Mobile Center of Excellence: An Enterprise Playbook

Mobile Center of Excellence:
An Enterprise Playbook
As many organizations move to a mobile-first mindset, the establishment
of a mobile center of excellence can ensure that they develop and enforce
best practices of IT architecture, user experience, security policies and
standards across the enterprise.
• Cognizant Reports
cognizant reports | February 2014

cognizant reports 2
Executive Summary
The transformative impact of mobility on
enterprises has been acknowledged by business
leaders for some time. Over the past few years,
in fact, the increased use of mobile devices has
transformed the way companies interact with
their customers. But business leaders are now
discovering the value that mobility can offer to
internal applications, as well.
The growth of mobility is apparent for all to see.
According to Pew Internet, nearly all adults in the
U.S. (91%) use a cell phone, and more than half
(55%) own a smartphone.1
By the end of 2013, the
number of mobile-connected devices exceeded the
global population, according to the Cisco Visual
Networking Index, and by 2017, Wi-Fi and mobile
devices will account for more global IP traffic than
wired devices.2
Not surprisingly, enterprises across
industries are preparing for a mobile-centric
future. In fact, recent studies reveal that invest-
ment in mobile projects is growing. Companies
are increasing their development staff and creat-
ing app stores with hundreds of custom apps.
This unrelenting shift has resulted in a com-
plex mobile environment, with multiple operat-
ing systems, versions of operating systems and
device types. As a result, organizations looking
to accelerate mobility adoption are contend-
ing with fragmented solutions, a situation that
increases implementation and maintenance costs
and results in nonstandardized mobile solutions
across the enterprise.
In this context, the concept of a mobile center of
excellence (mCoE)3
— embedded within a larger
IT-centric organization — is emerging as an effec-
tive way to create and execute a centralized enter-
prise mobility strategy, complete with governance
and standards, at scale. We believe that an mCoE
will not only address the challenges of a mobile
strategy, but it will also introduce best practices
for architecture, user experience, security policies
and standards that can streamline a company’s
mobility implementation in the long run.
An mCoE can help tackle the challenges
presented by mobility, including the following:
• Effectively crafting business scenarios with
targeted mobile revenue models.
• Staying ahead of the mobile technology curve.
• Addressing the enhancements that are
required of the existing IT architecture.
• Avoiding the overlaps and costs that can result
from different divisions dealing directly with
vendors.
• Managing mobile lifecycles effectively within
the enterprise.
Mobility Changes Everything
Mobile devices used in enterprises have come
a long way since the 1990s, when Palm Pilot
dominated the market. Today’s landscape is
starkly different, with smartphones and tablets
of different sizes cascading across the consumer
market and into the enterprise. Employees and
consumers have enthusiastically embraced these
devices as a conduit for their always-on, ubiqui-
tously connected lifestyles — from listening to
music and looking up information, to engaging
in social media and reading e-mails. Understand-
ably, this has prompted a radical change in the
way organizations deploy and manage mobile
devices within their enterprise IT architectures.
For enterprise IT, mobility holds the potential to
boost productivity and drive business value. To
make the most of the move to mobile, enterprises
need to put in place a comprehensive mobil-
ity policy that can work as a holistic blueprint,
encompassing everything from mobile app usabil-
ity and content, to security and connectivity.
The change management required for this mobile-
driven enterprise transformation is no small mat-
ter. Early adopters favored an ad hoc approach
to enterprise mobility, but that proved effective
only in the short run. As the number and scope
of mobile enterprise projects increase, the need
for a more streamlined approach has become
apparent. At this juncture, organizations perceive
the need to break the boundaries of short-term
enterprise mobility thinking and leapfrog the
competition. Enter the mCoE.
Level-setting the mCoE
The concept of a center of excellence is not new.
Traditionally, CoEs have been instrumental in
driving organization-wide initiatives by providing
leadership, best practices, evangelization of and
training in an emerging focus area. Organizations
typically embrace an mCoE model after dipping
into enterprise mobility by developing mobile
Web sites, mobile apps and providing informa-
tion access from legacy applications to mobile
devices.

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Before implementing an mCoE, organizations
need to develop a documented mobility strat-
egy. Just as a business strategy addresses mar-
ket changes and opportunities, a mobile strategy
should align with user expectations and plot out
a roadmap for reaching the enterprise‘s mobility
goals. This mobile strategy roadmap becomes the
charter for the mCoE.
