In the world of data, mobility is the new buzzword. Users want fast, unencumbered access to databases wherever and whenever they need it. The experience of one construction company indicates how IBM and its partners are making that happen.

VCC, an Arkansas firm with 250 workers, wanted its mobile sales force armed with instant mobile access to all data for bidding on new projects and for supporting clients while in the field. They also wanted access to data analytic capabilities to keep tabs on industry trends and company proposals for expanding the business.

The company is just part of a wave of enterprises wanting such technologies. Analysts predict 20 times more mobile data by 2015 and nearly 1 trillion Internet-connected devices by next year.

Yet VCC found that sales leads, contacts, proposal databases and other vital information stored in its CRM systems was inaccessible to project managers traveling and the search capabilities were very limited. So it turned to IBM and partner iEnterprises and its iExtension CRM system to synchronize the company's existing Lotus Domino platform with its sales, marketing, executive and customer service teams all without spending time and resources on a redesign.

IEnterprises mobile CRM technology, called Mobile Edge, is now helping VCC internally collaborate on bids for new construction projects, provide project managers with real-time access to the critical information needed to service accounts, build relationships, retain profitable customers, collaborate with colleagues and quickly retrieve client information.

The benefits include better decision-making, shortened sales cycles and an increase in new clients by 40 percent in just a year’s time. It also is savings of 400 employee hours per month thanks to the ability to more quickly retrieve and utilize client information.

"Using wireless technologies, we can capture and tap all our information wherever we happen to be, improving the way we work and the speed and effectiveness in which we service customers, collaborate, communicate, and close new business," said Wayne Alley, VP, VCC. "We're analyzing information on the go to make intelligent, real-time decisions -- it's changing the way we work."

Project managers using smartphones can now look up, capture and act upon client information stored in the new CRM system and employees can now get real-time snapshots capturing trends over time on their smartphones.

For example, when VCC has secured a new business opportunity and enters it real-time from the BlackBerry, iExtensions CRM uses analytics to automatically predict and tag similar opportunities within the database as high priorities. This lets sales representatives to instantly pursue and land new opportunities based on recent best practices.