Kevin Benedict Ponders the Future

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 July 25, 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 Weekly
Also read Mobile Charts Weekly
Also read Mobility ROI Weekly

A new collaboration between SAP and Google puts your enterprise data on the map, literally. SAP business analytics software now has a new mapping platform, courtesy of Google. Read Original Content

New data released this week captures the frenetic growth in the mobile landscape. As reported by GigaOm, smartphones now make up more than half of all phones sold in the U.S. and data consumption by wireless devices such as smartphones and tablets has skyrocketed. Compared to first quarter 2010, first quarter 2011 saw a 130 percent increase in mobile data usage. Read Original Content

Smartphone sales will hit 420 million units by the end of 2011, yet still make up only 28 percent of the market, according to a study released by IMS Research. Read Original Content

Downloads of mobile apps will approach 48 billion by 2015. At an average of $2.50 for each mobile app, that’s some serious coin. Those figures are according to a new In-Stat report, which claims that the numbers add up to more than $29 billion in just four years. Read Original Content

Global smartphone makers are looking to extend their battlefront to China, the world’s fastest growing smartphone market. China saw the inventory of smartphones stand at 113.76 million in the first quarter of 2011, jumping 11.2 percent from the previous quarter, according to Analysys International. Read Original Content

The first smartphone based on the new "Mango" edition of Microsoft's Windows Phone platform was unveiled recently in Tokyo. The phone is the first of several handsets due over the next few months that Microsoft hopes will signal its return to the smartphone market as a serious player. Read Original Content

Mobility ROI Weekly - Week of July 25, 2011

This weekly ROI (return on investment) report includes ROIs that I come across in my weekly enterprise mobility, M2M and GPS vehicle tracking research. The idea is that in the future if you need to find ROIs for companies in various industries, they will be available here. I hope you find this useful.

Tablets, Mobile Apps and Farm Inspector ROIs

Quality Consultants of New Zealand (QCONZ) specializes in dairy farm audits, and they recently began using tablet devices to inspect New Zealand farms. They used Motion Computing rugged F5v tablets to equip their inspectors. The ROI result:

They have gone from 10 days to a 24-hour turnaround on dairy farm audits. This represents significant improvements in customer service and efficiency.
Inspectors have reduced their one hour per day spent on paperwork to a simple sync and send process that takes only five minutes. This is a significant efficiency gain that allows inspectors time for more productive activities.
Including handwriting capabilities on the tablets helped with change management and user acceptance, which meant more field workers used the solution.
Eliminating human error that occurs during data entry and controlling the consistency and parameters of quality testing enhanced their reputation and improved their brand image.
Accessing existing records and data wirelessly improved efficiency in the field.
Remote data collection sensors on farms can be read and adjusted using the tablets onsite. This improves efficiency and reduces travel time going back and forth to the office.

Read original source here.

Mobile App Improves Construction Site Efficiency and Delivers ROIs

Procore Technologies has developed a mobile app for iPhones and Android devices that is designed specifically for contractors and site managers working on commercial and residential developments. The Procore app allows site managers and supervisors to communicate project data to workers through individual smartphones. The ROI for this app includes:

The ability for all workers to clearly view work schedules as they are revised and updated improves project quality and efficiency.
Workers can use their smartphones as mobile time cards, which saves both paper and time when processing paychecks.
Managers use the mobile app to access and view project documents remotely and in real time. This eliminates project delays and improves efficiency.
Supervisors can save time by quickly dictating notes into the mobile app rather than using paper that needs to be re-typed into the system later.

Read original source here.

Eyewear Retailer Realizes RFID ROIs

Santa Fe Optics installed RFID tracking tags on over 900 merchandise items in their stores. These small electronic tags allow customers to wear the eyeglasses while the RFID tag remained attached to the merchandise. They have expanded the use of RFID to more stores and these stores realized a significant drop in shoplifting. After choosing these small RFID tags their ROI was reported to have come from:

Reduced shoplifting - The reduction in shoplifting more than paid for the entire RFID system.
Reduced the time needed to take inventory by automatically reading RFID tags in the store.
Small RFID tags allow customers to try on eyewear without removing tags which improved the customer’s experience.

