Convergent Handheld PDAs & Garmin

I have written several blog articles over the past couple of years on the concept of "convergent" handheld computers and PDAs. My definition of a convergent device is a handheld computer or PDA that combines many different features such as:

• Mobile phone
• Music player and mass storage
• Digital camera/video camera
• GPS and navigation
• Internet connectivity
• Powerful operating system that can run powerful business applications (windows mobile or equivalent)
• Audio memos
• etc

The convergence of these features in one mobile handheld device provide the mobile worker/field services worker the capabilities of automating and mobilizing many of their business processes and applications without carrying multiple devices.

Garmin, a long time satellite-navigation device company, seems to just be absorbing this concept. As printed in the Wall Street Journal's Breakingviews.com on Saturday, August 2, 2008 - Garmin has been planning, but is now delaying the launch of their mobile phone and gps navigation device until the first half of 2009. It does not seem to include many of the features listed above, but does combine the mobile phone with GPS/Navigation. My question, like the Wall Street Journal's, is why now? Where were they when they owned the GPS/Navigation market? Did they completely miss this concept in 2006, 2007 and 2008 when the iPhone was introduced? Did they really think people would want to carry multiple devices around?

- Kevin Benedict

Mobile Applications that Blend Data and Services from Multiple Sources

Research In Motion's co-CEOs Mike Lasaridis and Jim Balsillie recently stated that software depth, breadth and integration will drive future device sales, noting the potential that lies in applications blending data and services from multiple sources.

This is important. I have been writing for some time about convergent devices, however, it is most often in the context of mobile devices and hardware accessories like GPS, bar code readers, digital cameras, voice memos, WiFi and other Bluetooth devices. The blending of data and services from multiple sources combined with convergent hardware is even much bigger.

Let's think about a simple scenario -

1. Field service technician (X) orders a part for a furnace online from his smartphone. He will complete the job when it arrives.
2. The part is shipped and an alert email notifies field service technician X which day it will arrive.
3. Field service technician X notifies the customer via email about the status and notes this information in the mobile CRM application.
4. When the part arrives, the dispatcher gives it to a field service technician Y as Y is is going to work at a location close to where field service technician X is working.
5. Field service technician X is wirelessly sent a service ticket to finish the job, and notified that the part is with field service technician Y at the following GPS coordinates.
6. Field service technician X and Y meet up and the job is completed.

In this example, the field service technicians have smartphones with mobile Internet, wireless work order dispatch, GPS integration, mobile email, online parts tracking and mobile CRM. They have blended data from multiple sources and services.

The more business processes that are mobilized, the more mobile data services will be used by the mobile workforce. This will require faster and more powerful smartphones. Mobile enterprise application platforms will need to be able to manage and integrate data from multiple sources and integrate them into one mobile application. This requires some interesting software development.

I believe that the integration of multiple sources of data and services begs for mobile analytics. Business analytics will interpret the data and recommend action steps based upon this analysis. I invite software developers who have expertise in these areas to comment.

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Author Kevin Benedict
Independent Mobile Strategist, Sales, Marketing and Business Consultant
www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbenedict
http://kevinbenedict.ulitzer.com/
http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/
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The Magic Quadrant for Handheld Computers

I was in Paris, France last week at Symbol's EMEA Partner Conference. While there I heard more evidence of a trend I have been watching for a while. The 2 largest ruggedized handheld computer manufacturers - Symbol and Intermec have both recently come out with small, ruggedized, full functional handheld computers. These handheld computers combine the ruggedness of larger handhelds, and include barcode scanners, GPS, phones, WiFi, bluetooth and more. Symbol says that their MC70, pictured above in PointSync Developer, has become one of their top sellers. It is especially appealing to the "field service" market. That is also the market MobileDataforce focuses on.

I have also recently seen a lot of very interesting looking small ruggedized handheld computers coming out of Korea and China. These are sub $1,000 USD devices that can reasonably be used as handheld computers, phones and barcode scanners. They are a little bulky for the suit coat, but work nicely attached to the belt.

