Enterprise mobility is changing. Shrinking
computing devices to make them suited to working on the move
presents a number of challenges. Key among these is the quest for
an ever-greater richness of applications allied to a smaller,
less-power hungry device.
There are three main operating systems for mobile devices.
Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 is making great strides towards
leadership. It has the advantage of being based on the most common
operating environment in the server and desktop arena, with
familiar interfaces and ease of integration with Microsoft
applications and server software.
Windows Mobile 6 is bundled with an upgraded
Office Mobile suite, which includes Word Mobile, Excel Mobile
and Powerpoint Mobile. There is also a large number of application
providers, with more than 18,000 commercial applications available
for Windows Mobile devices.
Mobile versions of the .net Compact Framework and SQL Server are
built into Windows Mobile 6, which allow developers to create and
access applications such as sales tools and inventory trackers.
The recent Windows Mobile 6 devices have wireless functionality
including Bluetooth, 3G, HSDPA and Wi-Fi. Microsoft also claims the
new operating system makes it easier for operators and
device-makers to integrate voice over IP functionality into
devices.
The second option for businesses that want enterprise mobility
is
Research in Motion's Blackberry - the latest version of which,
Blackberry Curve, is the smallest and lightest yet. The Blackberry
has made its name by being very good at one thing - e-mail.
Messaging is core to the Blackberry, which offers phone, e-mail
and SMS options. Further standard functions come as applets that
run a calendar, memo pad, to do list, calculator and photo
viewer.
Blackberry devices have compatibility with Microsoft Office
applications, but that means viewing rather than editing Word,
Excel and Powerpoint documents. PDFs can also be viewed, but
graphics and formatting are stripped out in the process.
The Blackberry operating system also enables developers to
create Java or web-based applications, which can then be downloaded
and pushed to devices over the air. Java-based applications
available for Blackberry include sales force automation, field
service dispatch and helpdesk service management, as well as
applications for industries such as health care, real estate, law
enforcement, finance and professional services.
The third option for business is
Symbian. The Symbian operating system has a huge share of the
smartphone market, with nearly 65% in the first quarter of last
year. However, it is hard to say there is one Symbian operating
system, as it is tailored to individual devices and looks and acts
differently on each.
Ease of use differs depending on the device, but messaging using
Pop3, Imap4 and webmail are possible, and Microsoft Office
compatibility allows access to Word, Excel and Powerpoint. However,
the ability to create and edit documents depends on the
hardware.
About 5,500 third-party applications are available, but fewer
are available for business use than there are for Windows
Mobile.
The latest version - Symbian 9.5 - was released earlier this
year, and it promises better memory usage and integrated push
e-mail support. New features include demand paging, in which part
of the disc's library is loaded into physical memory only when
needed rather than being preloaded. This is claimed to make
handsets based on version 9.5 more responsive.
Another new feature is Ram defragmentation, which mirrors the
defragmentation of PC hard drives, freeing up further memory.
Along with the three main mobile operating systems, there is
another option from Access, which bought the
Palm operating system in 2005. Access is developing a
Linux-based operating system, known as Access Linux Palm, to
replace it.
Access launched Linux mobile operating system product
development kits to partners at the 3GSM conference, and last year
mobile provider Orange announced it has named Access as an approved
platform across its network.
Blackberry Curve
blurs boundaries >>
Microsoft Windows Mobile
6 >>
Research in Motion's Blackberry
>>
Symbian >>
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