Read original source here.

Mobile Apps and ROIs In Healthcare

The mobile app entitled DrChrono supports a mobile healthcare services environment. The mobile app provides hospital workers access to information and tools that are necessary for their services. The app allows users to view x-rays and patient records on tablets and smartphones while interacting with patients and moving throughout the office. The reported ROI is:

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 Weekly
Also read Mobile Charts Weekly

Pyramid Research reports that global revenue for the location-based services market is expected to reach $10.3 billion in 2015. Read Original Content

A Forrester Research report claims that people prefer to shop online using tablets rather than smartphones. Read Original Content

ExactTarget has found that mobile phone users will more likely make a purchase after viewing a mobile email advertisement compared to using a retail app to browse products. Read Original Content

The steady growth in Apple’s tablet and smartphone sales show that there is a need for businesses to focus more of their marketing strategies on mobile advertising. Read Original Content

JC Penny is using mobile apps and QR codes to help drive back-to-school sales for this fall. The company is using barcodes that will guide viewers to the company’s mobile shopping site. Read Original Content

A survey by Delloitte has found that nearly half of U.S. smartphone owners have used their devices for assistance while shopping for groceries. Read Original Content

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 Weekly
Also read Mobility Charts Weekly

Worldwide mobile payment users will surpass 141.1 million in 2011, a 38.2 percent increase from 2010, according to Gartner. Read Original Content

Isis, an NFC payment provider, has gained the support of all four major credit card companies, Master Card, American Express, Visa and Discover. Read Original Content

The adoption of electronic banking in the Philippines, particularly Internet banking, will continue on its strong upward growth over the next few years, according to a top official of the Bank of the Philippine Islands. Read Original Content

Two year old mobile payment startup Dwolla has gone from zero to $1 million per day in transactions. Read Original Content

A survey by global consulting firm McKinsey and Co. has found that the affluent class in India, categorized as people whose household income is above 10 lakh a year, use mobile phones more than the Internet for their banking needs. Read Original Content

Projections for and Demonstrations of HTML5

This is the third article in my HTML5 series. I am researching HTML5 for myself, and sharing some of what I am learning. I came across an interesting article this week from Reuters entitled, “The HTML5 boom is coming. Fast." Here is an excerpt, "New data released Friday indicates that HTML5 is not just going to be big, it’s going to be huge – and it’s coming fast...more than 2.1 billion mobile devices will have HTML5 browsers by 2016, up from just 109 million in 2010, according to a new report by ABI Research."

What is HTML5 again? HTML5 is the newest version of HTML and a lot of new features have been added that are significant to mobile application developers. One of the focuses of this new version is to improve multimedia applications and offer support and features for a broader range of devices, particularly mobile devices.

The purpose of these improvements is to help the web support newer and smarter mobile devices and to compete with native mobile applications in terms of a rich user experience.

ABI Research has a new report on HTML5. A summary of the report is available here.

A number of companies are demonstrating HTML5 capabilities on their websites. Here are a few links for your enjoyment:

Google has rolled out a mobile Doodle that moves and sways with your mouse to show off HTML5 Canvas http://www.digitaltrends.com/web/googles-html5-tribute-to-american-artist-alexander-calder/
Nokia Maps now offers an HTML5 version of its service which is compatible with Android and iPhone web browsers http://www.intomobile.com/2011/07/22/nokia-maps-now-iphone-and-androidfriendly-html5-version/
Pandora is replacing Flash with HTML5 and will be unveiling a new look http://content.usatoday.com/communities/technologylive/post/2011/07/pandora-trades-flash-for-html5-in-social-redesign/1
Microsoft has been developing a new version of Bing that uses HTML5, enabling video on the home page, instant search results (a la Google Instant), scrolling information, animated weather reports and more http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/2011/07/21/report-bing-to-get-metro-look-with-live-tiles/