Kickstarting an mCoE
Enterprise mobility is a cross-discipline practice
that extends far beyond IT. Few organizations
can offer the full spectrum of mCoE services
from day one; instead, the extent and maturity
of the mCoE’s offerings increase over time. It is
important to ensure that the payoff from each
additional investment is sufficient for maintain-
ing high user satisfaction and executive sponsor
confidence (see Figure 1).
To obtain funding for the mCoE, organizations
need to define the business drivers and develop a
solid business case. A stewardship team is usually
established to define the planning activities and
governance model. The governance model should
ensure that mobile efforts are:
• Aligned with the overall mobile strategy.
• Based on industry mobile best practices.
• Pursued with clear ownership and cross-
discipline participation.
The mobile stewardship organization forms the
core team of the mCoE (see Figure 2), oversee-
ing all aspects of the mCoE model, including HR,
legal, corporate and business operations, sales
and marketing, etc. To succeed, each element
of the governance process, including the mobile
architecture, mobile development, mobile part-
ners and mobile platforms, must be agile and
dynamic, unrestricted by traditionally hard-coded
IT change management processes.
Choosing an mCoE Service Model
The role that an mCoE plays in an organization
is defined by the needs and preparedness of
the enterprise. Therefore, there is no one–size-
fits-all approach to setting up an mCoE. The
organizational changes mandated by the mCoE
vary according to the responsibilities assigned
to it. The forces that shape the mCoE’s approach
include the level of leadership involvement,
maturity with mobile technology, organizational
culture, available resources and budgets. Various
models of mCoEs are being used by enterprises
today (see Figure 3, next page).
The Mobile Change Agent
The mCoE setup process is not for the faint-
hearted. A range of mCoE models exists because
of the variations in commitment among the
many divisions in the organization. Operating a
full-service mCoE involves significant cross-orga-
nization leadership, from the C-suite through core
A Mobility Roadmap
Figure 1
Source: Cognizant
Obtain mCoE
budgetary guidance
Set up
mCoE stewardship
Develop a
mobile strategy
roadmap
Mobile innovation
management
Mobile solutions
management
Mobile governance
management
Mobile partner
management
Define
business drivers
Source: Cognizant
Figure 2
The mCoE Charter
• Define standards, governance and security
policies relevant to mobility.
• Be a trusted advisor to business & IT leadership.
• Provide technology expertise by authoring
best practices.
• Provide thought leadership on mobile
technologies.

cognizant reports 4
line-of-business functions, including communica-
tions, marketing, sourcing, security, HR, legal,
app development, infrastructure and finance.
Gathering the necessary commitment requires a
key change agent in the organization who under-
stands mobility and can evangelize its strategic
importance to the business.
Many mCoEs are, therefore, usually spearheaded
by a “chief mobility strategist,“ “head of digital“
or “chief mobility officer,“ for example. Critically,
these individuals are tasked with building not only
the relationships within the key segments of IT,
but also between IT and the executive branch
and the wider lines of business. They understand
real-world IT delivery, can make build-vs.-buy
decisions and understand back-end infrastruc-
ture, middleware and mobile architecture to drive
governance, reusability and the business case for
mobility.
mCoE Type /Required
Commitment Level Description
Knowledge mCoE Low-cost; driven usually by IT or a business unit to ensure standards and best practices
in a community model.
BYOD mCoE IT-budgeted; enables mobile office functions such as e-mail, calendaring, document
access and basic apps.
Audit mCoE IT-budgeted core architect group; audits in-flight mobile projects for conformance with
mobile standards and best practices.
Mobile testing mCoE Enterprise-funded; common mobile testing lab that provides testing capabilities for
multiple form factors; no centralized development.
Business mCoE Funded within the business unit and usually serviced by boutique vendors to develop
consumer apps; very little need for IT involvement.
Enterprise mCoE Operated with a clear mandate and driven by mobile strategy; spearheaded by a key
leader in the organization who is part of the larger digital strategy; funded for full-service
operations with a 25- to 100-member team, cross-pollinated by several organizational
units.
Commitment level: Low Targeted HighSource: Cognizant
Figure 3
Types of mCoE
with mobile. In doing so, the mCoE can set mobile
standards for existing digital assets to adhere to,
such as content, interactions and security. The
facets of the mCoE cover four major areas:
• A program management office that connects
various stakeholders of the organization.
