Mobile Field Services and Service Optimization - Not This Time

Yesterday we called our lawn sprinkler company and requested service.  The service was on a section that had been repaired earlier.  I was calling them back to repair the same section.

Here is what an optimzied service would have looked like:
  • The mobile service ticket would have alerted the service technician that this was the second visit for the same issue.
  • The service technician would call me and ask a few questions before driving all the way out to my house.  This would save time and money.
  • The service technician would then bring the required parts with him, thus reducing time and fuel and allowing for more work to be done in a day.
Instead, the service technician did not call, did not review the service ticket until arriving, did not look up my account details, and did not review my past service tickets and issues.  He drove all the way out, looked at the problem, realized he needed parts, drove all the way back to get the parts, and returned 30 minutes later.  A simple five minute visit took nearly an hour.  The cost was the same for the 5 minute visit as it was for 1 hour.

I remember another incident with my plumber.  I called and scheduled a service call.  I said I will take a photo and email it to you so you can see the problem and know what to be prepared for prior to coming out.  The dispatcher said, "What would I do with a photo?"  Never mind....

You probably don't want to be a service technician at my house.  I exhibit a freakish interest in your job, ask too many questions about the way your business operates and follow you around with a note pad. 

Upcoming Events

Eggs with Benedict - European Tour - Mobility Strategies and More, June 27 – July 1, 2011
ClickConnect APAC 2011, July 11 – 13, 2011
Syclo Mobile Conference 2011, July 13 – 15, 2011

Whitepapers of Note

The Business Benefits of Mobile Adoption with SAP Systems
ClickSoftware Mobility Suite and Sybase Mobility Solution
Mobile Adoption Among Gas and Electric Utilities
Mobile Adoption in Life Sciences
Mobile Adoption in Oil and Gas
Networked Field Services

Recorded Webinars of Note

3 Critical Considerations for Embracing Mobile CRM
The Future of Enterprise Mobility
The Latest m-Business Trends and How the Onslaught of Mobile Devices Affects Development Strategies
The Real-Time Mobile Enterprise:  The Benefits of Rapid, Easy Access
Syclo and SAP Deliver Mobile Apps on Sybase Unwired Platform


*************************************************************
Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict
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.

Mobility News Weekly - Week of June 20, 2011

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 Mobile Commerce News Weekly
Also read Mobile Marketing News Weekly
Also read M2M News Monthly

Mobile app analytics firm Flurry is releasing a new report comparing the daily engagement of smartphone users on mobile apps vs. web browsing on the PC.  Games and social networking categories dominate, capturing 47 percent and 32 percent on consumer time spent daily, respectively. Combined, these two categories control 79 percent of consumers’ total app time.  Read Original Content

HighPoint Solutions, a premier provider of specialized IT services dedicated to the life sciences and healthcare industries, has announced a strategic partnership with Pyxis Mobile, provider of the only cross-device mobile application platform designed to meet customers’ constantly changing needs.  Read Original Content

Android's rather sizable share of the U.S. smartphone market declined slightly from 52.4 percent to 49.5 percent last quarter.  Read Original Content

The global smartphone security software market is set to reach nearly $3 billion by 2017, according to a new report available on companiesandmarkets.com.  Read Original Content

Smartphone owners are using more than twice the data from a year ago, while data plan rates have remained constant, according to research firm Nielsen.  Read Original Content

Going to Australia to Speak on Mobility and Field Services - July 11-13th

Manly, Australia
I have been invited to speak at the ClickConnect APAC 2011 event in Manly, Sydney, Australia on the subjects of enterprise mobility and mobile field services July 11th-13th.  I was in Manly and Sydney in March speaking at the Mastering SAP Technologies conference and it was beautiful and an extraordinary place for a conference so was happy to accept. 

This event is open to companies that are involved in field services, service optimization and/or are looking to implement enterprise mobility strategies and solutions.

The focus of the event is on how service organisations can achieve high performance of their people, assets and overall service delivery by overcoming specific barriers that may stand in the way.

Folks from SAP, Sybase, ClickSoftware and many other service companies that have already successfully implemented mobile and service optimization solutions will be speaking.  If you are interested in attending click here for more information.

I will be leading a number of sessions on enterprise mobility strategies and the real-time, network centric operational approach to field services, and reporting on my most recent mobility research.  I hope to see you there!

*************************************************************
Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict
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.

