Kevin Benedict Ponders the Future

Bringing it all together. There are many different objects and variables that can impact the performance of a mobile workforce, especially in the field services space.  In my enterprise mobility workshops I call these things PIO s ( performance impact objects) and PIVs (performance impact variables) .  Here are examples of PIOs : People Parts/Supplies/Materials Tools Qualifications Job locations Equipment availability Transportation availability Vendor availability Subcontractor availability Jobsite access Permits/Approvals Examples of PIVs : Schedules Skills Experience Weather Traffic Equipment repair/maintenance Sickness/Health Funding Each of these items must come together at the right time and right place to optimize the performance of a field service technician.  I think of a PIOs and PIVs in the context of building a railroad.  In order to be completed and functioning, all the PIOs/PIVs must come together at the right place and time.  If piec

New HTML5 GPS App Software company TeleNav has developed a browser-based HTML5 app that delivers voice-enabled, turn-by-turn GPS navigation on most mobile devices.  The service is now available for developers, and is scheduled for launch to the public in the first part of 2012. From the press release issued December 14, 2011:  “By simply adding one line of code, developers of mobile websites or of apps with local content will have a free and easy way to integrate full GPS turn-by-turn directions into their services, creating a more seamless user experience and increasing user engagement and time spent within their applications.” For more information click here . iOS Beats Android in HTML5 Performance Evaluation A study conducted by Sencha, Inc. (www.sencha.com) shows that Apples iOS 5 wins over Google’s Android in HTML5 browser performance.  Sencha deals with frameworks used in creating web apps for HTML5.  According to the study, the latest Android OS, the Ice Cream Sandwic

As I sit in front of our fireplace with a hot cup of coffee, while the first snows of winter are falling outside, I am feeling blessed and grateful.  I want to thank all of you who read our blogs, newsletters, analyst reports, attend our enterprise mobility workshops and use our consulting services. When I first started writing a blog on enterprise mobility in 2006, I was a busy CEO of a mobile applications company simply looking for a better way to connect with my customers and prospects.  It worked!  I have not stopped writing and have now published over 1,500 articles. In 2011, I spoke and conducted mobile strategy workshops in 9 different countries around the world, and was honored to receive over half a million page views ( www.mobileenterprisestrategies.com and  http://kevinbenedict.ulitzer.com/ ) on our enterprise mobility blog sites. Thank you very much for reading!  My writing has since expanded into a full time business that includes enterprise mobility analyst reports,

Greetings Great Mobility Minds!  In January 2010, I asked the world for a mobile application that would help me reduce my personal risks and improve my life experiences.  Nearly 2 years later, I still do not know if this mobile solution exists.  So again, I am asking the great minds of mobility to point me in the right direction if this solution does exists.  If it doesn't exist, I encourage the great minds that are also great entrepreneurs to develop this product.  Here again, is my original blog article, with minor edits, from 2010. I love traveling, hiking and reading good books. I enjoy growing tomatoes and pondering religious and philosophical themes. I love my iPad and iPhone. I crave Thai food. I love drinking coffee in a comfortable chair and reading the New York Times . I want a mobile application that will connect my lifestyle preferences to a map, predict my safety, and suggest locations conducive to my lifestyle choices and interests. I would like to arrive in a

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 Mobile Health News Weekly Also read Mobility News Weekly Also read Mobility Charts Weekly Pike Research suggests that nearly nine out of ten plug-in electric vehicles sold during this year will include a basic telematics package.  That number will grow to 94 percent by 2017 and annual revenue from the market will reach $1.4 billion by the same year. Read Original Content According to Fieltechnologies.com, telematics solutions are saving U.S. businesses millions of dollars yearly by

We are fortunate to have a guest mobility and security expert, Joe Bulman, share his HTML5 insights with us today in this article.  Thanks Joe! A recent survey  ( State of BYOD )  reported, “ Enterprises are widely embracing Mobile Device programs, including the most highly regulated and security conscious industries .    Additionally, there is no doubt that the variety of mobile device selections have grown significantly. For these reasons, businesses must support a best-of-breed security device approach rather than predicting and attempting to police specific technologies. HTML5 relates to this growing trend of mobile devices within an organization through the provisioning of applications to these devices. HTML5 is more than a web markup language, it is a suite of technologies that improves the usability of web applications. While HTML5 entails the usual updates to HTML such as tags, styles and field types, many additional features are incorporated like multi-threading, local da

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 Field Mobility News Weekly Also read M2M News Weekly Also read Mobile Commerce News Weekly Also read Mobile Marketing News Weekly Also read Mobile Health News Weekly Also read Mobility Charts Weekly Syclo has announced that its Agentry Mobile Platform, SMART Work Manager and SMART Service Manager have been named as winners in the tenth annual Mobile Star Awards program.   Read Original Content Korean consumer electronics giant Samsung has emerged as the most popular smartphone maker in the UK during 2011.   Read Original Content The smartphone market in China seems to be ever expanding, and adding to the sea of handsets is the recently launched Dell Streak Pro. This mobile device has been built as a follow up to the Dell Strea

