In a sign of the growing influence of social media in the enterprise, Salesforce has launched Chatter Mobile, a mobile collaboration platform.
Chatter Mobile, an extension of Salesforce's cloud-based social networking platform, Chatter, can be deployed on Android, BlackBerry, iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, with no mention of the Windows mobile platform.
It will enable users of Salesforce Chatter to monitor their Chatter feeds, view posts and alerts, post status updates and comment on conversations from via mobile phone.
In a statement, the company touted its move toward “Cloud 2”, which it describes as the next phase of cloud computing as social and collaborative, using real time.
The company also notes research by IDC which claims mobile devices are becoming the new enterprise desktop for over 50 per cent of the workforce.
Salesforce.com chief executive, Marc Benioff, said Chatter Mobile will help employees keep abreast of what is happening across the enterprise and also render traditional desktops unnecessary.
“The combination of devices like the iPad or the new iPod touch with mobile apps like Chatter that push information to you in real-time are making the desktop obsolete,” Benioff said in a statement.
Altimeter Group analyst, R “Ray” Wang, also said in the statement that enterprises are embracing social apps and mobile computing as a way of the future.
Chatter Mobile will be available to users of Salesforce CRM and Force.com for no added cost, while mobile apps for BlackBerry, iPad, iPhone and iPod touch are scheduled for release at the end of this year.
The Chatter Mobile application for Android will follow in the first half of 2011.