Mobile Marketing News Weekly - Week of June 20, 2011

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 Mobile Commerce News Weekly 00
Also read Mobility News Weekly
Also read M2M News Monthly

A recent study by InMobi reveals that African mobile web users prefer the mobile channel (46%) to their Desktop (10%) and even In-store (44%) when shopping for Apparel, Consumer Electronics and Entertainment Tickets.  Read Original Content

A new report from research firm Gartner predicts that global mobile advertising revenue will reach $3.3 billion this year, up from $1.6 billion in 2010.  Read Original Content

ABI Research reports that by 2016 there will be over 830 million enterprise smartphone and tablet apps, a growth rate of nearly 90 percent.  Read Original Content

According to Cowen and Company Google will see a 41 percent increase in mobile online advertising revenue this year.  Read Original Content

A new report from research firm Gartner says that global mobile ad revenue is projected to reach $20.6 billion by 2015.  The Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow to $6.9 billion by 2015.  Read Original Content

TMC reports that advertising through mobile apps is more effective than advertising on mobile websites.  Read Original Content

Pyramid Research reports that by 2015 there will be $6.2 billion dollars in location-based advertising.  Read Original Content

Pyxis Mobile provides an agile, powerful, and secure mobile enterprise application platform.  It enables rapid cross-platform application development, unlimited data integration, enterprise-grade security, and the unique ability to change and update applications in real time.  This newsletter is sponsored in part by Pyxis Mobile, http://pyxismobile.com./

Location based application company Foursquare announced that they have reached the 10 million member threshold.  Read Original Content

There are now over 6,000 location-based apps for the iPhone and Forbes predicts that location0-based services will continue to become the trend among consumers.  Read Original Content

Everything Everywhere, O2 and Vodafone are partnering to provide both contactless payments and location-based advertising in the same package.  Read Original Content

Recent Articles by Kevin Benedict

Mobile Commerce If You Want My Business
Mobility Insights for Tuesday
Mobility Can Change the World and Healthcare
Philippe Winthrop and Steve Levy Webinar on Enabling the Agile Business through Mobile Strategy
Eggs with Benedict - European Enterprise Mobility Breakfast Meetings
Response to My Article on Sybase's Embedded Mobile Databases and HTML5
What Does HTML5 Mean for Sybase's Embedded Mobile Database Business?

Upcoming Events

Eggs with Benedict - European Tour - Mobility Strategies and More, June 27 – July 1, 2011
ClickConnect APAC 2011, July 11 – 13, 2011
Syclo Mobile Conference 2011, July 13 – 15, 2011

Whitepapers of Note

The Business Benefits of Mobile Adoption with SAP Systems
ClickSoftware Mobility Suite and Sybase Mobility Solution
Mobile Adoption Among Gas and Electric Utilities
Mobile Adoption in Life Sciences
Mobile Adoption in Oil and Gas
Networked Field Services

Recorded Webinars of Note

3 Critical Considerations for Embracing Mobile CRM
The Future of Enterprise Mobility
The Latest m-Business Trends and How the Onslaught of Mobile Devices Affects Development Strategies
The Real-Time Mobile Enterprise:  The Benefits of Rapid, Easy Access
Syclo and SAP Deliver Mobile Apps on Sybase Unwired Platform

You can follow me on Twitter @krbenedict and read my blog, Enterprise Mobility Strategies.

I have added a feature to my blog site that supports email subscriptions.  You can now receive all blog articles directly via email.  If you are interested, click here.

*************************************************************
Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict

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.

Mobile Commerce If You Want My Business

"They should have a mobile app if they want my business!"  That is what my wife said to me today.  She was referring to a particular business focused hotel chain without a mobile app.  "I use my mobile Amazon app constantly.  I want to do business with companies that have mobile apps," she added.

Forrester Research reports that mobile commerce revenue is expected to reach $10 billion by the end of this year and will continue growing at an annual rate of 39 percent.

I wonder how many other people feel the same as my wife.



*************************************************************
Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict
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.

Mobile Commerce News Weekly - Week of June 20, 2011

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 Mobile Marketing News Weekly
Also read Mobility News Weekly
Also read M2M News Monthly

Forrester Research reports that mobile commerce revenue is expected to reach $10 billion by the end of this year and will continue growing at an annual rate of 39 percent.  Read Original Content

The Standard Bank of South Africa is recruiting customers by providing convenient mobile banking “shacks” in thousands of locations throughout the country.  Read Original Content

The “electronic alternative payment” market, which largely includes mobile payments, is currently estimated to be worth $62 billion and by 2015 will reach $127 billion according to the research conducted by Packaged Facts.  Read Original Content

Starbucks is expanding its mobile payment plan and recently announced that they now offer a mobile payment app through Android phones for nearly 1,000 locations.  Read Original Content

A new survey by Retrevo Pulse found that only 21 percent of their participants were interested in smartphones with NFC capability, the majority of the participants were simply uninterested in using devices to pay for things.  Read Original Content

Mobility Insights for Tuesday

Mobile technologies can be so clever and interesting.  They can provide so many useful tools.  Let me share a few recent examples and experiences.

