Events

Cloud Takes Center Stage at MWC

By Dan Saks / March 10, 2015

The AppDirect team was in Barcelona last week for Mobile World Congress (MWC), and there was one theme that everyone noticed: MWC isn’t just for mobile anymore. The four-day event is the center for all things digital, and this year the spotlight was squarely on cloud-based technologies, including the Internet of Things (IoT).

For me, that was one of the most exciting things at the event—seeing all of the connections between digital, mobile, and cloud technologies. Sitting at the intersection of it all of it are devices, like virtual reality headsets, smart watches, and even smart cars. The future is not just about computers, or even smartphones; it’s about connected devices working together, and the software ecosystems that will power them.

Richard Dufty, our VP of Sales, had similar thoughts. “The most interesting aspect for me was seeing what’s coming down the line,” he said. “At MWC, there was a strong focus on IoT and machine-to-machine technology, and it’s becoming a major part of business strategy for many companies.”

He continued: “I can see a huge shift starting to happen. Over the next 12 months, companies are not just going to focus on traditional distribution for public cloud and SaaS, but also start to explore the full automation lifecycle and the possibilities for connected devices.”

MWC is also a great showcase for many of our partners, and it was particularly exciting to see Samsung take center stage and talk about the latest updates to its KNOX Marketplace. Announced last year at MWC, the KNOX Marketplace provides advanced features that allow IT managers to browse, purchase, and manage KNOX solutions and other business apps, all powered by AppDirect. We’re proud to work with a company like Samsung that shares our vision for creating a unified customer experience that extends across all applications and devices.

Daniel Saks is co-founder and co-CEO of AppDirect.