The Mobile Health News Weekly is an online newsletter made up of the most interesting news and articles related to medical mobility that I run across each week.  I am specifically targeting information that reflects market data and trends. Also read Field Mobility News Weekly Also read M2M News Weekly Also read Mobile Commerce News Weekly Also read Mobile Marketing News Weekly Also read Mobility News Weekly Also read Mobility Charts Weekly The Alaska State Medical Association is using smartphone apps to streamline healthcare throughout Alaska by allowing physicians and hospitals to share patient information, including images, through mobile devices. Read Original Content American Medical ID has rolled out a commerce-enabled mobile site to let medical patients buy identification tags via their handsets. Read Original Content This past week insurance company Aetna announced that it has purchased iTriage, the popular mobile health app that allows people to schedule doctor

The Mobile Marketing News Weekly is an online newsletter that is made up of the most interesting news, articles and links related to mobile marketing that I run across each week.  I am specifically targeting market size and market trend information. Also read Field Mobility News Weekly Also read M2M News Weekly Also read Mobile Commerce News Weekly Also read Mobile Medical News Weekly Also read Mobility News Weekly Also read Mobility Charts Weekly According to ABI Research, the location based services market will likely not see success in the region of Western Europe. However, globally the LBS market is expected to grow 15 percent yearly through 2016. Read Original Content Ace Hardware is making its first foray into advertising on Apple’s iPad via a new campaign that is featured on The Weather Channel’s iPad application. Read Original Content Department store chain Saks Fifth Avenue is using its holiday windows to not only draw locals and tourists to its New York flagsh

The Mobility Charts Weekly is a weekly publication of charts depicting the current and future status of the enterprise mobility market.  I am specifically targeting information that reflects market data and trends. According to a Prosper Mobile Insights survey, 23.5 percent of smartphone and tablet owners say their device has been an integral part of their holiday shopping experience so far and they could not shop without it. Read Original Content The cellular M2M embedded module market experienced a more difficult than expected year in 2010. Although total unit volumes continued to rise, reaching nearly 34 million units shipped in 2010, total industry revenue fell from roughly $996 million in 2009 to about $841 million in 2010, reversing the upward momentum in revenue seen in 2009 as the market rebounded from its 2008 lows. Read Original Content The market for EPC RFID hardware exceeded $354 Million in 2010, an increase of more than 140 percent over 2009.  VDC antic

Conjecture and the Mobile Work Force The word "conjecture" seems the perfect word for companies that try to manage a mobile workforce without a real-time mobile strategy and/or mobile technologies.  What is the definition of conjecture? Conjecture:   An opinion or conclusion formed on the basis of incomplete information. If an enterprise has a mobile workforce, deliveries or remote job sites it is imperative that they have real-time visibility into the location and status of their operations, resources and personnel.  Without real-time visibility they are managing through conjecture .  Managing with incomplete information although unavoidable at times, is not ideal.  Reducing the amount of conjecture is certainly the goal of any manager. Many companies that have historically operated on an "estimate" (aka - conjecture) basis, have never been able to capture the value inherent in a real-time operation.  Managing an operation in real-time requires real-tim

The Mobile Commerce News Weekly is an online newsletter made up of the most interesting news, articles and links related to mobile payments, mobile money, e-wallets, mobile banking and mobile security that I run across each week.  I am specifically targeting market size and market trend information. Also read Field Mobility News Weekly Also read M2M News Weekly Also read Mobile Marketing News Weekly Also read Mobile Medical News Weekly Also read Mobility News Weekly Also read Mobility Charts Weekly According to Prosper Mobile Insights, 23.5 percent of smartphone and tablet owners say their device has been an integral part of their holiday shopping experience so far and they could not shop without it. Read Original Content Mobile shopping has been one of the hottest trends of 2011, and there are no signs of it slowing down. After rising more than 90 percent this year, mobile commerce will grow at a rate of 73.1 percent in 2012, according to eMarketer. Read Original Content

I have recently been reading a number of articles about mobile banking innovations in Kenya and what vendors like SAP's Sybase 365 and other companies are doing to support it.  Most people in Kenya, and many other less developed countries, don't own smartphones.  However, most do own basic mobile phones with text messaging capabilities.  As a result, many vendors and banks have built sophisticated text message-based banking services.  The following is a list of some of the available text message-based capabilities and services available in Kenya. Person-to-person money transfers Fund remittance from the UK to Kenya Local and international money transfer Loan payments Product purchasing Airtime purchasing Funds transfers from interest-bearing accounts Balance inquiries Money requests Attaching short messages to text-based payments Inviting friends to join mobile banking services  Five different mobile front-ends available: WAP, SMS, Voice, USSD, and STK SAP&#