Example #1 - My good friend Jody Sedrick and his team here in Boise (home of the Boise State Bronco football team) have a mobile application called Find Things Fast that enables you to organize and quickly find your stuff.  First you take a photo of your possessions, and then identify the storage container and location of each. The end result is that you can quickly find your favorite winter sweater by searching your application and seeing quickly which box it is in, and where the box is located in the garage. This is like a consumer version of an enterprise asset management system. Very cool! 

Example #2 - Last week, while traveling, working and playing in Europe I used my iPhone (the WiFi connection) constantly for information, maps, looking up the history of a region and language translation. I also used skype on my iPhone to speak with my clients overseas. This would have been cost prohibitive without skype. I could not have done my job, while traveling, without the internet and mobile devices. 

Example #3 - I found an iPhone application called TextGrabber that enables you to take a photograph of a business card, article or page, and the app will automatically use OCR (optical character recognition) on the photo and import the text into a note page.  Now I can quote, cite or reference a statement in an article, word for word without re-typing.  This app cost something like .99 cents.

Example #4 - My wife kept a travel journal of our family vacation this year.  While sitting in an outdoor cafe or traveling on a train she would write about our experiences.  She did nearly all of her typing on an iPhone and then transferred it to her MacBook Pro later for additional editing.  She can type very fast and comfortably on her iPhone.  She proved the ability to take extensive notes and seamlessly transfer them back and forth with her laptop.  This is very useful for people that produce a lot of written content in mobile environments.

Example #5 - I read about a new language translation app for smartphones that enable you to take a photograph of any menu, sign, page, etc, and then the app will use both OCR (optical character recognition) technology and language translation software to convert the photo into print and then translate it for you.  Wow!  No more surprise dishes at the French restaurant.

Upcoming Events

Live Webinar - Learn how Carefusion mobilized SAP CRM Field Service with Syclo, June 22, 2011
Eggs with Benedict - European Tour - Mobility Strategies and More, June 27 – July 1, 2011
ClickConnect APAC 2011, July 11 – 13, 2011
Syclo Mobile Conference 2011, July 13 – 15, 2011

Whitepapers of Note

The Business Benefits of Mobile Adoption with SAP Systems
ClickSoftware Mobility Suite and Sybase Mobility Solution
Mobile Adoption Among Gas and Electric Utilities
Mobile Adoption in Life Sciences
Mobile Adoption in Oil and Gas
Networked Field Services

Recorded Webinars of Note

3 Critical Considerations for Embracing Mobile CRM
The Future of Enterprise Mobility
The Latest m-Business Trends and How the Onslaught of Mobile Devices Affects Development Strategies
The Real-Time Mobile Enterprise:  The Benefits of Rapid, Easy Access
Syclo and SAP Deliver Mobile Apps on Sybase Unwired Platform



*************************************************************
Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict
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.

Mobility Can Change the World and Healthcare

Puneet Suppal
My friend Puneet Suppal from SAP wrote a great article this week that emphasizes some of the ways mobile technologies can improve and revolutionize the healthcare industry.  It is motivating to read these kinds of stories.  There are so many different ways that mobile technologies can improve things.  Let me highlight just a few.

When I want healthcare or medical answers I routinely look them up on my smartphone.  I simply enter http://www.webmd.com/ or any number of other quality sites to read up on the topic.  I found out recently that I am allergic to wheat.  I discovered this by looking up the symptoms and reading about it on my iPhone.  I then scheduled a blood test with my doctor to confirm.  The powerful part of this scenario is that mobile devices and smartphones can enable anyone, any place in the world that has access to the internet, the same capabilities for accessing information.  Smartphones and the internet can unlock the digitized knowledge of the world and make it accessible to even the remotest corners of the earth.

I worked on a mobility project a few years back that helped medicine be delivered to various parts of Africa.  Donors wanted proof of delivery of the medicine in order to continue the program.  We delivered a mobile supply chain management and "chain of custody" solution that documented the shipment and delivery of the medicine to final destination.  This entire solution utilized smartphones.

