The interest surrounding mobile BI ebbs and flows over time.  Even though many solution providers offer mobile BI solutions, the reality is that adoption remains low.  And even though many decision makers take their work on the road, BI doesn't seem to be a part of the equation outside of office or use of traditional online access points.  The question of whether devices such as the iPad will change the way users interact with BI remains to be seen.  The question of alerts, however, is much closer to the day to day activities of organizations actively using operational BI.  Do organizations use them and if so, how?

Obviously, the discussion surrounding alerting and the ability to be anywhere and get instant updates related to issues, etc. creates a benefit for people on the go.  How different is this usage from other forms of BI depends upon the way it is being applied and who is being accessed and for what.

Solution providers such as Klipfolio are starting to explore these questions and to identify whether added alerting - to mobile devices, through SMS, etc. - would add value to overall BI use. To participate in Klipfolio's poll click here.