MicroStrategy Sees Surge in Mobile BI; Updates iPhone, iPad Support 
BI provider MicroStrategy has released a survey that predicts mobile BI adoption will explode in the next two years. The survey results follow the release this fall of MicroStrategy 9 Release 3, which provides enhanced mobile BI capabilities for the Apple iPhone and iPad.
BI provider MicroStrategy has released a survey that predicts mobile BI adoption will explode in the next two years. The survey results follow the release this fall of MicroStrategy 9 Release 3, which provides enhanced mobile BI capabilities for the Apple iPhone and iPad.
Astoundingly, more than four out of five respondents (83%) stated that their organizations will deploy or are investigating deployment of mobile apps within the next two years.
Moreover, mobile BI / analytics apps will be a top focus. In fact, almost two-thirds (62%) of respondents said that mobile BI apps will be used by at least 20% of their organizations with the next 24 months. BI topped the list of likely-to-be-adopted mobile apps, followed by CRM, SFA (sales force automation) and customer engagement.
Respondents labels the following mobile BI apps “Extremely Important”
- Dashboards,
- View charts and reports,
- Alerts and
- KPI monitoring.
Mobile BI apps considered “Very Important” include predictive analysis and guided decision making.
Other notable findings from the MicroStrategy survey include:
- 62% of respondents with existing or planned mobile deployments are focused on using the Apple iPhone.
- 55% of respondents with existing or planned deployments are focused on using the Apple iPad, (This figure is up from 40% from the company’s earlier June 2010 survey).
- Some 70% favor in-house development, rather than third party for their mobile apps.
- Security concerns were cited by 26% of respondents as the reason respondents’ organizations would not build mobile apps.
MicroStrategy’s Mobile BI Upgrades for iPhone, iPad
To prep for this coming demand, the company’s MicroStrategy 9 Release 3 includes special updates for using mobile BI on Apple iPhones and iPads. These new features now available include:
- Support for Apple’s iOS4 and Multi-Tasking. Fully certified on Apple’s latest operating system, iOS4, MicroStrategy 9 leverages multi-tasking capabilities to allow users to resume their BI sessions from exactly where they left off when interrupted by phone calls or other mobile app activities.
- Enhanced Mobile Alerts. Using the MicroStrategy system, users can set information thresholds that will trigger mobile alerts. With Apple’s push notification system, BI users will receive notifications on their iPhones or iPads whenever business conditions exceed their preset thresholds.
- Richer Information Workflows. Mobile BI application designers can create sequences of interlinked screens and reports that will guide users through a business problem or decision-making process. This new mobile BI workflow capability conveys information from one screen to the next to maintain business context and improve productivity.
- Improved Collaboration. For better information sharing and business collaboration, iPad users can e-mail any iPad report or dashboard directly to colleagues to ensure that every decision maker has the same information.
- New Data Visualizations. New native visualizations bring a richer BI experience to iPad/iPhone users, including animations that provide easier viewing and data interaction. RSS feeds on the iPhone are also supported, which allow mobile apps to incorporate external data feeds. New iPad visualizations include integration with Google maps, animated and interactive time series graphs and “micro-charts” that condense volumes of information into a small screen space.