There are all kinds of advances in the medical device industry that utilizes mobile solutions and M2M technologies.  This week it was announced that Cinterion is planning to embed a cellular wireless chip into a heart arrhythmia monitoring device.  The device can monitor patients for up to 28 days and also enables care providers to communicate with patients via the device.

Last week I published an interview with Vivint's Scott Taylor on their use of smartphones and M2M (machine to machine) technologies in the home management and security solutions industries.  The capabilities Scott demonstrated on his iPhone are revolutionizing that industry as well.

It is an exciting time to be involved in enterprise mobility.

Upcoming Events

Live Webinar - Learn how Carefusion mobilized SAP CRM Field Service with Syclo, June 22, 2011
Eggs with Benedict - European Tour - Mobility Strategies and More, June 27 – July 1, 2011
ClickConnect APAC 2011, July 11 – 13, 2011
Syclo Mobile Conference 2011, July 13 – 15, 2011

Whitepapers of Note

The Business Benefits of Mobile Adoption with SAP Systems
ClickSoftware Mobility Suite and Sybase Mobility Solution
Mobile Adoption Among Gas and Electric Utilities
Mobile Adoption in Life Sciences
Mobile Adoption in Oil and Gas
Networked Field Services

Recorded Webinars of Note

3 Critical Considerations for Embracing Mobile CRM
The Future of Enterprise Mobility
The Latest m-Business Trends and How the Onslaught of Mobile Devices Affects Development Strategies
The Real-Time Mobile Enterprise:  The Benefits of Rapid, Easy Access
Syclo and SAP Deliver Mobile Apps on Sybase Unwired Platform






*************************************************************
Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict
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.

Field Mobility News Weekly - Week of June 20, 2011

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 Mobile Commerce News Weekly
Also read Mobile Marketing News Weekly
Also read Mobility News Weekly
Also read M2M News Monthly

According to a report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc the global chipless RFID tag market will reach $2.0 billion by 2017.  Read Original Content

Panasonic will release a 10 inch Android tablet during the fourth quarter of 2011.  Read Original Content

Industrial giant Siemens is investing in smart grid start up Tendril and the two will market Tendril's home energy system to utilities.  Read Original Content

General Dynamics is supplying the Air Force with 300 rugged and secure handheld computers to senior officers.  Read Original Content

Through GIS and fleet management technology, Western Monmouth Utilities Authority was able to increase productivity and decrease expenses.  Read Original Content

Philippe Winthrop and Steve Levy Webinar on Enabling the Agile Business through Mobile Strategy

Philippe Winthroup
Two smart mobility experts, Philippe Winthrop and Steve Levy, are presenting a webinar tomorrow that I believe will be very interesting.  I have presented with both several times and value their insights.  Philippe and Steve are mobility veterans with many opinion, some I even agree with!  Here is the webinar description:

Businesses must be nimble and responsive to survive in today’s highly competitive global and local markets. Rapidly growing and increasingly complex demands for enterprise mobility solutions require a development strategy that has the flexibility to change and respond quickly. How do you build a mobile development strategy that has the Agility to meet changing needs while controlling costs?

Please join Philippe Winthrop, Managing Director, Enterprise Mobility Foundation and Steve Levy, CEO, Pyxis Mobile for a discussion on the challenges of creating enterprise mobility strategies that can meet today’s rapidly changing business needs.

Philippe Winthrop, Managing Director, Enterprise Mobility Foundation:

* Enabling business agility through mobile strategy

* Making the transition from tactical to strategic management of enterprise mobility

* How app development strategy enables business agility

Steve Levy, CEO, Pyxis Mobile:

* Why responsiveness and agility are critical to mobile strategies

* How to add responsiveness and agility to your mobile app development process

Click here to register


*************************************************************
Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict
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.

Eggs with Benedict - European Enterprise Mobility Breakfast Meetings

My breakfast was this big!
Next week, the week of June 27th, I will be presenting a series of breakfast meetings on enterprise mobility in 5 different cities across Europe.  If you are in the neighborhood, I would love to invite you to breakfast with me.  I will be having breakfast in the following locations:

  • Paris - 27th June - Park Hyatt Vendome Hotel - 5 Rue de la Paix
  • Geneva - 28th June - Hotel Grand Kempinski - 19 Quai de Mont Blanc
  • Frankfurt - 29th June - Marriott Hotel - 2 Hamburger Allee
  • Brussels - 30th June - Radisson Blu - 35 Idaliestraat
  • London -1st July - Park Hyatt The Churchill Hotel - Berkeley Mews Mayfair
If you are interested in attending at any of these locations please email James Common.  James is organizing the event.  I would love to meet up and discuss enterprise mobility with you!  Here is the event description.

