- SOTI predicts AI, automation and on-device intelligence will overhaul mobility management in Australia by 2026.
- Retail, logistics and healthcare are the most likely sectors to see rapid change, improving uptime, efficiency and data-driven decision-making.
- Organisations that delay adopting on-device intelligence and automation risk operational disruption and competitive disadvantage.
SOTI Forecasts a Mobility Revolution in Australia by 2026
AI, automation and on-device intelligence at the core
SOTI is forecasting a sharp shift in how Australian organisations manage mobile devices and field operations, saying artificial intelligence, automation and on-device intelligence will become central to mobility strategies by 2026. The software and endpoint management vendor highlights retail, logistics and healthcare as the sectors most likely to accelerate adoption.
Why the change matters
According to SOTI, embedding intelligence directly on devices and automating routine tasks will drastically reduce downtime, speed decision-making at the edge, and cut operating costs. For sectors that depend on real-time data and uninterrupted device availability — such as stores, warehouses and clinical settings — those benefits are immediate and tangible.
Risks of delaying adoption
SOTI’s warning carries a clear downside: organisations that postpone investment in AI-driven mobility tools risk falling behind competitors that harness automation to streamline workflows, improve customer service and maintain higher device uptime. The prospect of increased outages, slower response times and lost revenue frames this as a pressing operational risk rather than a distant technology trend.
Where change will be felt first
Retailers are expected to use on-device intelligence for faster point-of-sale recovery, personalized in-store experiences and automated inventory management. Logistics operators can gain from predictive routing, automated diagnostics for handheld scanners and smarter asset tracking. In healthcare, the promise is improved device reliability for clinical teams, faster patient data access and better compliance through automated monitoring.
Confirmation from industry momentum
These predictions mirror broader market trends: enterprises globally are already moving compute and analytics to the edge, and automation is being used to reduce manual intervention in device management. SOTI’s forecast reinforces what many in IT and operations leaders are observing: the next wave of efficiency gains will come from smarter, autonomous endpoints.
What organisations should do now
• Audit current mobile fleets to identify high-risk devices and workflows that would benefit from automation.
• Pilot on-device intelligence in areas with the highest uptime or data-sensitivity demands (e.g., point-of-sale, scanning, clinical devices).
• Prioritize security and management platforms that support automated remediation and offline-capable intelligence.
Bottom line
SOTI’s 2026 timeline presents both a warning and an opportunity: companies that confirm these trends early, invest strategically, and adopt on-device automation stand to gain measurable advantages. Those that wait risk operational setbacks and losing ground to faster-moving competitors.
Image Referance: https://itbrief.com.au/story/soti-tips-ai-automation-to-transform-aussie-mobility