Here are the first 2 articles in the HTML5 series:

What Can HTML5 Offer Mobile Developers?
HTML5 - What I am Learning

Upcoming Events

Critical Requirements for Mobile App Development: Agility and Speed Strategy, Process, and Tools to Accelerate Mobile Development, July 21, 2011
Mobile Tablet Trends in the Enterprise featuring Samsung Mobile - July 28, 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 Charts Weekly - Week of July 25, 2011

In the course of my daily research on subjects related to enterprise mobility I find charts that depict the current and future status of the market. It occurred to me that these charts might also be useful to others, so I am going to collect these charts, include links to the original source, and then publish them in a new weekly blog article called Mobile Charts Weekly. I hope you find this useful.

According to research firm iSuppli, 2011 will be a great year for popular mobile app stores. The study found that Apple, Google, RIM, and Nokia will see a significant rise in app sales. In 2010 these companies sold $2.1 billion in mobile apps, and by the end of this year it is estimated that over $3.8 billion in apps will be sold. Read Original Content

Earlier this month Apple announced that since opening its App Store, over 15 billion iPhone, iPad and iPod apps have been downloaded. Within the past three years over $2.5 billion has been paid to app developers and there are currently over 450,000 total apps available. Read Original Content

According to a new study by Flurry Analytics, the average time spent on mobile apps has surpassed the time spent on regular websites either while on computers or mobile devices. In June 2010, 64 minutes per day were spent on the web and 43 minutes were spent on mobile apps. That number has since changed and during June of 2011 some 74 minutes per day were spent on the web and 81 minutes were dedicated to mobile apps. Read Original Content

A recent report by Aite Group focused on the growth of mobile payments in the United States. The report found that since 2009 the gross dollar volume of mobile payments has risen sharply and is expected to reach $214 billion by 2015. Read Original Content

Recent Articles by Kevin Benedict

Enterprise Mobility Exchange - Las Vegas in November
Mobile Expert Video Series: ClickSoftware's Uri Pintov
Mobile Expert Video Series: Electrix's Jeff Morgan
What Can HTML5 Offer Mobile Developers?
Mobile Expert Video Series: ETSA Utility's Grant Roach

Upcoming Events

Critical Requirements for Mobile App Development: Agility and Speed Strategy, Process, and Tools to Accelerate Mobile Development, July 21, 2011
Mobile Tablet Trends in the Enterprise featuring Samsung Mobile - July 28, 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.

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Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer

Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict

Join the SAP Enterprise Mobility Group

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 July 25, 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 Weekly
Also read Mobility Charts Weekly

A New Zealand farm inspector company has equipped employees with tablet devices to modernize the inspection process for local dairies. Read Original Content

A Chinese producer of RFID tags has designed a Velcro wristband specifically for events and festivals that require an admission ticket. The wristband is designed to reduce admission time and increase security for events with large crowds. Read Original Content

A John Deer factory has implemented wireless RFID tags on its equipment to increase manufacturing efficiency. The company has seen a 40 percent efficiency increase in certain phases of construction since introducing RFID tags. Read Original Content

Venture Development Corporation predicts purchases of ruggedized notebooks will increase 10 percent in 2011. Read Original Content

Doctors are increasingly using tablets and smartphones in their work as the medical field continues to experience a mobile revolution. A new survey from QuantiaMD found that one-third of doctors use tablets to research medical information. Read Original Content

Vehicle tracking specialist Quartix more than doubled its new fleet tracking installations in the UK in the first half of 2011 compared with the same period last year. Quartix installed over 10,000 tracking systems in the first six months of 2011 and receives over 100 new fleet customers every month. Read Original Content

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
Also read Mobility Charts Weekly

France is planning a $5.6 billion smart meter plan that would install meters in 35 million homes in an attempt to introduce a more advanced electrical system. Read Original Content