K2 Partnering Solutions is proud to be hosting a Mobile Strategy presentation and question and answer breakfast session with Kevin Benedict as our guest speaker. Kevin is a renowned authority in the area of mobility and a much sought after advisor by companies around the world.

Whether you are presently reviewing or have already begun implementing a mobile strategy at your own company, this is an opportunity to broaden your understanding and share experiences with CIOs, Application Managers and Mobile specialists from other leading firms.

We would welcome your attendance and are happy to extend additional invites to your colleagues or peers in this area but would be grateful if you would inform us in advance of the numbers in your party along with their name and job titles.

These will be small intimate breakfast meetings, so if you are interested please contact James right away as there is limited seating and orange juice.

*************************************************************
Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict
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.

Response to My Article on Sybase's Embedded Mobile Databases and HTML5

I received feedback on my article, "What Does HTML5 Mean for Sybase's Embedded Mobile Database Business?"  from Sybase's Tom Lee this week.  Comments don't show up well on this blogging platform so I wanted to publish it here so you could be sure to read it.  Please add your comments as well!

Tom Slee:  Kevin - interesting comments, but I have a few disagreements. I'm speaking as part of the Sybase mobile and embedded database team, but opinions are my own.

HTML5 is now, as you know, a much bigger spec than just the local database. It includes a lot of video and other UI enhancements (canvas and so on). What's more, the Web SQL Database that you are referring to is no longer part of the HTML5 spec (although it is still present in mobile browsers, still supported, and has a bright future - just not as part of a formal spec.) See http://www.w3.org/TR/webdatabase/

So I think the changing face of HTML5 leads to a couple of confusions in your article. Sybase SUP 2.0, which I think is what you are referring to when you say "September is when SAP estimates they will be releasing their HTML5 container" [Kevin's comment - No, I am referring to SUP 2.1) does not have offline database capability. The container model stores some data offline, but not rich or structured data.

Also, the Web SQL Database has no synchronization component. That means that while it is fine for storing app-specific data, any attempt to keep that data up to date with what's in an enterprise store must be done by a developer. As you know, the data sync/enterprise integration issue is -- like all data consistency problems -- complex, especially in enterprise applications. Sybase products solve that problem for developers.

Who knows where pricing and licensing will go? That depends on many developments in the mobile enterprise space and I have no crystal ball. But I am confident that there is still a future for the offline data model in mobile enterprise applications, and for software that tackles the complex issues around enterprise integration.

Thanks Tom!!!!

Any comments to add?

Upcoming Events

Webinar: Enabling the Agile Business through Mobile Strategy June 21, 2011
Live Webinar - Learn how Carefusion mobilized SAP CRM Field Service with Syclo, June 22, 2011
Eggs with Benedict - European Tour - Mobility Strategies and More, June 27 – July 1, 2011
ClickConnect APAC 2011, July 11 – 13, 2011
Syclo Mobile Conference 2011, July 13 – 15, 2011

Whitepapers of Note

The Business Benefits of Mobile Adoption with SAP Systems
ClickSoftware Mobility Suite and Sybase Mobility Solution
Mobile Adoption Among Gas and Electric Utilities
Mobile Adoption in Life Sciences
Mobile Adoption in Oil and Gas
Networked Field Services

Recorded Webinars of Note

3 Critical Considerations for Embracing Mobile CRM
The Future of Enterprise Mobility
The Latest m-Business Trends and How the Onslaught of Mobile Devices Affects Development Strategies
The Real-Time Mobile Enterprise:  The Benefits of Rapid, Easy Access
Syclo and SAP Deliver Mobile Apps on Sybase Unwired Platform



*************************************************************
Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict
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.

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

Mobility News Weekly - Week of June 13, 2011

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 Mobile Commerce News Weekly
Also read Mobile Marketing News Weekly
Also read M2M News Monthly

IDC has released new figures that the worldwide smartphone market will grow 55 percent year over year in 2011.  They also expect the total number of global smartphone shipments to reach 982 million by 2015.  Read Original Content

HP has announced that on July 1 it will launch its own tablet to compete with others in the emerging tablet market.  Read Original Content

According to a new Gartner study, Android is rapidly taking over the smartphone market with a global market share increase of 27.3 percent between May 2010 and May 2011.  Read Original Content

Telefon AB LM Ericsson, the world's largest maker of equipment for mobile phone networks is buying Telcordia Technologies Inc. for $1.15 billion, a deal that will help it manage the explosive global growth in smartphone and broadband Internet use.  Read Original Content

Analyst firm Wunderlich Securities no longer expects Research In Motion (RIM) to control a significant share in the global smartphone market.  Rather they expect RIM to shift towards building business-oriented devices and cloud-based services that run through a Blackberry network.  Read Original Content


What Does HTML5 Mean for Sybase's Embedded Mobile Database Business?