MobileDataforce is a big fan of these smaller handheld computers. They carry a lot of power and allow us to provide software solutions to our customers for reduced overall project costs due to less expensive ruggedized hardware.

If you can get full functional, ruggedized handheld computer/phones for under $1,000 USD - there is very little business justification for buying consumer grade PDAs. Most consumer grade PDAs with business capabilities are priced at $500-$800, yet are not ruggedized.

Let's go back to the title of this blog - Where is the magic quadrant for handheld computers? It is handheld computers that are truly convergent. Convergent, meaning they combine the ruggedness and size that is easy to carry, plus they have the phone, Windows Mobile 5.0, GPS, barcode scanners, plus the industrial grade batteries to support a full day's work.

I love it!

Treo 700w & MobileDataforce's PDA Software

The Treo 700w is beautiful. A convergent device running on the Windows Mobile operating system. It combines a phone with the power of Pocket PC. It won't survive submersion in water for long, but neither will I. For most environments where mobile phones can survive, this device is a winner.

Our PointSync software is designed to take advantage of these convergent features. Our mobile applications can be quickly designed to utilize the GPRS connectivity to synchronize mobile applications with enterprise database applications.

Google and Cloud Computing Comes to Mobile Handheld PDAs and Smartphone Users

Google has just announced they will be offering synchronization and support for Cloud computing for mobile and wireless handheld PDAs and smartphones users including those using the:

iPhone
BlackBerry
Nokia S60
Nokia standard
Sony Ericsson
Windows Mobile

Why is this important? It demonstrates a trend that people are moving away from the view that their desktops or laptops are the center of the universe, to a view that Cloud Computing - their online Google or Yahoo Accounts are the center.

Google has now enabled synchronization directly through any wireless connection to your online account(s). Your contacts and calendars and other Google Apps no longer must be synchronized through a desktop, iTunes account or laptop. This is big news! This functionality permits the concept of a truly untethered mobile computing environment for handheld PDAs and smartphones. The home or work desktop is no longer the anchor weighing you down. You are free to move around the world and have access to your valuable content and applications.

I can't emphasize enough what a monumental change this is for mobile users. The advent of the iPhone and other convergent multi-media mobile handhelds along with synchronization to the Cloud where hundreds of Google Apps exists changes everything.

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http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/
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Mobile Applications that Move Things

There is a new category of mobile software applications for Smart Phones and handheld computers that physically move things. I love it!!! Zip Car, a rental car service, allows you to use your iPhone to both find and unlock the rental car. Zip Car's business model is they park their rental cars around a metropolitan area and people can register and pay for the rental online, then they are provided with a list of locations where these cars are parked near them. Once there, they can enter their rental code into their iPhone and the Zip Car is unlocked for them.

In this USA Today article, a California company has now created an application called Viper SmartStart that can replace your car keys. Your iPhone will now be able to lock, unlock and start your car. Again, your Smart Phone is controlling mechanical movements. Next I can see throwing away my garage door opener, TV Remote and using my iPhone to start up and warm my car during the dark of winter.

I have read in other articles about home security systems and security related video cameras all being managed and activated by Smart Phones. There has been the concept of convergent devices for some time, but this generally referred to converging different pieces of equipment such as bar code scanners, GPS, digital cameras etc, together in one mobile device. This new Convergence 2.0 includes taking control of and managing the mechanical movement of things.

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Author Kevin Benedict
Independent Mobile Strategy and Marketing Consultant
www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbenedict
http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/
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Handheld Computers Everywhere

What do these folks all have in common - the water delivery guy, the parking meter attendant, the surveyor on the sidewalk, the UPS delivery guy, pig farmers, building inspectors and nearly every business person in the airplane? The answer....they all are using handheld computers. So why then is Dell Computer announcing they are going to stop manufacturing PDAs? The answer is that handheld computers are becoming much more than the simple PDAs (personal digital assistants) that Dell has traditionally sold. The new convergent PDA phones should really be renamed to EDAs (enterprise digital assistants) and they are now being sold primarily through the wireless phone carriers rather than electronic stores or direct computer manufacturers as in the past.

