55% of CIOs don't plan on developing a Mobile App anytime soon

"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.

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 - 2%

Early adopters aside, more than half of the CIOs polled said they had no plans for a mobile app. While mobile applications have become more prevalent in recent years there is most definitely a trend towards mobile-friendly websites that can do it all on a budget.

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%