SAP's Nick Brown
Nick Brown, with SAP, told me in this interview that around 16 new mobile applications would be available from SAP in the September timeframe.  Why the September timeframe?  September is when SAP estimates they will be releasing their HTML5 container, and these 16 mobile applications will be developed using the HTML5 container.

HTML5 can hold data on the mobile device even when not connected to the internet in much the same way as Sybase's embedded mobile RDMS (database).  I wonder how this new HTML5 strategy by Sybase will impact their embedded mobile database business? 

Sybase has traditionally charged for every license/user that has a mobile application using their embedded mobile database.  I was a long term partner/customer and paid these quarterly fees for years.  This business model will likely go away if HTML5 can handle the data and synchronization requirements of most mobile application developers.  It seems to be the preferred direction for even SAP mobility developers.

The embedded database and accompanying synchronization technology has been an effective way of keeping existing customers loyal to Sybase (because of the high cost to change).  However, if their mobile database and syncing technology is no longer needed, what keeps mobile developers loyal to Sybase?

Sybase must ensure that there is enough in their mobility platform (SUP), Mobile Device Management (Afaria) and mobile SDK to motivate loyalty from developers going forward since they can use any number of HTML5 tools and SDKs to develop apps.



*************************************************************
Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict
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.

Mobile Marketing News Weekly - Week of June 13, 2011

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 Mobile Commerce News Weekly
Also read Mobility News Weekly
Also read M2M News Monthly

A research report by mobileSQUARED reports that by the end of 2011 the Asian mobile advertising market will be valued at $2.8 billion.  Read Original Content

According to Strategy Analytics, by 2016 location-based services could become a $10 billion dollar industry despite recent privacy concerns.  Read Original Content

With the help of mobile devices, online advertising in Europe grew 15.3 percent in 2010 and total adspend reached 17.7 billion Euros.  Read Original Content

According to PwC by 2015 Canada will experience a growth in smartphone and tablet advertising that will reach $241 million compared to the present spending amount of $77 million.  Read Original Content

PricewaterhouseCoopers reports that mobile TV advertising will increase from $370 million to $1.4 billion in 2015.  Read Original Content

Mobile Expert Video Series: About Time's Stuart Jack

In this video interview with About Time's Stuart Jack, we learn about the South African enterprise mobility market and what trends they are seeing there.



Upcoming Events

Live Webinar - Learn how Carefusion mobilized SAP CRM Field Service with Syclo, June 22, 2011
Eggs with Benedict - European Tour - Mobility Strategies and More, June 27 – July 1, 2011
ClickConnect APAC 2011, July 11 – 13, 2011
Syclo Mobile Conference 2011, July 13 – 15, 2011

Whitepapers of Note

The Business Benefits of Mobile Adoption with SAP Systems
ClickSoftware Mobility Suite and Sybase Mobility Solution
Mobile Adoption Among Gas and Electric Utilities
Mobile Adoption in Life Sciences
Mobile Adoption in Oil and Gas
Networked Field Services

Recorded Webinars of Note

3 Critical Considerations for Embracing Mobile CRM
The Latest m-Business Trends and How the Onslaught of Mobile Devices Affects Development Strategies
The Real-Time Mobile Enterprise:  The Benefits of Rapid, Easy Access

*************************************************************
Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict
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.

Mobile Expert Video Series: Accenture's Brandon Webber

At SAPPHIRENOW 2011, SAP and Accenture announced a partnership to develop and support mobility applications focused on three verticals: oil and gas, utilities and consumer products.  I met up with Accenture's Brandon Webber last week and was able to record this interview with him about this announcement and more. 

One of the most interesting segments of this interview is that Accenture believes their primary opportunity is not so much in developing individual mobility apps, but rather in delivering enterprise strategy, mobility platforms, integration and mobile device and data management.



