With a multitude of new
mobile devices on the market and many operating systems to
choose from, the selection of the right technology to form the
basis for a mobile business strategy is becoming increasingly
complex.
The days when mobile devices were simply platforms for accessing
e-mail accounts while on the road are gone, and a wide array of
applications are now being used.
For example, West Yorkshire Police’s
Streetwyse application, which runs on Research in Motion’s
Blackberry, allows officers on the beat to access the Police
National Computer and download digital mug shots.
Civil engineering firm Arup uses an application called
Neverfail as part of
its Blackberry-based business-continuity plan to ensure that
employees can always access corporate information, regardless of
where they are.
Tesco has selected Windows Mobile for its combined work
scheduler and GPS-tracking system for delivery drivers in London.
This particular application of the technology is a good example of
how the various features of mobile devices, such as GPS systems and
stylus-based interfaces, can be usefully deployed in combination to
create a practical solution to a business problem.
When deploying mobile systems, businesses must also consider the
operating system, which dictates what applications will be
available. Choosing the right platform for your needs is a key
consideration, as applications are not usually available across all
three major mobile platforms.
For instance, the
Nokia Series
80 device, which uses the Symbian mobile operating system,
offers comprehensive development support for the SAP Netweaver
platform.
RIM’s Blackberry and Windows Mobile 6.0 from Microsoft both
offer extensive programming interfaces, which will be of interest
to a variety of mobile users.
Other factors that IT directors need to consider when choosing a
platform include integration with back-end systems and, ideally,
commonality of the platform with devices and features used by the
various layers of staff in the organisation.
Roberta Cozza, principal analyst at analyst firm
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 another important attribute for a mobile
platform. Ideally, the device should have a multinational presence
and ecosystem of partners, services and applications. The platform
must meet all requirements in terms of security standards, e-mail,
manageability and PC integration.
Also, think carefully about which device and operating system
can be used most effectively by the different layers of staff in
your organisation, says Rob Bamforth, principal analyst with
analyst firm Quocirca. Sometimes finding a single platform simply
is not possible.
“There is no one-size-fits-all answer, and there might not be one
platform that can supply what you need for all functions,” he
says.
“If an initial deployment is aimed at providing the sales force
with data on the road, the same platform may not be suitable when
you need to connect with delivery drivers, for example.”
Your first step when deploying a mobile platform should be to
decide exactly what your workforce will do with the mobile devices
you plan to roll out. This may be a simple matter of giving access
to e-mail or perhaps making a business application available 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 more complicated.
“Different roles need different tools,” says Bamforth. “For
example, if you choose a tool with a stylus or keyboard and then
commit to extending that device to a role which does not have a
hand free to use the stylus or has to use gloved hands to work,
then your roll-out will not be successful.”
You have got to step back and ask what you need from a device
and not get bogged down in the minutiae of its features, says Mark
Blowers, senior researcher at analyst firm Butler.
“Senior executives, for example, need e-mail while the sales
force needs 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.”
In addition to determining which system or systems are needed,
IT directors need to run trials with the staff with the chosen
mobile operating system, device and software that the technology
will eventually be deployed to.
Evaluating operating environments, software, development and
integration are time-consuming but necessary processes. However,
this work 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 at analyst firm
Ovum.
“In some companies top executives are likely to exercise choices
based on their fondness for particular devices. But doing things
that way may means 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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