EDAs require the combination of a mobile phone and a full functional computer. They integrate processing power, memory, Windows Mobile operating systems, wifi, bluetooth, internet, music/video, digital cameras, and sometimes GPS, bar code, RFID all working with email/calendar features connected over the Internet to enterprise corporate databases and software applications. The simple PDA has been transformed into an essential tool designed to extend the power of corporate database applications into the hands of the mobile workforce.

Think about it...nearly 40% of the global work force is mobile. That means they are traveling, driving delivery trucks, working in field services, repairing equipment at a customer's location, farming, building homes, etc. These mobile workers need access to corporate and customer data and the use of corporate software applications, yet they need them on a portable, ruggedized handheld computer that can fit on their belt or in their pocket.

My team at MobileDataforce is dedicated full time to extending the power of enterprise database applications out to the field force. This is accomplished by developing mobile software platforms such as the PointSync Mobility Platform that enable handheld computers to connect to and access enterprise applications. These solutions enable the bi-directional exchange of information between the office and the field using handheld devices.

Mobile Convergent Devices and Applications

I can't let this experience go undocumented. I am sitting in Starbucks drinking a Mocha, writing a blog article, chatting with an international client on skype, checking and responding to emails, taking phone calls, recording voice memos, accessing spreadsheets on Google Docs, scheduling meetings and listening to music all on my iPhone.

Yes, sometimes I must ask everyone in Starbucks to stop talking while I am on important calls, but other than that I have complete mobile office. My iPhone has effectively converged most applications and required office equipment into one small mobile device that is now an essential tool for mobile workers.

As I noted last week iPhones can also photograph and identify bar codes, use its integrated GPS to show your current location and nearby business and much more. Convergence is real.

- Kevin Benedict,
Mobile Technology Writer and Consultant

M2M News Weekly - Week of June 13, 2011

Welcome to M2M News Weekly, an online newsletter that consists of the most interesting news and articles related to M2M (machine to machine) and embedded mobile devices.  I aggregate the information, include the original links and add a synopsis of each article.  I also search for the latest market numbers such as market size, growth and trends in and around the M2M market.

Also read Field Mobility News Weekly
Also read Mobile Commerce News Weekly
Also read Mobile Marketing News Weekly
Also read Mobility News Weekly

Pike Research estimates that more than 250 million smart meters will be installed by 2015, up from 46 million in 2008.  Read Original Content

According to Connected World magazine Verizon leads the M2M market with the most data connections, while AT&T leads with the most connected devices.  Read Original Content

A Sheriff’s department in Arizona has equipped its patrol fleet with mobile data computing which turns patrol vehicles into wireless hubs that allow deputies to access live feedback from a number of sources.  Read Original Content

Verizon and Blueforce Development have agreed to combine efforts to provide government and commercial M2M services.  Read Original Content

Infonetics Research has found that global convergent charging market, including software and services, grew 37 percent in 2010 over 2009 to $862.3 million, and is forecast to grow to $3.3 billion in 2015.  Read Original Content

Comparing Netbooks, Mini-Notebooks, PDAs and Handhelds in Field Services

I am a big fan of Netbooks and Mini-Notebooks. These are lightweight portable computers generally with 7-inch to 11-inch screen sizes optimized for internet connectivity. They often have exceptional battery life and can be used as a truly convergent device. Often they are optimized to run the complete Microsoft Office Suite. This article discusses them in more details.

The term Netbook refers to the fact that they are optimized to work on the internet. They are mobile internet devices that also have the power to run your standard office software applications. Doesn't most mobile handheld devices and PDAs that run Windows Mobile already provide these functions? Yes, but the 7"-11" screen is a vast improvement, especially for people needing to do real work, process and read large amounts of data and read diagrams, maps and drawings.

