As organizations seek ways to maintain real-time connections with their workforceandcustomers in an increasingly digital and mobile-centered world, the growth of mobile cloud will be a major force in shaping the business landscape and future tech decisions.The first blog post in this series, by Padmasree Warrior, explores how the convergence of mobility and cloud will deliver unprecedented transformation for all organizations. This post will answer the question of what mobile cloud really is and how it continues to provide new business opportunities.  

We've come a long way since the first brick-like mobile phones entered the market. Today, the proliferation of all kinds of smart devices -tablets, phones and wearables -that are connected to the cloud are changing how we connect both for business and personal uses.

As mobile user behavior continues to evolve, connection to the cloud becomes more critical. For example, according to our Cisco Global Cloud Index, by 2017, 69 percent of global data center traffic will come from cloud services and applications, increasing nearly fivefold from 2012. The report also shows an increase in global mobile broadband adoption, and how mobile device ownership and connections influence cloud-readiness.

And with cloud computing becoming the new way of delivering and charging for IT services, the convergence of these trends -the "mobile cloud" -stands to significantly increase the overall value of mobility, as well as radically alter the way employees work and businesses operate. The mobile cloud will lead to "Empowered Employees" and "Engaged Customers".

So exactly what is mobile cloud and more importantly, how is it impacting our industry and creating a new world of possibilities for IT?

The easiest way to define mobile cloud is to see it as a combination of cloud computing and mobile networks that benefits mobile users, network operators and cloud computing providers.

Mobile cloud enables seamless execution of mobile applications on a variety of mobile devices, so users have a richer experience, regardless of their location. The convergence of mobile and cloud into a single, cohesive, symbiotic platform is so influential in our daily lives, the IDC has dubbed it the "Third Platform".

For IT, this "Third Platform" has provided a number of benefits to their operations. Mobile cloud computing has simplified the gathering and implementation of big data analytics, enabling corporations to stay competitive, regardless of the industry they are affiliated with. Government, education and healthcare are just a few of the fields whose CIOs have reaped the benefits mobile cloud's streamlined and cost-savings measures make possible. The IT group for the Career Education Corporation used mobile cloud technology to create a single solution that increased storage utilization and capacity, resulting in consolidated data centers and greater network speed for the 12,000 employees and 75,000 students who are in an increasingly mobile environment.

http://www.slideshare.net/CiscoBusinessInsights/what-is-mobile-cloud-and-why-should-anyone-care

Forbes touched on the mobile cloud phenomenon in a recent article, outlining how it has driven companies to build and acquire other entities and adapt their own business practices to keep up in an increasingly mobile world. Realizing the value that mobile cloud development brings to an organization is simple enough, but for some, actually implementing it can seem like an overwhelming process.  When implementing mobile cloud, CIOs should consider their business needs, budget for investing in the technology and most importantly, which mobile cloud service provider has the ability to meet the demands of their mobile cloud needs.

With billions of devices in use across the world, mobile cloud has provided the means to engage, connect and conduct business. Has your organization taken a new look at how best to innovate business using the reach of mobile cloud?

VisitExecutive Perspectives to learn more about how converging technology trends are shaping the way IT operates and delivers services. Be sure to join the conversation,#CiscoCloud and #FutureOfMobility.

Additional Resources:

• Read Mobile Cloud Accelerates the Pace of Change by Cisco's Padmasree Warrior
• Check out Read Taking Care of Business in the Mobile Cloud Point-of-View Paper
• Learn more: Cisco Visual Networking Index: Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast Update, 2013-2018
• The Mobile Cloud: When Two Explosive Markets Collide Cisco IBSG Research Uncovers New Opportunities for SPs To Prosper in This Rapidly Growing and Evolving Market
• Read more in Focus: The Power of the Cloud