• An innovation management function that
manages new mobile business ventures.
• An app management function that spans areas
related to solutions development and audit
functions.
• A governance and operations function that
provides day-to-day lights-on operations and
tracking.
Key responsibilities of the mCoE are depicted in
Figure 4 (next page).
The Program Management Office
Although the mCoE’s focus is on new technologies,
the fundamentals of program management,
customer service and cross-functional commu-
nications still apply. The program office of the
mCoE plays three roles:
• Defines standards and mechanisms by
which outside stakeholders engage the
mCoE. Stakeholders include executive
sponsors, whose interest lies in periodically
updating the performance of the mCoE, and
project requestors, who manage services from
the mCoE for solution delivery and solution
Organizational Responsibilities of
the mCoE
The mCoE is responsible for the execution of the
enterprise mobility program and is the mobile
touchpoint for all departments and lines of
business.Itsobjectiveistoensureusersatisfaction
with enterprise mobility services, including
the employee productivity and operational
efficiencies that result from mobile workflow-
based processes. The mCoE helps prioritize mobile
initiatives and rationalize existing processes,
portals and applications that can be enhanced

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guidance. Alliances with various mobile
solution vendors are also managed within the
PMO office; project delivery is managed either
internally or by service partners. As such, the
PMO ensures that vendor-sourced deliverables
are subject to the quality and compliance
standards as defined by the mCoE.
• Continuously measures customer satis-
faction with the services rendered by the
mCoE. The PMO carries out regular stake-
holder communications throughout each solu-
tion’s lifecycle, and all the way into production
operations.
• Reports back to the executive sponsor com-
munity on the value being delivered to the
organization from mCoE investments. Exec-
utive reports aggregate project delivery met-
rics, short- and long-term innovation impact,
and stakeholder satisfaction measurements.
Innovation Management
As a cross-discipline practice, enterprise mobility
involves not just IT resources but also employees
across the business, in areas such as product
development/management, marketing, public
relations, operations and customer service. As
a result, individuals or groups may have unique
viewpoints on “the next great app.“
An innovative idea pipeline should be maintained
with business-relevant apps; the mCoE must own
the task of collecting ideas from a variety of
internal and external sources. These include com-
petitive analysis, device manufacturer advances,
regulatory changes and opinions sourced from
professional analysts (e.g., Gartner, Forrester,
etc.) and regular inputs from strategic mobility
solution development partners and vendors.
The company’s employees also represent a valu-
able source of innovation. Opportunities for
idea submission should be marketed to employ-
ees outside of the mCoE on a regular basis (see
Figure 5, next page). All of this helps to ensure
that an innovation culture is engrained within the
enterprise.
All ideas, regardless of how they are sourced,
should be entered into the mCoE’s online
portal. As ideas move through validation cycles,
their progress and status should be available
to all interested parties. All business-relevant
ideas should be continually evaluated for payoff
potential. Innovation organization management
can choose to take the most promising ideas to
market – either by turning them into reusable
application assets that can be incorporated into
Source: Cognizant
Figure 4
Program Management Office
• Engagement SLAs with project requestors
• Satisfaction metrics from end users
• Overall KPI reporting to executive sponsors
• Internal marketing and effectiveness
App Solutions & Audit
Management
• Solution development
• Mobile technology audit
• Mobile security audit
• Mobile experience audit
• Project prioritization
Governance & Operations
• Methodology updates
• Environment changes
• Production support
• Defect resolution
• Metrics collection and analysis
Innovation Management
• Business transformation
• New digital experiences
• Concept validation with
mainstream apps
Varying Responsibilities of the mCoE
mCoE
Responsibilities
• Consumer satisfaction
• Employee productivity
partner
• Partner workflow

cognizant reports 6
regular projects, or spurring innovative activities
across the enterprise.
Since the mobile experience shelf life is short,
mobile management organizations must make
long-term plans for innovation. In the pharma-
ceuticals industry, for instance, many pharma
companies are finding more agile ways to work
with their partners, including their suppliers,
distributors and resellers. They are doing this by
adopting an API development model, managed
with a software as a service (SaaS) approach, in
which partners consume services on demand. In
doing so, they are enabling a fast pace of change
without the associated cost and complexity.