A team at the University of Arkansas and the University of San Francisco has developed an iPhone automated energy management system that monitors energy generation and consumption in off-grid and grid-tied homes that use solar energy or wind power. Read Original Content

Pike Research projects the smart machine and appliance market to be valued at $26.1 billion by 2019. Read Original Content

The number of M2M connected devices could increase by one billion devices with the help of 3G and 4G networks. Read Original Content

M2M connections within the utilities sector will increase from 100 million in 2010 to over 1.5 billion in 2020 according to a new MarketResearch.com study. Read Original Content

Enterprise Mobility Exchange
Las Vegas

Anyone need an excuse to go to Las Vegas in November? The Enterprise Mobility Exchange has an amazing line-up of mobility experts speaking there on November 2nd and 3rd:

• Onyeka Nchege, Vice President, Chief Information Officer, Coca Cola Bottling Company Consolidated

• John Leabeater, Lead Technical Analyst, AIDC & Mobility, Coca Cola Bottling Company Consolidated

• Geoff Hunt, Lean, Productivity & Technology Programs Manager, GE Healthcare

• Matthew Berardi, Managing Director, Field Technology Operations Technology & Systems Support, FedEx Ground

• Divya Mahajan, Director, Architect for Enterprise Integration and SOA, Philips International

• Shawn Crossley, Senior Enterprise Architect, PG&E

• Joe Chung, MobileConnect Program Lead, PG&E

• Eric Hartman, Senior Director - Logistics, Papa John's Pizza

• Brian Reed, Director, Transportation and Service, Papa John's Pizza

• Ken Bodenhoefer, Senior Manager, Business Process & Technology Integration, Southern California Edison

• Ted Johnson, IT Manager, Mobility Support, Exelon

• Stephen Jones, GBS ESS Global Mobility Service Manager, P&G

• Stephen Malowney, Enterprise Financial and Operations Solutions Manager, Sempra Energy

• Eugene Signorini, Vice President, Research, Yankee Group

• Tony Winston, Senior Manager Mobility Solutions, American Airlines*

• Sumair Dutta, Senior Research Analyst, Service Management, Aberdeen Group*

The downside is you would be stuck listening to me as well. Oh well, can't win them all.

*************************************************************

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: ClickSoftware's Uri Pintov

Uri Pintov is the Team Leader of the Solutions Group at ClickSoftware and he shares his views on HTML5 and device agnostic MEAPs, plus his predictions for Windows Phone 7.

Upcoming Events

Critical Requirements for Mobile App Development: Agility and Speed Strategy, Process, and Tools to Accelerate Mobile Development, July 21, 2011
Mobile Tablet Trends in the Enterprise featuring Samsung Mobile - July 28, 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.
*************************************************************

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: Electrix's Jeff Morgan

I got to know Jeff Morgan while speaking at the ClickConnect APAC 2011 conference last week in Australia. Jeff works for Electrix, a company that contracts with utility companies to provide field services, maintenance and asset inspections. They have a long history of working with mobile applications in the field and he discusses his experiences in this video interview.

Jeff is also the guy that shared the picture of the GIANT snake his colleague saw along the road in Australia.

Upcoming Events

Critical Requirements for Mobile App Development: Agility and Speed Strategy, Process, and Tools to Accelerate Mobile Development, July 21, 2011
Mobile Tablet Trends in the Enterprise featuring Samsung Mobile - July 28, 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.

What Can HTML5 Offer Mobile Developers?

This is the second article in my series on HTML5, the first article can be read here. I needed to personally know more about HTML5, so am researching it and sharing what I am learning with you.

HTML5 has the backing of Microsoft, Mozilla, Opera, and even Apple and Google have their own sites celebrating HTML5 (http://www.apple.com/html5/ and http://studio.html5rocks.com/ respectively). Safari (both mobile and desktop), Google Chrome and Firefox also support HTML5.

HTML5 introduces technology improvements to HTML that help mobile developers by adding geo-location, user interface tools, and access to smartphone’s cameras and sensors. HTML5 also adds media playback, offline storage, and 2D graphics capabilities. Let's look at a few of these features in more detail.

