It’s possible that by 2024, sixty percent of the U.S. workforce will be mobile. The pandemic alone has increased this need, not to mention the plethora of new and advanced technology. Recent studies anticipate that business investments in mobile devices will surely increase now more than ever before.

In today’s world of technological advancements, the possibilities are overwhelming. Because of this the U.S. is undergoing a huge digital transformation. Mobile workforce’s are now becoming a standard for most businesses. So, it only makes sense that those of us who have had prior experience with a form of mobile workflow will stand to benefit first.

With this new shift in the workforce IT staffing needs are predicted to increase. This will in turn make prior mobile workflow experience a highly sought out quality for businesses looking to invest in this new trend. A trend that the International Data Corporation (IDC) expects to grow at a four percent rate over five years. With Healthcare and Social Assistance leading the pack at a rate of seven-point six percent within the next five years.

According to the IDC the U.S.’s mobile workforce is expected to take a drastic leap upward. From Seventy-eight plus million to a whopping ninety-three point five million before 2024. Bringing an increase in efficiency, flexibility, and capability according to a senior researcher at the IDC. That means businesses will be spending a much larger percent of their overall budget on mobile technology and qualified staffing over the next few years.

The Two Types of Mobile Workers

Information

The IDC predicts high growth for this type of mobile worker in the next year or so. These workers are known more for their knowledge and dependability of mobile devices for only parts of their job. Some examples would be accounts, lawyers, or someone who works from home.

Frontline

However, when it comes to frontline workers on the other hand the IDC is predicting a slow growth rate over. These workers typically have some form of direct contact with the client. Nurses, retail workers, and teachers are just a few examples of this kind of mobile worker. Only forty-nine percent of frontline workers utilize mobile devices for work today compared to the fifty-five percent of information workers that utilize such tools.

Organizations in the U.S. have been making smartphone purchases a top priority according to IDC data. This increase in the utilization of mobile devices in the workforce has allowed businesses to remain open to an extent during devastating times. Employee communication and productivity can be maintained or even possibly increased. This fact proves even more beneficial during such times of devastation like the one we face now with the current pandemic.

Mobile workers can be categorized as someone who simply utilizes a company email outside of the workplace. To someone who depends solely on the utilization of a mobile device to execute most or all their job. Basically, any utilization of a mobile device by a person for any type of work will categorize you as a mobile worker. From the utility worker who while utilizing a smart device executes meter reads and can instantly link the data to his company’s mainframe. To a sole proprietor in Dallas with a small business who only utilizes a mobile device to check his emails while out of the office.

What This Means For IT

While mobile work needs continue to increase more and more businesses are being forced to invest in staffing support. Companies are starting to work such things as It and mobile management solutions into their spending budgets. Mobile workers and devices are highly sought after now more than ever before. This simultaneously increases the demand for qualified IT that can support both employees and tools a like.

A strong and knowledgeable mobile workflow has proven how important it can be to our country’s workforce especially in times of a pandemic. While technology continues to advance everyday so does the worlds dependency on it. It’s ability to make things even faster and more capable than ever before makes it the ideal new tool of the future for our U.S. workforce. And a lot of it is happening right inside the employee’s own home.

IT will now have to be able to meet the demands of a completely different kind of employee. One that works from home. To add on the devices being used by the employees typically differ from home to home. Not all companies have the funds to invest in a unified endpoint management software that allows you control of all company devices as well as connections. This can prove somewhat difficult at times for both IT and employees when performing their jobs.

Security and Support

Of course, there is always that security risk problem to deal with when utilizing any type of mobile devices. The pandemic helped remind the world of that when companies rushed to implement mobile work into their business schemes due to its strict social restrictions. Resulting in a company spending more money on IT and IT staff training’s.

IT workers and employees will have to deal with remote assistance for support. This alone can prove extremely difficult and can be the cause of high employee turnover. However, there are programs available to help companies threw this transition. The large amount of service providers that are available to help you furnish your companies remote support can make the process a lot easier.

Jack Gold a principal analyst at J. Gold Associates probably said it best when it comes to mobile work. He can admit that putting a definition on mobile work is not easy. But one thing is certainly clear, growth in the number of workers utilizing mobile devices in some form at work continues to climb.

2024 is not to far around the corner. Meaning that now is the time for looking into whether a mobile workflow will be good for you and your business. Since numbers don’t typically lie the clear answer seems to be yes, it is good for you. The mobile workforce is not just continuously growing but here to stay according to research from the IDC.