Lacking the burden of legacy systems, “digital
native“ companies such as Amazon and Facebook
have demonstrated a greater focus on mobility
innovation compared with their peers in other
industries. Amazon’s mobile-first strategy focuses
on high-quality content delivered through tablets,
apps, media and mobile ads. Amazon’s app store
has been a success thanks mainly to the sales of
its Kindle tablet. Moreover, its unique data trove
gives it an edge by enabling more targeted ads.
Similarly, Facebook’s mobile ad revenue has
grown steadily, even as desktop ad revenue has
dipped.
Nevertheless, companies from traditional
sectors have taken mobility seriously, as well.
General Electric, for example, has set up a
mobility center of excellence that builds apps
and solutions designed to work with iPhones
and iPads for functions such as electricity
transformer monitoring, railway track monitoring
and hospital management.4
Meanwhile, tablets are helping to clear bottle-
necks in hospital operations, such as patient
discharges, by allowing staff to enter data related
to a patient’s stay into servers, thus reducing
the time it takes to create discharge summa-
ries. Wearable devices, such as smart bandages
and plasters, are being used to transmit vital
signs, ECGs and oxygen saturation data to smart-
phones or the cloud for analysis. The success of
the U.S. Patient Protection Affordable Care Act
(PPACA) will depend greatly on care being pro-
vided through mobile devices and apps. In fact,
mobile health, or mHealth, is expected to create
savings worth $1.96 billion and $5.83 billion by
2014, with top beneficiaries including the U.S. and
Canada.5
(For more on this subject, read our paper
“Connected Care: Heightened Imperatives.“)
App Solution and Audit Management
To support a culture of enterprise mobility excel-
lence, the mCoE must provide a repository of self-
service collateral (reusable artifacts) that helps
mobility project teams perform at optimal levels
of quality and efficiency. Examples include user
interface templates for commonly used mobile
search functions, as well as certified third-party
libraries for standardized charting components,
barcode scanning and Wi-Fi printing functions.
When it comes to the mCoE’s engagement
with projects, there are two areas that most be
addressed from the user viewpoint:
• Am I doing the right thing? (Audit services)
• Help me do the right thing. (Augment services)
At the most basic level, project staff will deliver
the solution outside of the mCoE, leveraging
self-service governance collateral. When approval
is required for project scope and approach (e.g.,
regulatory compliance), the mCoE would facilitate
the stakeholder approval process as warranted by
the intent of each project. The mCoE would typi-
cally employ approvers with technology oversight
Driving Mobility Innovation
Figure 5
Source: Cognizant
Competitive
Analysis
Cross-Market
Analysis
Persona
Research
Mobile Trend
Analysis
Evaluate current
capabilities against
competitors' mobile
solutions and look at
possibilities to gain
competitive advantage.
Explore disruptive trends
that mobile has caused in
other markets.
Model the mobile
experience by using
personas developed
through analysis of
mobile behavior, focusing
on utility, convenience
and user motivation.
Assess projected mobile
growth, platform trends,
target devices, etc., within
a business context.

cognizant reports 7
(e.g., software and infrastructure architects) and
broker requests to outside approvers, such as
product management, legal and compliance.
To alleviate review and approval bottlenecks,
project requestors should be given the opportu-
nity to self-certify the proposed solution’s intent,
scope and approach, and adhere to the pres-
ently acceptable set of enterprise standards and
best practices. If the mCoE determines that addi-
tional review and/or approval is required because
of deviations, a targeted approval process can be
initiated. The number of approval steps should
be determined automatically. As acceptable
standards and practices evolve (e.g., when tech-
nology previously considered novel becomes
mainstream), rules for approval cycles should be
modified.
At a higher level of mCoE project involvement,
mCoE staff would join forces with the project
teams to augment their resources. Project lead-
ership would retain accountability for overall
delivery, and mCOE personnel would assume
responsibility for deliverables and tasks requiring
more specialized or higher level qualifications.
Staff augmentation opportunities should follow
a typical progression of deliverable focus: from
business case to requirements, to solution archi-
tecture, to detailed design, to coding and testing.
This is an internal consulting model with charge-
back mechanisms to be determined by company
preference.
