In the domain of the desktop, there are not too many
choices to be made when it comes to operating systems for general
business use. It is pretty much a case of Windows or not-Windows,
and in the latter case Mac or Linux operating systems are pretty
much a sector- or task-specific choice.
When it comes to mobile devices the scene is much less settled,
although some clear leadership contenders exist. Today there is
plenty of choice. There is Research in Motion's latest Blackberry,
the 8800, which offers a Qwerty keyboard and a global
positioning system. Sony Ericsson provides a mini Qwerty keyboard
on its business smartphone, the M600i, and O2's
Xda Orbit does away with a keyboard altogether
and uses a touch screen.
So, there are plenty of options for business users, but what are
the main choices of operating environment for handheld devices and
how should a business decide which platform best suits its
needs?
Microsoft Windows Mobile - of which
version 6 was recently launched at the 3GSM
conference - appears an odds-on bet to achieve leadership in the
mobile device arena.
The operating system brings many of the advantages of being
based on the most common operating environment in the server and
desktop arena - for example, familiar interfaces and integration
with Microsoft applications and server software.
Jason Langridge, UK and EMEA mobility business manager with
Microsoft's mobile and embedded devices division, says the
company's mobile operating systems have the key advantage of
offering a unitary environment on a wide range of devices.
"Windows Mobile supports device choice, providing customers with
a range of device options - from 48 device makers and 125 mobile
operators in 55 countries - but with only one software platform for
an IT department to manage," says Langridge.
Windows Mobile 6 comes with an upgraded version of the Office
Mobile suite, which includes Word Mobile, Excel Mobile and
Powerpoint Mobile. It is also supported by a large number of
application providers, a key consideration for business users.
At present there are more than 18,000 commercial applications
available for Windows Mobile devices, including applications from
SAP, Siebel, PeopleSoft/Oracle, Salesforce.com, Onyx, Microsoft,
Sybase/iAnywhere, Dexterra, Mobitor and Field Centrix.
Microsoft's development environment - Visual Studio.net - has
tool support that includes mobile development so developers can
convert PC applications to mobile.
New mobile versions of Microsoft's .net Compact Framework and
SQL Server are built into Windows Mobile 6, which allows developers
to create and access applications such as sales tools and inventory
trackers.
Security in Windows Mobile 6 is available from several sources,
including new Exchange Server policies and certificate options,
storage card encryption, and continued support for remote and local
device wipe. Information Rights Management technology used on PCs
is now extended to Windows Mobile 6 devices.
According to Langridge, "Windows Mobile 6 improves on previous
versions of the platform by providing enhanced user interface
features, better management capabilities for IT administrators and
better scalability and support for mobile operators, device-makers
and developers."
High-profile corporate users include News International, which
has adopted Windows Mobile primarily for e-mail among top
executives and Tesco.com, which has deployed a combined work
scheduler and GPS tracking system for its delivery drivers in
London.
While Microsoft's mobile operating system lays claim to being
able to do a lot of things in a single environment, Blackberry has
made its name by being very good at one thing - e-mail.
RIM's Blackberry has proved addictive for many users, who are
now dependent on its easy-to-use push e-mail facility. You would
not think an interface controlled by a thumbwheel and very small
Qwerty keyboard would be the most efficient, but Blackberry users
swear by it.
Messaging is core to the Blackberry environment, and phone,
e-mail and SMS options are all easily available from a contact
name. Further standard functions come as applets that run a
calendar, memo pad, to-do list, calculator and photo viewer.
Blackberry does not just rely on these standard functions,
however. It has compatibility with Microsoft Office applications,
although it is limited to allowing viewing but not editing of Word,
Excel and Powerpoint. PDFs can also be viewed, but much of the
graphics and formatting is stripped out in the process.
Blackberry devices are Java-based and third-party applications
are written in that language. Extensive software developer tools
are available, with Java Micro Edition 2.0 supported.
Tyler Lessard, director of independent software supplier
alliances at RIM, says, "We recognise that each user wants to
tailor their smartphone to their exact needs. To meet this, the
Blackberry operating system enables applications - either
Java-based or web-based - to be downloaded over the air. There are
more than 650 independent software suppliers creating both bespoke
and off-the-shelf applications, which are proving immensely popular
with our seven million-strong subscriber base."
Java-based applications available for Blackberry include sales
force automation, field service dispatch and helpdesk service
management, as well as systems for industries such as healthcare,
real estate, law enforcement, finance and professional
services.
