Wearables, IoT to boost Smart mGovernment projects in Asia Pacific: Report

Wearable technologies will boost smart mobile government (Smart mGovt) projects and consequently, pave the way for public sector Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystems, says IDC Government Insights.

IoT, context, instantaneous reach, privacy, security, technology readiness and wearables are identified as the seven key ingredients for Smart mGovt adoption.

Today’s disruptive environments highlight the dawn of an increasingly “smart and mobile” global workforce. In addition, Smart mGovt initiatives are driven by mission-critical and real-time solutions in functional domains such as public order and safety, transportation, healthcare, and social services.

According to the report findings, mobile devices continue to grow exponentially in the consumer space. As a result, several government IT departments are facing burgeoning pressures of shadow IT operational threats through Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) demands.

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While these governments continue to grabble with the usability, operational, and security concerns of shadow IT, it will fall upon leading public sector agencies, industry leaders, and private sector players to showcase the benefits of Smart mGovt solutions.

Still-skeptical government IT departments need to be continually encouraged and assured the viability of Smart mGovt solutions.

The report believes choose your own device (CYOD) may be the way forward to quell skepticism with BYOD. CYOD can function as a potential means of partially addressing users’ choice needs. At the same time, CYOD can help government IT departments rein in the proliferation of foreign mobile devices within the enterprise and thus, gain back some form of operational and security control, thereby eliminating shadow IT threats.

“While pervasive shadow IT through consumer and employee mobility needs continue to outgrow implementations and acceptance of Smart mGovt initiatives, CYOD deployment models may be the way forward to help public sector IT departments address skepticism with regard to BYOD-led security and operational challenges.”

“In the mid- to long term, mobility solutions, wearables, and the Internet of Things markets will see significant public sector uptake and growth once the adoption tipping point is breached. Meanwhile, solution providers and public sector end users who consider themselves early adopters of emerging technologies can consider a more granular and targeted approach toward Smart mGovt initiatives,” says Gerald Wang, research manager of IDC Government Insights.