Kevin Benedict Ponders the Future

Education and SAP Enterprise Mobility

Last week I wrote an article pondering how management strategies may need to change to take advantage of both current and emerging mobile technologies. My reasoning is that simply placing mobile devices in the hands of a mobile workforce does not on its own improve the business. Mobile technology is simply a way of enabling new and improved business processes and management practices. To me this means management needs to be educated.

The SVP of National Customer Solutions Delivery, Tony Geheran at TELUS recently stated, "Efficient and effective management of our large mobile workforce is critical to the success of our business.” The important part to note about this statement is that efficient and effective managing is the key to success, not mobile technology. Mobile technology is an enabler, not the end goal.

I read recently that one SAP mobility partner, Clicksoftware, is advocating the combination of technology with educational services to help businesses find the right balance between reducing costs, increasing customer satisfaction, employee preferences and industry regulations. I am a fan of this approach. Having been involved in hundreds of mobility projects I know how important it is for the stakeholders to have a deep understanding of why mobile technologies are useful and why it is worth the implementation effort and costs.

I believe it is important for managers today to spend time in education and research to learn how mobility can make managing more efficient and effective.

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Kevin Benedict, SAP Mentor, SAP Top Contributor, Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst
Phone +1 208-991-4410
twitter @krbenedict
Join SAP Enterprise Mobility on Linkedin:
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=2823585&trk=anet_ug_grppro

Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility consultant, mobility analyst, writer and Web 2.0 marketing professional. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.

Apple Stores and Motorola No More

In December of 2007 I wrote a blog article questioning why Apple was using the Motorola MC50 handheld computers and Microsoft Mobile operating systems in their stores rather than their own devices and operating systems. Every time I popped into an Apple store for the next couple of years I would see the same thing. However, last month I noted that all the Apple sales associates were carrying the Apple iTouch with a sleeve that appeared to have an integrated barcode reader.

I interpreted this development to be a measure of progress that Apple has made toward supporting enterprise requirements. Early on, Apple would not use their own solutions for enterprise class POS and retail applications but now in 2010 they do.

The iTouch was using an integrated barcode reader which is a good step toward field data collection. It seems reasonable to assume it could also integrate with RFID and any number of additional Bluetooth enabled data capture accessories.

I wonder if there would be a large enough market for a ruggedized iPhone? It would not work well with field workers that wear gloves, but for many service technicians working primarily indoors it might be fine. There are a lot of service technicians from companies like Konica Minolta that work indoors and are implementing mobile field services solutions.

Here is a description of the Konica Minolta solution. Jobs are raised in the SAP system, and this information is automatically passed to ClickSchedule via the existing interface. ClickSchedule (from an SAP mobility partner) then allocates the most suitable individual to fix or service the product based upon the engineers' skill sets, location and availability. This information is then seamlessly passed to the field engineer via rugged mobile devices which the engineers use again to update progress.

Wouldn't it be interesting if Apple developed a ruggedized and industrial grade device running iOS for this segment of the market? Would this work or do you see more limitations with the iOS that would prevent this from being a reasonable alternative?

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Kevin Benedict, SAP Mentor, SAP Top Contributor, Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst
Phone +1 208-991-4410
twitter @krbenedict
Join SAP Enterprise Mobility on Linkedin:

http://www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=2823585&trk=anet_ug_grppro

Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility consultant, mobility analyst, writer and Web 2.0 marketing professional. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.

Systems Integrators and SAP Enterprise Mobility

One measure of the level of maturity in a technology market is if a systems integrator can do the work, rather than the original solution developer. Today, most SAP enterprise mobility vendors are still doing their own work. Why? The solutions are new, dynamic, rapidly expanding and ahead of adequate documentation and systems integrator training programs.

It is still rare to see systems integrators using SAP mobility solutions from vendors. It is still very common to see systems integrators custom building their own mobile applications. This however, is not in the best interest of SAP customers in the long term. Out of the box solutions are generally more stable. They have been tested for longer periods of time and often have more companies using them in production environments.

I was interested to read that ENERGY4U, a German-based consulting and implementation firm was implementing SMART Work Manager from Syclo for use with the SAP® ERP application for RheinEnergie, a German utility. The solution will automate technicians’ daily meter and preventative maintenance work order processes. ENERGY4U specializes in providing consulting and implementation services related to SAP solutions for utility companies in the deregulated energy market.