Upcoming Events

Live Webinar - Learn how Carefusion mobilized SAP CRM Field Service with Syclo, June 22, 2011
Eggs with Benedict - European Tour - Mobility Strategies and More, June 27 – July 1, 2011
ClickConnect APAC 2011, July 11 – 13, 2011
Syclo Mobile Conference 2011, July 13 – 15, 2011

Whitepapers of Note

The Business Benefits of Mobile Adoption with SAP Systems
ClickSoftware Mobility Suite and Sybase Mobility Solution
Mobile Adoption Among Gas and Electric Utilities
Mobile Adoption in Life Sciences
Mobile Adoption in Oil and Gas
Networked Field Services

Recorded Webinars of Note

3 Critical Considerations for Embracing Mobile CRM
The Latest m-Business Trends and How the Onslaught of Mobile Devices Affects Development Strategies
The Real-Time Mobile Enterprise:  The Benefits of Rapid, Easy Access

*************************************************************
Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict
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.

Mobile Expert Video Series: Vivint's Scott Taylor

I think this interview is one of the best in the Mobile Expert Video Series to date.  Scott Taylor with Vivint, works on field service mobility applications (ClickSoftware), M2M (machine to machine apps) and B2C (business to consumer) mobility applications.  These three categories are huge and each takes a different skill set.  He is in a unique position of being an "end user" that has developed and deployed apps in all three categories so has much expertise to share with us.

Scott is practically a neighbor of mine, I am in Boise, Idaho and he is located in Provo, Utah, but we met last week in Cannes, France.  I hope you enjoy and benefit from this video interview.




*************************************************************
Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict
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.

Mobile Commerce News Weekly - Week of June 13, 2011

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 Mobile Marketing News Weekly
Also read Mobility News Weekly
Also read M2M News Monthly

Verizon is working on a mobile payments service for smartphones, tablets, and PCs with mobile payments start-up Payfone.  Read Original Content

Google has agreements with Citigroup and MasterCard to embed near field communication technology (NFC) in the upcoming versions of Android-based phones.  This will give Google an advantage in the mobile payment market that is estimated to be at $618 billion by 2016.  Read Original Content

According to Bloomberg, Hewlett Packard is planning on introducing smartphones and tablets that are equipped with NFC technology.  Read Original Content

In an attempt to dominate the mobile payment market Visa has acquired the South African software company Fundamo for $110 million.  Read Original Content

Ericsson has developed a mobile payment program that allows users to send and receive money through text messages.  Read Original Content

Field Mobility News Weekly - Week of June 13, 2011

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

Also read Mobile Commerce News Weekly
Also read Mobile Marketing News Weekly
Also read Mobility News Weekly
Also read M2M News Monthly

Research firm Technavio reports that by 2014 the global patient monitoring market will hit $9.3 billion.  Read Original Content

General Electric and Analog Devices have created a partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in order to help commercialize the mobile medical inventions of MIT.  Read Original Content

The U.S. Army will be testing iPhones and Androids this week so that they may be used for surveillance, biometrics, mobile drone piloting and real-time updating of battlefield data.  Read Original Content

The research firm RNCOS estimates the mobile health market will be worth $2.1 billion by the end of 2011.  The firm expects the market to grow 22 percent from 2012 to 2014.
Read Original Content

By 2017 the global chipless RFID market will be a $2 billion dollar industry.  Read Original Content

Eggs with Benedict - European Tour - Mobility Strategies and More

During the week of June 27th, I will be touring a number of European cities with K2 Partnering speaking on the subject of enterprise mobility, mobility strategies and sharing advice from mobility experts.  These are breakfast meetings that will be held in five different cities.  Here are the details:

K2 Partnering Solutions is proud to be hosting a Mobile Strategy presentation and question and answer breakfast session with Kevin Benedict as our guest speaker.  Kevin is a renowned authority in the area of mobility and a much sought after advisor by companies around the world.

Whether you are presently reviewing or have already begun implementing a mobile strategy at your own company, this is an opportunity to broaden your understanding and share experiences with CIOs, Application Managers and Mobile specialists from other leading firms.

We would welcome your attendance and are happy to extend additional invites to your colleagues or peers in this area but would be grateful if you would inform us in advance of the numbers in your party along with their name and job titles.

Limited spaces are available for one to one sessions on the day with Kevin so please inform us of your interest as soon as possible so these can be reserved.

The ‘Eggs with Benedict’ Tour will be held at the following hotels around Europe:
  • Paris - 27th June - Park Hyatt Vendome Hotel - 5 Rue de la Paix
  • Geneva - 28th June - Hotel Grand Kempinski - 19 Quai de Mont Blanc
  • Frankfurt - 29th June - Marriott Hotel - 2 Hamburger Allee
  • Brussels - 30th June - Radisson Blu - 35 Idaliestraat
  • London -1st July - Park Hyatt The Churchill Hotel - Berkeley Mews Mayfair
If you would like to attend please email K2 Partnering's James Common the following information:
  1. Your company name
  2. Your name
  3. Your Title
  4. The location you would like to attend



*************************************************************
Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict
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.

