With each new technology certain organizations implement and learn how to convert the technology advantages into business and management wins. Anytime, anywhere connectivity is transforming customer response and employee engagement creating a multi-billion dollar ecosystem. Yet it is still early and innovation in the space continues with new capabilities and devices that will enable new experiences especially when connected to powerful corporate data repositories.

These innovations will require smartphones that are dedicated to complete customer and partner solutions. Leaders in mobile delivery of CRM, service innovation, collaboration, corporate social networking, and customer experience are driving innovation on a range of new smartphones including Windows Mobile, BlackBerry and iPhones.

Companies that allow a plethora of devices with no clear link to company strategy will continue to muddle along while leveraging the devices as customer and employee experience tools alludes them.

Microsoft’s enterprise presence and the success of BlackBerry along with the rapid growth of Apple’s iPhone are resulting in most IT organizations concluding that support for all three platforms, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry and iPhone, will be required. Single console management of all three platforms will be available from ubitexx during the second quarter of 2009.

Given a company’s investment in security and data protection, it is hard to believe that an open path into the company’s data would be available without mission critical protection. Smartphones have not yet been delivery vehicles for destructive malware, and proactive smartphone management should ensure this is not a possible outcome in the future.

As customer responsive experiences are increasingly dependent on anytime anywhere connectivity, customer data requires careful protection based on strategic and legal requirements. Basic smartphone security (password protection and data wipe) will suffice in some cases, but most companies will need advanced security features for a portion of their mobile workforce.

Savings from ongoing smartphone management fully funds the support and technology costs. Making sure that the management solution also protects against security and data protection failures and the large potential costs associated with such failures, results in an investment that should be an obvious component of any effective IT budget.