Yahoo! recently announced that it's disbanding its mobile division and will redeploy employees from this group throughout the company. Rather than giving up on mobile, Yahoo! is recognising that it needs to be part of every activity.
At BuzzCity, we welcome this move. There's a lesson here for businesses everywhere.
Most companies undertake one-off mobility projects to meet user requirements like audience voting. They don't take into account the impact of these campaigns on overall enterprise capabilities like billing and customer care.
But consumers – who have quickly become accustomed to using mobile devices to listen to music, play games, pay bills, read news and interact with friends – now demand these services across-the-board from companies with which they interact.
Some entertainment and travel companies were among the first to integrate mobile into their sales and marketing strategies. Even banks, typically staid conservative institutions, have incorporated mobile into daily business. Ironically, tech companies have been slow to adapt, limiting business options and decreasing competitiveness.
More businesses now need to “infuse mobile” throughout their organizations. This needs to be led by a strategy that accounts for clearly defined business needs, rapid changes in technology and changing consumer behavior.