The Netbook, as a mobile internet device, should be set-up to access online documents, manuals and work order applications through simple internet logins. These devices can be generic enough to be shared by a complete workforce. In the morning the user can simply check out a Netbook, login and have access to all the information they need in the field.

Let's take the example of a service technician in the field. A small mobile phone is just not a good option for comprehensive work order management. It will quickly kill the eyes of the user. You need a bigger screen to work with any kind of data intensive work orders or parts catalogs. At the same time, you do not want the bulk and weight of a full size laptop. A small Netbook with a 7 inch screen can fit in the pocket or in a padded pouch easily. The screen size is big enough to show a lot of information and data fields without constant scrolling.

In situations where internet connections will be intermittent you may want to consider a work order management system that can function equally well connected or disconnected and use database synchronization in the background. Vendors like MobileDataforce specialize in these areas.

Mobility News Weekly – Week of November 25, 2012

The Mobility News Weekly is an online newsletter made up of the most interesting news and articles related to enterprise mobility that I run across each week.  I am specifically targeting information that reflects market data and trends.

Also read Enterprise Mobility Asia News Weekly
Also read Field Mobility News Weekly
Also read M2M News Weekly
Also read Mobile Commerce News Weekly
Also read Mobile Health News Weekly
Also read SMAC News Weekly

Within the last three months, iPhone 5 sales boosted Apple to the number one spot in the U.S. market, with handsets running on Apple’s iOS operating system accounting for 48.1 percent of smartphone sales in the country, according to Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.  Read Original Content

The Nokia Lumia 920 is starting to make some rumbles in the smartphone market, selling out on Amazon.com and seeing some wait times on AT&T for some versions. Read Original Content

According to Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, Android has claimed a dominant lead in the Australian smartphone market with a market share of 62.2 percent, with the platform pulling ahead of Apple.  Read Original Content

Founded in 1979, DSI is a global provider of Enterprise Mobility Solutions®, helping companies worldwide increase productivity and profitability regardless of data source, device type, operating system or network connectivity.  DSI serves clients globally through its offices in Australia, Canada, China, France, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States.  This newsletter is sponsored in part by DSI.

According to new Market Data from ABI Research, by the end of this year revenues accumulated by the global mobile application market will pass the $30 billion milestone with that figure including money made from pay-per-downloads, in-app purchases, subscriptions and in-app advertisements. Read Original Content

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, finds that the Latin American mobile broadband market earned revenues of $6.74 billion in 2011 and estimates this to reach $34.41 billion in 2017, driven by increasing demand for mobility, penetration of smart devices, and convergent services and bundles.  Read Original Content

According to research firm comScore, Google Android and Apple iOS account for respective 53 percent and 34 percent shares of the smartphone subscriber market.  Read Original Content

According to IDC, the third quarter report has Sony standing in third position while last year for the same quarter Sony had the sixth position. Read Original Content

According to Gartner, Samsung sold the most smartphones during the third quarter, spearheaded by the Galaxy S3, which recently surpassed the 30 million units sold milestone. The company sold an accumulative of 55 million smartphone units, while Apple sold 23.6 million iPhones.  Read Original Content

TomTom and the iPhone Turn by Turn Navigation Application

Today, TomTom announced the released, to Apple's iTunes online mobile application store, of a $100 iPhone software application that provides turn by turn voice navigation for iPhones using OS 3.0.

The car kit will be available to order later this month and will include a charger and add hands-free calling to the iPhone.

This is significant. The iPhone operating system and the iPhone itself are powerful enough to run applications which in the past were reserved for specialized GPS devices. This is one of those Tipping Point moments where entire industries (dedicated GPS devices) can be impacted.

In the past I have written about the convergence of different applications and mobile devices. This is another giant leap forward in this area.

It is also very interesting to me that a company, TomTom, that manufacturers dedicated GPS devices had the courage to release a software application to a convergent device like the iPhone that is bound to take business away from their dedicated GPS device area. This shows courage and I commend the executive team willing to make this bold step to face the inevitable.

