Number of mobile workers to reach 1.3 billion by 2015 say IT experts

Date: 06/01/2012 16:19:58 (Europe/London)

More and more firms are under increasing pressure to offer remote working provisions to their staff. Doing so is not just beneficial to employees, but can also be very advantageous to companies that are looking to reduce their office overheads.

New technology has enabled more IT professionals to set up secure networks at their firms that allow workers to access data from smartphones, tablets or their laptops. With the emergence of virtualisation, and cloud computing gathering pace, businesses all around the world are expected to offer mobile working arrangements in the near future.

The huge scale of this mass uptake has been emphasised by analysts at the International Data Corporation (IDC), who have predicted that the world's mobile worker population will reach a staggering 1.3 billion by 2015. If this proves to be accurate, employees that operate remotely would represent 37.2 per cent of the entire global workforce. Businesses are already well on their way to achieving this target, as one billion people worked from home in 2010.

"Despite recent market turmoil, mobility continues to be a critical part of the global workforce and we expect to see healthy growth in the number of mobile workers," commented IDC's senior research analyst Stacy Crook.

Although the largest increases are expected to be seen in the Asia/Pacific zone, IDC is also anticipating strong growth in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Indeed, the region is expected to see its number of mobile workers rise from 186.2 million in 2010 to 244.6 million in 2015 - a 5.6 per cent increase.

While many firms clearly recognise the benefits of introducing remote working, some UK-based organisations are struggling to put the concept into practice, it seems. More research conducted by IDC on behalf of web hosting provider Fasthosts has indicated that 60 per cent of British enterprises have yet to make use of cloud computing.

There are a few reasons for this, the researcher said, such as tight budgets and the risks associated with overhauling IT infrastructure. However, the primary factor appeared to be the apparent dearth of IT experts available to oversee such huge projects.

One in four of the survey's respondents said they were worried that their organisation did not have enough skilled employees to make a smooth transition to the cloud. This highlights the growing need for talented IT professionals throughout the UK and could stand many experienced candidates in good stead when firms start to realise that launching IT recruitment drives is the best way to go if they are to successfully expand.

"The data suggests that UK firms will miss out on potential benefits unless they receive more guidance from the industry on the business case for cloud computing," a Fasthosts representative commented.

"Cloud hosting also allows firms to greatly enhance mobility by allowing workers to safely transfer, store or back-up their documents whilst working outside of the office," they added.

A number of the companies that have already started to offer remote working opportunities have introduced "bring your own device" policies, which means employees are able to utilise their personal smartphones or tablets in order to set about their jobs. This could be a smart move in the current economic climate, as providing all staff members with a state-of-the-art gadget is obviously expensive.

Firms realise that the global smartphone market is booming and the chances are that most workers will already own such a device. New figures compiled by ABI Research have suggested that 3G and 4G-enabled handsets will continue to sell extremely well in 2012, with smartphones expected to account for 50 per cent of all mobile sales throughout the year.

This is just one example of how UK companies can use technology to enhance the way they operate without necessarily breaking the bank. However, while savings can be made in this area, evidence suggests that those who skimp on bringing in the very best IT talents may struggle to successfully adapt to the new technology - particularly when it comes to the security of personal devices.