Mobile Expert Video Series: Sybase's Shawn McEwen

I met up with my long time friend Shawn McEwen on the shores of the Mediterranean last week and cornered him for an interview on Afaria and cloud computing, and why he was wearing dress shoes in the sand.


Upcoming Events

Live Webinar - Learn how Carefusion mobilized SAP CRM Field Service with Syclo, June 22, 2011
Syclo Mobile Conference 2011
Chicago Mart Plaza
July 13-15
www.syclo.com/smc2011

ClickConnect APAC 2011
Manly, Australia
July 11-13th
http://www.clicksoftware.com/www.clicksoftware.com/clickconnect-apac.htm

Whitepapers of Note

The Business Benefits of Mobile Adoption with SAP Systems
ClickSoftware Mobility Suite and Sybase Mobility Solution
Mobile Adoption Among Gas and Electric Utilities
Mobile Adoption in Life Sciences
Mobile Adoption in Oil and Gas
Networked Field Services

Recorded Webinars of Note

3 Critical Considerations for Embracing Mobile CRM
The Future of Enterprise Mobility
The Latest m-Business Trends and How the Onslaught of Mobile Devices Affects Development Strategies
The Real-Time Mobile Enterprise:  The Benefits of Rapid, Easy Access
Syclo and SAP Deliver Mobile Apps on Sybase Unwired Platform

*************************************************************
Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict
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 Season of Mobility User Conferences

Last week I had the honor of speaking about enterprise mobility during several sessions at ClickConnect Europe 2011 in Cannes, France.  In a few weeks from now, Syclo will be holding their user conference in Chicago, and ClickSoftware will be holding their APAC user conference in Manly, Australia.  If you are interested in attending any of these conferences please see the details here:

Syclo Mobile Conference 2011
Chicago Mart Plaza
July 13-15
www.syclo.com/smc2011

ClickConnect APAC 2011
Manly, Australia
July 11-13th
http://www.clicksoftware.com/www.clicksoftware.com/clickconnect-apac.htm



*************************************************************
Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict
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.

M2M News Weekly - Week of June 6, 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

Top Italian utility Enel and its Spanish subsidiary Endesa have launched a pilot project to install remote power meters in Brazil, part of a drive to develop smart grids in Latin America.  Read Original Content

GE smart meters are credited for prompting North Leigh in Oxfordshire to reduce its energy consumption by 10 percent for three consecutive months.  The power conservation has earned the British village a £20,000 award from Scottish and Southern Energy.  Read Original Content

Kore Wireless Group Inc. announced it has acquired Australian-based M2M provider Mach Communications Pty. Ltd. to grow its M2M business for multinational companies. This acquisition allows Kore to prepare for the predicted surge in the Asian M2M market in the coming years.  Read Original Content

Reportlinker has recently published a research report and argues that the market for M2M in the utilities sector will see significant growth in connections from 100 million in 2010 to 1.5 billion in 2020.  Read Original Content

Matt Hatton from Machina Research estimates the total market for M2M in the utilities segment will be worth approximately $33.7 billion in 2020, up from $5.6 billion in 2010 and peaking at $39.3 billion in 2017.  Read Original Content

Mobile Vendor Video: Brothers and Mobile Printers

I had the opportunity to meet both Paul and Andrew from Brothers over dinner last night.  Both of these guys are enthusiastic, although confused and misguided, UK soccer fans and passionate mobility guys.  In this interview, I ask them to show me the latest in Brother's mobile solutions for field service technicians.



Upcoming Live Events

ClickConnect Europe Customer User Forum, June 8th-10th in Cannes, F
Live Webinar - Learn how Carefusion mobilized SAP CRM Field Service with Syclo, June 22, 2011

Whitepapers of Note

The Business Benefits of Mobile Adoption with SAP Systems
ClickSoftware Mobility Suite and Sybase Mobility Solution
Mobile Adoption Among Gas and Electric Utilities
Mobile Adoption in Life Sciences
Mobile Adoption in Oil and Gas
Networked Field Services

Webinars of Note

3 Critical Considerations for Embracing Mobile CRM
The Future of Enterprise Mobility
The Latest m-Business Trends and How the Onslaught of Mobile Devices Affects Development Strategies
The Real-Time Mobile Enterprise:  The Benefits of Rapid, Easy Access


*************************************************************
Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict
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.

Interviews with Kevin Benedict