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http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com
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New Palm Treo 500v Smartphone

Palm has released a new version of the popular Treo series Smartphone - Palm Treo 500v. It sounds like it will be available in Europe in October and available from Vodafone. It will be using Windows Mobile 6.0. I think the Palm OS may be going away soon in favor of Windows Mobile for PDAs.

The Palm Treo 500v and the Palm 750w (available in the USA from AT&T) are good examples of "convergent" devices. Devices that can handle both your work and your play. For companies like MobileDataforce, devices like these mean more business owners, managers and field technicians will be using mobile devices capable of handling mobile field service applications. Good job Palm!

HP Sees the Future and the Future is PDA Phones

HP: Pen-based PDA market on death bed

HP sees the future - and the future in convergent PDA Phones.

Vehicle Tracking, Road Sanding, GPS & PDAs

Our team in the UK has developed a very interesting vehicle tracking system using Pocket PCs, GPS and PTO sensors for the local motorway department. When roads become slippery due to snow and ice, these "grit" or "sanding" trucks drive out to a pre-determined territory and begin gritting/sanding the motorways. When the PTO is turned on to begin distributing the sand/grit, it sends data to the Pocket PC, and the Pocket PC activates the GPS device to begin recording coordinates. When the PTO is turned off, the Pocket PC notifies the GPS device and stops recording. This information is synchronized back to the central GIS and motorway management system so all areas that have been gritted/sanded are recorded.

The value of this system is that the motorway management has a database and a visual record of where grit/sand was applied. This is useful if an accident occurs and the accident victims take the motorway management to court. They can also easily respond to reports of ungritted motorways and rapidly dispatch gritting/sanding trucks to those locations.

The power of convergent devices like a Pocket PC with powerful database centric mobile software solutions that can integrate multiple data input devices is amazing. PTO sensors? Who would have thought?

Thick or Thin Clients on PDAs?

What is a client in the context of a PDA? A client is a name for a Pocket PC PDA application on a wired or wireless network. Clients come in two varieties, Thick and Thin. "Thick clients" are generally the full Pocket PC operating system with a database application on it which is fully functional offline.

A "thin client" is a network device (Pocket PC) that relies on servers for applications, data storage, and administration. In other words, it most often uses a web browser on the Pocket PC to connect to the data source.

Which of these architectures are better? I believe having a database on the Pocket PC is best for most situations. Why? If you have no connection or a bad wireless connection, your software application can continue to function normally and later you can synchronize. This allows you to continue working and documenting your work on your Pocket PC with or without a good wireless connection.

If you are using a "thin client" or web browser interface into your database back at the office, then if you lose that connection you have no application. Without your online application, you risk not being able to do your job, provide poor customer service, and wasted time and expenses.

Intel, on their Mobilized Software website strongly advocates an architecture that allows you to continue working with or without a connection to a server.

In addition to the connectivity issues, a Pocket PC user often wants their software application to interface with many different hardware add-ons such as GPS, RFID, Bar code scanners, automobile black boxes, digital thermometers, surveying equipment, and much more. These add-on accessories can easily be integrated with a "thick client" that has a framework that supports third party data capture accessories. A thin client browser is not set-up to handled this environment and limits your ability to take advantage of these convergent devices.

Convergent Handheld Computers

In the past PDAs were used for simple time management, contact management and email. Now days you can purchase ruggedized (water resistant, dust resistant, drop to cement resistant) handheld computers that include VoIP, mobile phone, barcode, digital camera, RFID and GPS all on the same device. Add to that full functional database centric software applications that can synchronize with your office software applications, and gigabytes of memory on your device. PDAs are no longer toys.

Since nearly any of your internal software applications can be "mobilized" and made available in a disconnected mode (not connected by a network, but able to be synchronized when connected to a network at a later time) you have a lot of power at your disposal in the field. The real challenge is how to systematically mobilize your software applications without your ambitions overwhelming your field workers and your IT departments.