According to Gartner Group, more people accessed the Internet through mobile devices than through traditional desktop systems in 2013. This is astounding when you think about how quickly mobility has eclipsed the desktop marketplace in the past few years.

Defense and intelligence organizations are also embracing this trend by leveraging mobile solutions for the battlefield and humanitarian efforts. In addition, these organizations are taking this concept one-step further by developing their own app stores.

As we recently highlighted, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) has made tremendous strides in bringing the “power of GEOINT” into the hands of the warfighter through mobile apps. As such, its thriving GEOINT App Store now operates much like a commercial storefront, providing downloadable apps to the community. The store has now grown to offer more than 270 apps.

Taking a page from the NGA, the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) is rolling out its Defense Department Mobile Unclassified Capability (DMUC) in the first quarter of 2014. The organization is expecting 100,000 users in fiscal year 2014 and the effort will be supported by an app store.

This new era of mobility is an exciting time for both government and industry. Government is able to advance mission goals more effectively and efficiently, while industry has the opportunity to develop the right mobile platforms to support these efforts.

For example, Thermopylae’s extensible mobile platform is an ideal fit for agencies looking to manage multiple, context-sensitive smart apps. A core component for any defense and intelligence mobility strategy is the ability to securely provide flexible, on-demand mobile capabilities through the enterprise, which is exactly what Thermopylae offers.

While we wait for Gartner’s predictions for mobile use in 2014, we can safely assume that mobility will continue to increase at a rapid pace. This new frontier provides a wonderful opportunity for enhanced government effectiveness, while not breaking the bank.