The mCoE should offer standards verification
services with a menu of deliverable-centric
consulting offerings (e.g., software architecture
review or test plan creation), with price points
corresponding to different service levels (e.g.,
24-hour vs. five-business-day turnaround). Typi-
cal bundles would include review of all project
deliverables as they are produced (e.g., business
case, requirements, software architecture), cou-
pled with review of later-stage deliverables (e.g.,
code, test plans, test cases).
Governance and Operations
Leading mobile enterprises are adopting flexible
device management policies. Mobile information
management is emerging as a key technology
in this regard. Given the fragmented nature of
the current mobile landscape (devices, operat-
ing systems and carriers), organizations must be
flexible in how they manage mobility. A
recent survey by Citrix6
found that while 48%
respondentsareusingmobiledevicemanagement,
47% have adopted mobile application manage-
ment, which is a more flexible approach for exer-
cising control over devices and ensuring security.
Enterprises are also implementing file sharing,
sync and storage to support mobile users.
A typical mCoE does not need to own all the nec-
essary infrastructure, environments and tools
(e.g., version control, build automation, change
management). Nor does it need to employ all
approvers (e.g., product management, legal and
compliance). Moreover, it can often be faced
with project requests that lack detail and are not
clearly translated into implementable solutions.
Modifications usually include extended user inter-
face (UI) prototyping activities to gain project
requestor clarity, architectural proof-of-concept
work to crystalize areas of technological uncer-
tainty, and responsibility for refusing or shelving
a project if it is deemed unsuitable for delivery at
the time of request.
Hence, projects are best operationalized through
an intranet Web site that provides process meth-
odology (phases, milestones, activities, tasks) and
deliverable- and role-centric views into the meth-
odology collateral. Tools such as Eclipse Process
Framework (EPF)7
and Rational Method Composer
(RMC)8
represent ideal open source and proprie-
tary tools, respectively, for software methodology
configuration. In addition to housing deliverable
templates, task and role definitions, the method-
ology must include a knowledge repository cover-
ing the following categories:
• Deliverable samples corresponding to each
template.
• Effort estimation guidelines aligned with
selected methodology.
• UI design best practices for each targeted
hardware platform.
• Architecture and design guidelines for each
software development platform.
• Coding guidelines, naming conventions and
best practices for each supported program-
ming language.
• Continuous assessment of application integra-
tion best practices.
• Testing guidelines covering the use of physi-
cal and virtualized devices, as well as software
device emulators.
• Handover guidelines for transitioning the
project from development to operations.

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• Infrastructure and operations best practices
for customer support, enhancement request
management and metrics collection.
Throughout the project lifecycle, communications
with external stakeholders – starting with the
project request and continuing with regular
status updates and satisfaction surveys — should
occur using an online portal such as Microsoft
SharePoint and a workflow engine to facili-
tate simple requests. Stakeholders should have
near-real-time visibility into the status of their
requests and any other pertinent project-related
information.
An important aspect of the mCoE is its day-to-
day operations, which consist of environment
maintenance, software and hardware upgrades,
patches, etc. While almost invisible, an mCoE’s
environment management organization is of
extreme importance. Management of the envi-
ronment must be driven with a communica-
tion mechanism for operational updates. Such
updates are short, purpose-driven messages and
are not meant to be overly explanatory of update
rationale and impact.
In cases where the mCoE is tasked with operat-
ing mobile solutions in production, an environ-
ment management organization is responsible
for various levels of production support, end-user
feedback collection and gathering of production
usage and performance metrics. Industry-stan-
dard infrastructure and operations best practices
(e.g., an Information Technology Infrastructure
Library or ITIL framework) should be followed
closely.
Some organizations use the mCoE as a mecha-
nism for increasing mobile awareness within
the organization as to how their enterprises are
embarking on new ways to enhance their business
services. External observers should also be kept
informed about the value that the mCOE delivers
to the enterprise. A monthly newsletter should
be sent to company employees to showcase the
latest mobile advances, with article content that
is suitable for a reasonably non-tech-savvy audi-
ence. The information presented should be valu-
able and not easily obtained online. The mCoE
can partner with external entities (e.g., system
integrators, software platform vendors, etc.) to
source appropriate articles.
