It’s no secret that  the future of internet browsing is mobile. Currently more than 80 percent of smartphone users access the web through those devices, and by 2014 mobile internet usage is expected to surpass desktop internet usage, according to a new report by Netbiscuits, a mobile software provider.

Responsive design, with its main focus on how content is displayed, is an effective starting point, but it does not have enough scope to deliver an optimized web experience.

The report delves into one of the main challenges associated with the new influx of mobile technology: how to best design for a variety of screen sizes and platforms. Netbiscuits argues that while responsive web design (RWD)—an approach that modifies web layouts to fit different screen sizes—is useful, it’s not enough.

“Responsive design, with its main focus on how content is displayed, is an effective starting point, but it does not have enough scope to deliver an optimized web experience,” the report noted.

Businesses and organizations need to strive for adaptive web design (AWD), Netbiscuits stated.

One of the latest concepts to hit the web design world, AWD “adapts what is displayed depending on the capabilities of the device being used, as well as the screen size,” according to this detailed blog post on B2B Marketing. “It centers on the context of the user, so even when the same content is used, it is adapted (with some or even all of the design elements changing), depending on whether the user is using a mouse and keyboard or touch screen.”

AWD optimizes the user experience, but it is often more complicated to implement and more expensive.

The design debate is just one of the challenges facing organizations trying to implement mobile strategies, which is why CompTIA, an IT trade association, recently launched a new mobile community that will offer a place for industry thought leaders, vendors, software providers, and others to collaborate and create resources for those with a stake in this new technology.

“Our group is committed to developing a comprehensive selection of best business practices, education and training regimens, and other resources on how to best accommodate mobile technology within the enterprise,” Heather Murray, the community’s vice chair, said in a statement.

First on the agenda: a new mobility industry roadmap that will analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats facing IT industry professionals.

(iStockphoto/Thinkstock)