The Field Mobility News Weekly is an online newsletter made up of the most interesting news and articles related to field mobility that I run across each week.  I am specifically targeting information that reflects market data and trends. Also read M2M News Weekly Also read Mobile Commerce News Weekly Also read Mobile Marketing News Weekly Also read Mobile Medical News Weekly Also read Mobility News Weekly Also read Mobility Charts Weekly The new iPhone app, Tactical Nav, has been gaining popularity among military personnel allowing users to easily plot and map artillery fire throughout rugged terrain while using their smartphone. Read Original Content The global enterprise mobility market in terms of revenue was estimated to be worth $5.5 billion in 2011 and is expected to reach $7.6 billion by 2016. The end-user devices segment accounted for the maximum share, with $3.0 billion in 2011 and is expected to reach $3.8 billion by 2016. Read Original Content OnForce, a sour

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 Mobile Medical News Weekly Also read Mobility News Weekly Also read Mobility Charts Weekly By 2020 the number of connected devices in the world is estimated by Machina Research to be 12 billion, up from one billion in 2010. In Australia Telstra is predicting the M2M market will be worth $1 billion annually in that country alone in 10 years. Read Original Content RACO Wireless, an M2M partner for T-Mobile announced that the company is on pace to increase its year-over-year growth b

In this Video Comments segment I discuss the word "conjecture" and how it relates to field services and enterprise mobility, plus mobile strategies and decision making tools.  I hope you find it useful. ************************************************************* Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile Industry Analyst, Consultant and SAP Mentor Volunteer Visit MobileEnterpriseStrategies.com Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict Join the SAP Enterprise Mobility and Sybase Unwired Platform Groups Read The Mobility News Weekly Read The M2M News Monthly Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility analyst, consultant and blogger. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.

The Mobile Medical News Weekly is an online newsletter made up of the most interesting news and articles related to medical mobility that I run across each week.  I am specifically targeting information that reflects market data and trends. Also read Field Mobility News Weekly Also read M2M News Weekly Also read Mobile Commerce News Weekly Also read Mobile Marketing News Weekly Also read Mobility News Weekly Also read Mobility Charts Weekly The U.S. Department of Agriculture has granted a total of $30 million for 100 telemedicine projects in 34 states and one territory, according to a USDA news release. Read Original Content Mercy Health System in Philadelphia created a highly targeted app three months ago for its bariatrics program. The app allows users to upload a photo of themselves and change their body image with a stroke of a finger to view what they might look like after weight-loss surgery. Since the app went live it has been downloaded nearly 1,300 times and used

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 Field Mobility News Weekly Also read M2M News Weekly Also read Mobile Commerce News Weekly Also read Mobile Marketing News Weekly Also read Mobile Medical News Weekly Also read Mobility Charts Weekly Android Market, Facebook, as well as Google apps such as Search, Gmail and Google Maps, are roughly the top most popular smartphone applications for the Android platform, according to Nielsen.   Read Original Content Already big in Japan, Panasonic has announced that it plans to take on the world’s smartphone manufacturers and make the leap into the European market.   Read Original Content Apple is learning to compromise.  Facing challenges winning over customers for its iAd mobile advertising service, Apple is softening its appro

GPS Coordinates and Time I have been researching and pondering the concept of the 4th dimension this week, and how it relates to enterprise mobility and field services. First I looked up the meaning of 3D or 3 dimensional.  Three dimensional is made up of length, width and height.  These are basically GPS coordinates.  With GPS coordinates you can find and identify a location on the earth or map.  If you have GPS coordinates for your mobile workforce or mobile resources you will know where they are located, right?  WRONG!!!  The only thing that you know is that at a specific time (when the GPS coordinates were captured), they were located at those locations.  Time is a very important component.  If your GPS coordinates were captured last week, they are not likely to be accurate today? As I hinted above, the 4th dimension is time, and it is critical to managing real-time field services.  You must add time to length, width and height to make 4D.  When you have the added value of ti

Kony Adds HTML5 to App Building platform 
 Mobile platform provider Kony Solutions launched the KonyOne platform this week.  The new platform allows developers to define an app once and deploy it across multiple devices, operating systems, and channels.  It allows delivery of both native applications and mobile web – HTML5 and non-HTML5, across phones, tablets, and desktops. Raj Koneru, CEO of Kony said, “We believe the future includes native, mobile web, and HTML5 hybrid or 'mixed mode' applications.  Using the KonyOne platform, developers can use a single code base to create optimized applications for any device, operating system or browser. They can create native, mobile web or HTML5 applications or any combination to achieve the best individual user experience." Original Content   HTML5-enabled Smartphones to Hit 1 Billion Worldwide in 2013 Research firm Strategy Analytics says that HTML5-compatible mobile phone sales will reach 1 billion in 2013, up from 33