CIOs must plan for context aware computing projects

So says Gartner and the analyst adds that by 2015, the issue of context will be as influential to consumer mobile services and relationships as search is to the web today. William Clark, research vice president at Gartner, says that, as a result, organisations need to investigate context-aware computing projects between now and 2015. He adds that CIOs and business strategists also need to understand the differences between these projects, and how they relate to other IT and business initiatives. "Most organisations will take three to seven years to formulate a mature context-aware strategy," says Clark. "During this time, the CIO's role will evolve as the organisation's use of context evolves – from introducing the concept to the business, to finding early wins, to making the transition to large-scale deployments and, finally, to maturity." Gartner, he says, has identified a six-point action plan for CIOs to follow during the next five years, to deliver maximum benefit from context-aware-computing projects: Perform market and technology monitoring. Plan to take a lead role as an advocate and find business sponsorships during the next two to three years. Recognise or increase emphasis on user experience design now as a core competency. Manage risk, especially in scale and in the business model. Address sourcing and partners. Cultivate cross-project coordination, recognising the importance of synergy with other initiatives.