Media Playback

The days of needing Flash, Silverlight or Quicktime to play music or view a video are over. With HTML5, plug-ins are no longer needed. The HTML quotation tags can be used to directly embed media.

A recent study by EffectiveUI Software Architect Sean Christmann showed that HTML5 video even out performed Flash on mobile devices. Flash did out perform HTML5 in a number of other categories, however. (http://www.craftymind.com/guimark3/)

Google now makes Flash video on Apple devices possible via its “Swiffy” project, which converts Flash files to HTML5. The first version of Swiffy was made available on Google Labs June 30, 2011.

Offline Support

With HTML5 (and a free SQL Lite database), it’s now possible for mobile developers to store data locally on the device. Interruptions in connectivity no longer need to affect your ability to remain productive with your mobile application. Capabilities such as caching of logic and local storage of data make this possible.

2D Graphics Capabilities

The canvas element is now part of HTML5 and allows for dynamic rendering of 2D shapes and bitmap images. It is designed to make it easy to add graphics to a page without using plug-ins.

In my first article on HTML5 we received two good comments that I want to share here. The first is from mobile software guru Glenn Kletzky of Mobile Epiphany:

********
Great Intro Post to the subject Kevin. My group has been studying it at great lengths ourselves over the last few months, and your conclusions are in perfect sync with our findings. As always, you know your stuff and don't write about something until you do!

Another looming issue with HTML5 that is critical in the Enterprise is the concept of "Store and Forward". I suppose store and forward tech has been implemented in more than a few ways over the years in native apps, but the issue enterprises talk to us about almost exclusively is a store and forward capability that seems to be missing in the tech. We have heard some rumblings about “Sure it can do store and forward”, but dropping an XML file on your device is not the road enterprises seem to care about. It appears they need HTML5 to be a tech which secures and houses large amounts of highly variable data (BLOB’s, point data, etc) in a secure, encrypted and powerful database. Large stores of highly secure and encrypted data are often required to be successful in the field when connectivity is intermittent at best. And as mobile storage continues to grow (SD to 2 Gigs, then SDHC to 32 gigs, now SDXC heading toward 2 TBs over the next year or 2!) this really allows for some amazing capabilities in the field for Store and Forward requirements. And yet I don't hear much in HTML5 on that front.

I would love to know more about what you learn with regards to HTML5 and this issue.

Great writing as always Kevin.

Glenn Kletzky
********
Brian Blankenship writes:

Nice post. Other limitations of HTML5, beyond APIs such as GameCenter and In-app purchase, are no access to key device features such as the camera, videocamera, accelerometer (to name a few), and future device features yet to be invented. In addition, HTML5 apps, especially via a mobile browser, just don't create the "attachment" a user has with a native app - be it due to user experience or be it due to practical matters such as having to navigate through a long list of browser bookmarks, that over time would be ignored. Finally, there is the monetization component - for browser apps, as opposed to distributing through an app store for payment, how do developers get paid?
********

I recently interviewed Tom Slee from Sybase on HTML5 and how its data storage capabilities compares and contrasts to Sybase's embedded databases. You can read the article here.

Please comment here and share your thoughts and knowledge about HTML5!

Upcoming Events

Critical Requirements for Mobile App Development: Agility and Speed Strategy, Process, and Tools to Accelerate Mobile Development, July 21, 2011
Mobile Tablet Trends in the Enterprise featuring Samsung Mobile - July 28, 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.

