Village Gamer

“There’s an app for that” may apply to more than four in ten Canadian businesses before the year is over, a new survey by Robert Half Technology shows. Thirty-one per cent of CIOs polled recently said their companies already offer a mobile application, while another 12 per cent said they plan to offer one in 2012.

The survey was developed by Robert Half Technology, a leading provider of information technology (IT) professionals on a project and full-time basis – who already has its own free App. It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on telephone interviews with more than 270 CIOs from companies across Canada with 100 or more employees.

CIOs were asked, “Has your company developed a mobile application for customers and clients, or do you plan to offer one in the next 12 months?” Their responses:

You have one now..................................................... 31%
You don't have one now but plan to offer one in the next 12 months ...12%
You don't have one and don't plan to offer one in the next 12 months .55%
Other/don't know ......................................................1%
                                                                       ------
                                                                       99%*

    *Responses do not total 100 per cent due to rounding.

As mobile applications become more prevalent, there is no shortage of issues for the IT teams tasked with developing them. In the same survey, CIOs said the two greatest challenges for IT teams developing these applications are keeping them up to date and finding IT professionals with the skills to build them.

CIOs were asked, “What is the greatest challenge for IT teams when developing a mobile application for the business?” Their responses:

Keeping the application up to date .................................. 41%
Finding and hiring IT professionals with the necessary expertise .... 18%
Collaborating across departments .................................... 16%
Gaining approvals from the application store or market ............... 5%
Other/don't know .................................................... 20%
                                                                     ------
                                                                      100%

“The use of mobile media, such as smart phones and tablets, is taking off at an exponential rate and as a result, firms are looking to create mobile applications that compliment their business strategy,” said Lara Dodo, a Canadian regional vice president of Robert Half Technology. “When developing these programs, it’s critical that these IT professionals not only have the necessary development expertise, but also the ability to effectively and frequently update the application’s content.”

As more companies look to develop mobile apps, the demand for IT professionals who specialize in this area has increased, according to the Robert Half Technology 2012 Salary Guide, which shows starting salaries for mobile applications developers are expected to increase 8.2 per cent next year — one of the largest increases of any IT position researched.