Benefits of the mCoE
An mCoE is critical to any organization serious
about outperforming in the digital economy. At
a minimum, the mCoE should offer methodolo-
gies, best practices and solution accelerators that
can be used by solution delivery teams to create
higher quality applications at a reduced cost and
on an accelerated schedule. Economies of scale
can be achieved by extending the knowledge
repository role of the mCoE with a full-fledged
solution development mobile organization. A fully
functional mCoE should contain human resources
and enterprise assets required to take a project
from business idea inception to a fully-supported
production solution that is subject to continual
enhancements.
Establishing an mCoE offers many long-term ben-
efits to the organization, including the following:
• Improved alignment. At a time when
different business units pursue their mobile
programs independently of the enterprise
IT team’s jurisdiction, the mCoE helps reduce
overlaps and ensure consistency in mobile
technology adoption.
• Agile development. The lifecycle of mobile
solutions tends to be much shorter than tra-
ditional applications. Typically, apps require
regular updates in features and bug fixes. With
an mCoE in place, enterprises can move to a
mobile solution factory model that streamlines
and accelerates the process.
• Consistent offerings. Mobile solutions
deployed on employee-, customer- or partner-
owned devices need consistency in terms of
design and features. An mCoE can enable this
by acting as a checkpoint for all solutions. It
can create common capabilities that are dis-
tributed enterprise-wide.
• Data privacy and security. Information
security and privacy top the list of enterprise
mobility implementation challenges. Accord-
ing to a study by Dimension Data,9
67%
of devices across 300 enterprises had at
least one vulnerability, and only 27% of
respondents felt they had a well-defined
network policy in place. Moreover, only 32%
respondents have taken steps toward conduct-
ing security audits of applications touched
by mobile devices. It is imperative for enter-
prises to implement comprehensive security
policies and back them up with regular checks
and audits. An mCoE can help reduce the

cognizant reports 9
Quick Take
The mCoE In Action
We have helped numerous companies establish and/or extend a mCoE. Here are descriptions of two
representative examples.
• A diversified global pharmaceuticals leader: This U.S.-based, global life sciences client operates
a shared IT services organization responsible for, among many functional areas, a mobile CoE. The
mCoE operates via a SharePoint-based portal, with approximately 12 pieces of self-service collateral
on application design and technology usage best practices. Many of the customer’s mobile solutions
are subject to HIPAA regulatory compliance, as the apps use personal health information that can be
subject to information privacy.
Every mobile application project request must be manually “decisioned“ by mCoE employee per
a 16-page questionnaire. Review and approval requests involving product management, legal and
regulatory are routed manually via e-mail.
We devised and implemented a set of improvements to the existing mCoE:
» An expanded self-service collateral set covering all SDLC disciplines through a typical project
lifecycle.
» Offshore-based design review process for technical deliverables.
» Project submission automated through SharePoint forms, allowing the requestor to self-certify
a project as adhering to acceptable standards, and triggering approval when self-certification is
not permitted.
» An automated approval workflow, with real-time approval status visibility to all stakeholders.
» Improved mobile solution testing with two service levels: a self-service, cloud-based test environ-
ment set up by the mCoE and turned over to the project’s testing staff, and a complete outsourcing
of test planning and execution to the mCoE’s testing organization.
» Outsourced mobile solution testing.
» Review and preparation of the application to deploy to the app store on a 24 x 7 basis.
• A large commercial health insurer: A U.S.-based commercial health insurer with a global presence
currently operates a large set of mobile applications for international users and has a limited domes-
tic mobility footprint. The insurer is rapidly growing by acquisition with a number of newly-acquired
units using a variety of mobile solutions. These solutions target sales force agents, plan sponsors,
plan participants and the public at large. The solution scope ranges from viewing of plan participant
claims and benefit data to general wellness advice.
The customer initially asked us to create a multi-channel center of excellence, tasked with
standardizing all mobile applications and mobile-enabled Web sites to a single mobile application
development platform (MADP), a suite of products for mobile technology. As the engagement
progressed, the technology scope increased to include governance for native solution development
for iOS and Android platforms, as well as hybrid applications and mobile-enabled Web sites.
So far, we have delivered the following mCoE features:
» Project request process.
» Multi-channel solution development factory staffed with offshore resources, operating on an Agile
scrum method, modified per the client’s constraints.
» EPF-based configuration for factory software development lifecycle and innovation management
workflows.

cognizant reports 10
security risks associated with mobility proj-
ects because it sets technology standards,
which enable centralized governance.