*************************************************************

Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer

Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict

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

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 July 18, 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 Weekly
Also read Mobile Charts Weekly

eMarketer has estimated that advertisers in the U.S. will spend just over $1.1 billion on mobile phone advertising this year, rising to $1.5 billion in 2012. Read Original Content

A new study by comScore has found that in the past year mobile searches on major search engines like Google have increased 34 percent. Read Original Content

A new survey conducted by the Interactive Advertising Bureau shows that despite in-app rich media opportunities, most marketers are directing advertising at traditional mobile web display ads. Read Original Content

Gartner predicts that money spent on mobile ads will soar nearly seven times from an anticipated $3.3 billion this year to $20.6 billion in 2015. Read Original Content

Groupon and Expedia have partnered to form a location-based travel discount service called Groupon Getaways. This will provide travelers with a wide range of travel discounts on hotels and airfare. Read Original Content

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 Weekly
Also read Mobility Charts Weekly

The total value of mobile payments for digital and physical goods, money transfers and NFC transactions will reach $670 billion by 2015, according to a new study from Juniper Research. Read Original Content

PayPal last week unveiled a new peer-to-peer payment functionality that allows Android users to pay each other by tapping two near field communication-enabled devices together. Read Original Content

According to Research and Markets the global NFC payment market is expected to grow at an annual growth rate of 68 percent between 2010 and 2014. Read Original Content

Weyrich Enterprises has released a mobile app that allows smartphone owners to easily shop and browse through over 300 retail clothing brands on smartphones. Read Original Content

In the past fourteen months 2.5 million Canadians have downloaded mobile banking applications to their smartphones according Solutions Research Group. Read Original Content

A study by Mobile Entertainment Forum has found that more than nine out of ten Britons use their mobile phones to either research or make new purchases. Read Original Content

Mobile Expert Video Series: ETSA Utility's Grant Roach

In this video I interview field mobility veteran Grant Roach from the South Australian electricity distributor ETSA. They started their first mobility projects in the 1990s and have continued to evolve it. They are now adding ClickMobile to their ClickSchedule solution. He also has a lot of experience with change management in the field services space.

Whitepapers of Note

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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 July 18, 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 Weekly
Also read Mobility Charts Weekly

According to ABI Research by 2011 the RFID market will reach and potentially surpass a total in sales of approximately $6 billion. Read Original Content

The U.S. Army is currently testing smartphones to be used in battlefield situations to increase surveillance capability. The Army is testing 500 off the shelf smartphones equipped with rugged cases for device protection. Read Original Content

Many hospitals and clinics are finding tablets useful. Benefits include easy access to medical records, mobility, speech-to-text capability, paperless billing, access to photos and the ability to electronically send prescriptions to pharmacies. Read Original Content

According to a recent airline industry study, 91 percent of airlines are planning to invest in mobility services for its passengers. This includes mobile check-in capability and digital boarding passes. Read Original Content

Simplot, a major player in the agriculture industry, is teaming up with electric utility companies to develop a smart grid-like irrigation system that responds to power demands. Read Original Content

In order to help prepare Filipino farmers for droughts, heavy rains and other variables, Senator Edgardo J. Angara is suggesting the use of remote sensors to provide better agriculture intelligence for the farming community of the Philippines. Read Original Content

Mobile Expert Video Series: Jessica Fell

I had the opportunity to meet Jessica Fell from Association and Communication Events in Australia last week and talk to her about the upcoming October 25th-27th Field Mobility Conference in Sydney.

*************************************************************

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: Telstra's Warren Wipiti

Last week in Australia I was able to listen in on a presentation about field services automation, scheduling and mobilizing field workers by Telstra. They use Panasonic Toughbooks, WiFi enabled vehicles and ClickSoftware's ClickSchedule to organize and dispatch their field services teams.

In this video Warren shares that Telstra has gone from being just a utility provider, to now being a service provider in a deregulated and competitive environment where superior quality and customer service is a competitive advantage.

Telstra has done something that is very hard. They reduced their field services staff by 50%, yet improved their quality and customer service. Listen to this video to find out how.

