How is the mobile and cloud revolution changing old-line industries like manufacturing and field service? Dave Yarnold, CEO of ServiceMax, writing in VentureBeat, calls out three compelling promises of mobile technology that are “completely transforming entire business functions in some amazing ways.” A few highlights:

Dave Yarnold

New hubs of expertise

“Enterprise mobile has turned the usually isolated, individual field technician into a collaborative hub of problem-solvers ready to delight the customer, whether that’s a global supplier of everyone’s favorite soft drink or the world’s leading manufacturer of medical devices for treating cancer.”

New channels for revenue and profit

“If you want to get down to the biggest impact of this new mobile-driven empowerment, in plain terms, it’s money. Not only in the form of better customer retention (think of the attrition that results from a sloppy and disorganized field tech), but also through on-the-spot invoicing … or upselling and cross-selling opportunities.”

New stature for neglected businesses

“For the first time we see this humble white van-based activity talked about in the C-Suite and given attention in the IT budget. The empowerment gains and ability to impact the bottom line have elevated the operation and, with it, the ground-level fix-it guys, to new heights.”

Read more at VentureBeat