Going mobile.

• Author: Harrington, Susan
• Position: FROM THE EDITOR

The latest viral iteration of information technology is taking shape across the world--people are going mobile. Mobile is the new way of computing, condensing, connecting, and doing business. People are keeping their mobile devices near and dear, and the trend for increased use is growing at an accelerated pace. Phone calls, texts, browsing, social media, and mobile commerce all come into play through the constant use of mobile technology.

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According to the Mobile Marketing Association, a global trade association established to lead the growth of mobile marketing and its associated technologies, "As technology ignites a new world of interconnectivity, mobile converts every object into a medium and every place into a message. Each engagement is an opportunity; each connection is a potential customer; each sale is a gateway to loyalty."

Going mobile is becoming the way of the world. Just as people are disconnecting because busy schedules give us less time for face-to-face in-person meetings, smartphones and tablets have taken over and touch-screen technology brings interaction closer-to our fingertips, no longer kept at arms length on a desktop. So while we are ever becoming less personal, we are getting closer.

Whether iOS, Android, BlackBerry, or Windows, mobile technology is ramping up to include not only smartphones and tablets, but now wearable devices as well-watches and glasses are the next big thing, and while the screens may be getting smaller, the audience is growing larger.

Digital business analytics giant comScore reports that at the end of the second quarter, mobile commerce was up 24 percent over a...