• Mobility innovations. The mCoE is ideally
placed to identify new capabilities that can
lead to value-added offerings. For example, a
simple banking payment app can be offered
as an integrated mobile payment service10
for
requisite third-party apps, thus creating a new
revenue stream while saving development
costs.
• Vibrant ecosystem. Enterprises looking to
create an ecosystem with a large number of
apps need to keep pace with new innovations
from device manufacturers. The mCoE offers
a place where knowledge can be continuously
transferred to partners when rapidly building
and deploying new mobile features to meet
user requirements.
• A mobile-first mindset. Mobile is fast becom-
ing a primary channel, in which solutions and
applications will be developed first for many
enterprises. Regardless of where an enter-
prise’s mobility initiative stands, an mCoE with
an integrated approach to solution develop-
ment is crucial to a successful mobile-first
strategy.
Given mobile’s potential to transform industries,
enterprises need to embed enterprise mobil-
ity apps deep into their go-forward strategies.
The mCoE is the best approach for enterprises
whose business success is predicated on always-
on, virtually connected employees, partners
and customers. Done right, the processes and
standards set by the mCoE at the beginning of
an enterprise’s move to mobility will deliver a
winning hand over the long term. By eliminat-
ing the risks created by a fragmented approach,
the mCoE can set in motion a virtuous cycle that
delivers value as enterprise mobility becomes the
default platform of the future.
» Innovation management organization performing a full spectrum of innovation work, including
idea sourcing, evaluation, prototyping and development of innovative components and applica-
tions.
» Creation of an internal marketing group.
» Development of a group responsible for mCoE environment management, production issue
resolution and minor software enhancements.
» Establishment of a program management office tasked with customer relations management and
communications to the executive sponsor community.
Footnotes
1
"Pew Internet: Mobile," PewInternet, Sept. 18, 2013, http://pewinternet.org/Commentary/2012/
February/Pew-Internet-Mobile.aspx.
2
"Cisco Visual Networking Index: Forecast and Methodology, 2012-2017," Cisco, May 29, 2013, http://
www.cisco.com/en/US/solutions/collateral/ns341/ns525/ns537/ns705/ns827/white_paper_c11-481360.
pdf.
3
Research from Forrester's CIO Mobile Engagement Playbook defines a mobile center of excellence as
a coordinating “force majeure,“ comprising approximately 25 to 100 technology and business staff
under the leadership of a senior executive and a supporting mobile architecture council.
4
“Apple Recognizes GE as Mobile App Leader,“ GE Career Blogs, March 2011.
5
“Mobile Health Monitoring Services to Save Healthcare Providers between $1.9 and $5.8 Billion
Globally by 2014,“ Juniper Research, May 2010.

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About Cognizant
Cognizant (NASDAQ: CTSH) is a leading provider of information technology, consulting, and business process
outsourcing services, dedicated to helping the world’s leading companies build stronger businesses. Headquartered
in Teaneck, New Jersey (U.S.), Cognizant combines a passion for client satisfaction, technology innovation, deep
industry and business process expertise, and a global, collaborative workforce that embodies the future of work.
With over 50 delivery centers worldwide and approximately 166,400 employees as of September 30, 2013, Cognizant
is a member of the NASDAQ-100, the S&P 500, the Forbes Global 2000, and the Fortune 500 and is ranked among
the top performing and fastest growing companies in the world.
Visit us online at www.cognizant.com or follow us on Twitter: Cognizant.
6
“Global Study: Mobile Application Management Adoption on the Rise,“ Citrix, October 2013.
7
The Eclipse Process Framework (EPF) is an open source project that is managed by the Eclipse
Foundation. It aims at producing a customizable software process engineering framework.
8
Rational Method Composer (RMC) is a commercial product by IBM (built on top of Eclipse) for
authoring, configuring, viewing and publishing processes.
9
“Secure Mobility Survey Report,“ Dimension Data, 2013.
10
“Why You Need A Mobile Center of Excellence,“ Informationweek, June 2013.
Credits
Author and Analyst
Akhil Tandulwadikar, Analyst, Cognizant Research Center
Saikumar Jagannathan, Senior Director, Cognizant Mobility Consulting
Subject Matter Experts
Vladislav Vilensky, Principal Architect, Cognizant Mobility Consulting
Design
Harleen Bhatia, Design Team Lead
Suresh Kumar Chedarada, Designer

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