morganstanley.com/institutional/techresearch/pdfs/Inte
rnet_Trends_041210.pdf) (PDF) on 2010-10-03. Retrieved 2010-09-16.
20. "Gartner: The Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2012 | CIO" (https://web.archive.org/w
eb/20200901110723/https://www.cio.com/article/2403264/gartner--the-top-10-strategic-techn
ology-trends-for-2012.html/). Archived from the original (http://www.cio.com/article/692031/G
artner_the_Top_10_Strategic_Technology_Trends_for_2012?source=ctwartcio) on 2020-09-
01. Retrieved 2011-11-19.
21. "InformationWeek, serving the information needs of the Business Technology Community" (h
ttp://www.informationweek.com/news/software/bi/229300446).
22. iPhone, Need for Features Driving Plans for Mobile BI App Development (http://searchcio.te
chtarget.com/news/1376914/IPhone-need-for-features-driving-plans-for-mobile-BI-app-devel
opment)
23. Mobile Line-of-Business Applications for the Midsize Business: An ROI Analysis (http://down
load.microsoft.com/download/A/9/F/A9F105FF-3C62-44B1-A1AE-71E267C31CFE/LOB_for
_Midsize_Business_ROI_IDC_White_Paper.pdf)
24. Mobile BI - A Bonanza for many Businesses (http://www.itbusiness.ca/it/client/en/home/New
s.asp?id=58375)
25. Not all BI Applications are Created Equal (https://www.forrester.com/blogs/09-11-24-not_all_
mobile_bi_applications_are_created_equal/)
26. Intelligence on the Go: Mobile Delivery of BI (http://intelligent-enterprise.informationweek.co
m/channels/business_intelligence/customer_intelligence/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=ZIXK
X1N5D25C1QE1GHOSKHWATMY32JVN?articleID=207801077&pgno=2)
27. "Mobile BI can be Quick" (https://archive.today/20120714094057/http://napps.networkworld.
com/news/2010/071410-mobile-bi-can-be-quick.html). Archived from the original (http://napp
s.networkworld.com/news/2010/071410-mobile-bi-can-be-quick.html) on 2012-07-14.
Retrieved 2010-09-16.
28. Mobile Security Needs Rise With Smartphone Sales (http://gigaom.com/2010/09/09/mobile-
security-needs-rise-with-smartphone-sales/)
29. Business Intelligence Blog by Howard Dresner (http://businesssintelligence.blogspot.com/)
30. "Successful Mobile Deployments Require Robust Security" (https://web.archive.org/web/200
91015035834/http://na.blackberry.com/ataglance/get_the_facts/Successful_Mobile_Deploy
ments.pdf) (PDF). Archived from the original (http://na.blackberry.com/ataglance/get_the_fact
s/Successful_Mobile_Deployments.pdf) (PDF) on 2009-10-15. Retrieved 2010-10-04.
31. Mobile Security Definition and Solutions (http://www.cio.com/article/40360/Mobile_Security_
Definition_and_Solutions?page=1&taxonomyId=3061)
32. "Answers - the Most Trusted Place for Answering Life's Questions" (http://www.answers.com/
topic/transmission-security). Answers.com.
33. IBM: Transmission security options (http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/iseries/v5r4/ind
ex.jsp?topic=/rzaj4/rzaj45zhcryptointro.htm)
34. Wikipedia Article - Authorization
35. Wikipedia Article - Authentication
36. Definition of Network Security (http://www.networksfirst.com/knowledge-base/glossary/netw
ork-security-definition/)
37. Expertstown.com - Mobile Business Intelligence (http://www.expertstown.com/mobile-busine
ss-intelligence)

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mobile_business_intelligence&oldid=1127844470"