Notable corporate roll-outs of Blackberry systems include West
Yorkshire Police's Streetwyse application, which allows officers on
the beat to access the Police National Computer and download
digital mugshots, and civil engineering firm Arup, which uses an
application called Neverfail as part of its business continuity
plan to ensure employees can always access corporate
information.
The third option is Symbian. Symbian occupies a strange position
in the mobile device world. In terms of market share in the
smartphone market, in the first quarter of 2006 it held nearly 65%,
beating Linux, Microsoft, Blackberry and Palm, while in the PDA
market it only had 3.8% market share, behind Microsoft, RIM and
Palm.
Compounding this uneven picture is the fact that there is not
really one Symbian, as the operating system is tailored to
individual devices and looks and acts differently on each.
Consequently, ease of use differs depending on the device.
Messaging using POP3, Imap4 and webmail are possible, and Microsoft
Office compatibility allows access to Word, Excel and Powerpoint,
although, again, whether you can create and edit documents depends
on the hardware.
A large number of third-party applications are available - about
5,500 - but fewer are available for business use than Windows
Mobile.
Of all the devices in the market running Symbian, Nokia's Series
80 leads the field as a business tool. These devices - the 9300
Smartphone and 9500 Communicator - are aimed at the enterprise
market, with large screens, full keyboards and support for
Microsoft Office applications, although extra software is required
to edit or create such documents. Comprehensive development support
for the SAP Netweaver platform is also a feature of Series 80
devices.
Despite such highlights, the Symbian platform in general lacks
wide-ranging support for enterprise-class software and is regarded
as difficult to link to back-end systems.
Finally, there is Palm OS. Despite having about 30 million users
globally, it was abandoned by owner Access late last year. Access
is now concentrating on developing a Linux-based operating system
to replace Palm, called Access Linux Palm. Access launched Linux
mobile operating system product development kits to partners at
3GSM.
So, what is best for your business? If you are considering a
mobile deployment there are a number of considerations that should
guide your choice of environment.
First, it is important to decide what exactly your workforce
will do with the mobile devices you deploy. This may be a simple
matter of access to e-mail or perhaps a business application to
staff in the field. However, if you want to satisfy the needs of a
number of roles within the business, your selection of device and
operating environment may become complicated.
You may have to think carefully about which device and operating
system can be used by different roles in your organisation, says
Rob Bamforth, principal analyst at research group Quocirca. "There
is no 'one size fits all' solution, and there might not be one
platform that can supply what you need for all functions," he
says.
"For example, if an initial deployment is aimed at providing a
sales force with data on the road, the same platform may not be
suitable when you need to connect with delivery drivers.
"Or if you choose a tool with a stylus or keyboard, for example,
and then commit to extending that to a role that does not have a
hand free to use the stylus or has to wear gloves to work, your
roll-out will not be successful."
You have to step back and ask what you need from a device and
not get bogged down in the minutiae of features, says Mark Blowers,
senior researcher with Butler.
"Different roles in an organisation need different features.
Senior executives, for example, need e-mail, while the sales force
would need access to back-end systems. There is a different focus
required for different roles, so you need to have a clear view of
the likely use of devices," says Blowers.
Beyond suitability for the chosen job, the main factors left to
determine are the availability of software, integration with
back-end systems and, ideally, the commonality of the platform with
devices and features to be used by different roles in the
organisation.
Roberta Cozza, principal analyst at Gartner, says, "When an IT
manager chooses a device for different needs among the workforce,
the platform needs to have consistent software across all devices
and have application portability."
Industry presence is an important attribute for a mobile
operating system. Ideally it should have a wide availability of
devices, a multinational presence and an ecosystem of partners,
services and applications. The platform must also be comprehensive
in terms of security, e-mail, manageability and PC integration.
Finally, you need to run trials with your chosen operating
system, device and software with the staff roles they will
eventually be deployed to.
Evaluating operating environments, software, development and
integration are time-consuming processes, but can come to nothing
if the end-user cannot or will not embrace the device in the
application it was intended for, says Tony Cripps, senior analyst
and service manager with Ovum.
"In some companies top executives are likely to exercise choices
based on their fondness for particular devices, but doing things
that way may mean they are not useable or accepted if they are
deployed to other staff doing different things," says Cripps.
"It is a really simple thing to overlook, so some kind of
trialling is always useful."
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