Upcoming Events

Critical Requirements for Mobile App Development: Agility and Speed Strategy, Process, and Tools to Accelerate Mobile Development, July 21, 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 in Australia is Challenging

Snake is 5 meters (15 feet) long
Click Image to Enlarge

I had the privilege of speaking at a conference in Australia this week and spending time with many utilities and construction companies. The challenges in Australia can be highlighted by this image of a snake, provided by Jeff Morgan from Electrix taken from the window of a utility vehicle in Australia. This snake is of a very aggressive and deadly nature. I was also intrigued by the many spider stories that were shared by the field engineers that I spent time with this week. Seems spiders really like electrical meter boxes.

In addition to the biting and stinging variety of challenges, there are many connectivity challenges in a country as big and remote as Australia. It doesn't take long to lose connectivity once you leave the main roads in Australia. Companies use specialized radios and satellite phones and up-links a lot in this region.

Any mission critical mobile application such as field services and enterprise asset management needs to be designed to work equally well connected or disconnected from the Internet in Australia. That takes databases on the mobile client, syncing technology and back office integration. In other words, these kinds of mobile solutions are naturals for Sybase's SUP and SQL Anywhere architecture.

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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: Jemena's Tinashe Mutimbe

I met Tinashe Mutimbe over dinner at ClickSoftware's ClickConnect APAC 2011 conference in Manly, Australia this week. We had a very interesting discussion about enterprise mobility in the utilities industry and he was kind enough to agree to a video interview. Thanks Tinashe!

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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 ROI Weekly - Week of July 11, 2011

This weekly ROI (return on investment) report will include ROIs that I come across in my weekly enterprise mobility, M2M and GPS vehicle tracking research. I will be collecting ROIs and posting them here. The idea is that in the future if you need to find ROIs for companies in various industries they will be available here. I hope you find this useful.

Scottish Council Saves Through Fleet Management

After investing in a fleet management system from TomTom Business Solutions, the Scottish Council of West Dunbartonshire was able to track its fleet of vehicles resulting in a £100,000 reduction in fuel expenses during the first year. The Council installed TomTom LINK300 tracking units on 260 vehicles allowing Rodney Thorton, head of fleet and waste management, to better monitor the driving habits of his workers.

In the upcoming months the Council is expected to install TomTom tracking units on the remainder of the 380-vehicle fleet to save in fuel costs and reduce carbon emissions. West Dunbartonshire is also looking at TomTom’s ecoPLUS device that monitors engine performance and gathers engine data through embedded sensors. West Dunbartonshire’s ROI was reported to come from the following areas:

£100,000 reduction in fuel expenses
The ability to better monitor the driving habits of workers resulting in more responsible and efficient driving practices.
Fuel cost savings resulted from improvements to the way council vehicle operators carry out their duties.
Reduced carbon emissions

Read original source

Pipe Works Services SAves Through Vehicle Tracking

New Jersey based Pipe Works Services was able to increase their vehicle fleet productivity and reduce fuel consumption after installing GPS tracking devices on company vehicles. They selected the Marcus Fleet Tracking Solution package from Discrete Wireless, Inc. Pipe Works chose this solution because it offered features including email alerts and geo-fencing capabilities. Their ROI was reported to have come from the following areas:

35 percent productivity increase
20 percent reduction in fuel consumption
Better security and improved employee accountability

Read original source

Ventura California Saves Through GPS Tracking

The city of Ventura, California equipped select vehicles in its fleet of 450 with GPS tracking devices. After implementation the city saw impressive savings that include an overall fuel savings of 10 percent. In just the city’s water department, they realized annual savings of $10,000. Larger vehicles like wastewater vehicles can save up to $1,200 per year. After implementing a fleet tracking solution, the city saw an ROI in the following areas:

Improved fuel economy by 10 percent, which more than pays for the GPS Tracking System
Reduced idling time
Improved routing
Improved customer service
City water department saved more than $10,000/year in fuel and maintenance costs
Larger vehicles realized up to $1,200/year in fuel savings
Helped the city become leaner and greener by implementing more sustainable practices

Read original source

Upcoming Events

Critical Requirements for Mobile App Development: Agility and Speed Strategy, Process, and Tools to Accelerate Mobile Development, July 21, 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