The fact that ENERGY4U, a systems integrator, is implementing a mobile solution from a mobility vendor in the SAP ecosystem is a sign of maturity and progress in the industry.

If you are a systems integrator and are implementing a mobile solution from an SAP ecosystem partner please let me know the details!

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Kevin Benedict, SAP Mentor, SAP Top Contributor, Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst
Phone +1 208-991-4410
twitter @krbenedict
Join SAP Enterprise Mobility on Linkedin:
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=2823585&trk=anet_ug_grppro

Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility consultant, mobility analyst, writer and Web 2.0 marketing professional. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.

Kevin's Mobility News Weekly - August 26, 2010

Kevin's Mobility News Weekly is an online newsletter that is 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 numbers and trends.

You can read archived versions of the newsletter here - http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/p/kevins-mobility-news-weekly.html.

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Garmin is recalling 1.25 million GPS devices, most of which were sold in America, because their batteries could overheat and cause fires, the company said Thursday. The affected units contain batteries made by a third-party supplier, and almost 800,000 were sold in America.

http://money.cnn.com/2010/08/26/technology/garmin_recall/index.htm?hpt=T2

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The news of Intel acquiring McAfee for nearly $8 billion caught the tech world off guard and perplexed analysts at face value. The fact is that it doesn't make much sense based on the Intel and McAfee of today, but as the dust settles the deal makes more sense when viewed as a visionary shift with an eye on where technology is headed--everywhere. The challenge for the future of Intel is that the relevance of the PC is waning in an increasingly mobile world.

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/203764/intelmcafee_deal_secure_mobility_by_design.html?tk=hp_new

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I was fortunate to have attended last week's SAP Sybase Executive Briefing in Boston. Also attending were SAP Mentors, Jon Reed and Susan Keohan, "the workflow goddess." There was a lot covered, but in this report I am going to focus on what I learned about enterprise mobility there.

http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/2010/08/report-on-sap-sybase-executive-briefing.html

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Target Corp., best known for its "cheap chic" clothing and furnishings, is adding a series of new services aimed at bolstering its electronics departments. Target announced this morning that it is launching Target Mobile.

http://twincities.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2010/08/23/daily19.html#ixzz0xdhDzbAQ

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ClickSoftware is an SAP mobility partner and the leading provider of automated workforce management and optimization solutions for every size of service business. This newsletter is sponsored in part by ClickSoftware - http://www.clicksoftware.com/.

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The independent survey, which examined consumer preferences and attitudes surrounding mobile shopping, found that 15 percent of consumers have used their mobile devices to make purchases. “The key finding is that 15 percent of all mobile phone users—not just smartphone users—made a purchase from their mobile phone,” said Adam Forrest, product marketing manager at Demandware, Woburn, MA. “The age demographic with the highest usage was 25-34 with 21 percent of them making a purchase from their mobile phone.

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/15pc-of-consumers-have-made-purchase-with-mobile-device-study/

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Tuesday morning Sprint Nextel's Virgin Mobile division unveiled its newest offering: a $40 monthly flat rate for unlimited mobile broadband use. The plan immediately will replace the company's current $20, $40 and $60 plans; current users of those plans will be able to use up their existing data or time, whichever comes first.

http://www.crn.com/news/networking/226900152/for-virgin-mobile-true-mobility-means-no-contracts.htm;jsessionid=AHfkKEJJLS7Qt7j74Bw+Cg**.ecappj02

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I have been invited to join popular mobility blogger Gil Bouhnick, the Director of Mobile Solutions at ClickSoftware, to speak at an upcoming webinar entitled, 10 Costly Mistakes to Avoid when Selecting and Implementing a Mobility Solution. I don't know where that title came from, as I have made at least a hundred costly mistakes all by myself. I invite you to join us on August 31st.

http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/2010/08/what-happens-when-you-schedule-2.html

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New data from Ground Truth reveals that mobile romance is heating up as temperatures climb in the summer months. According to the mobile media measurement firm, the number of visitors to mobile dating sites increased by 92 percent from the first week in June to the last week in July.

http://www.fiercemobilecontent.com/press-releases/romancing-phone-mobile-dating-climbs-summer-heats#ixzz0xdhtdtN7

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Mobile devices from tablets to notebooks to mobile phones are invading the enterprise. Here's a look at some of the trends that are shaping today's mobile enterprise.

http://www.channelinsider.com/c/a/Messaging-and-Collaboration/iPhone-to-Windows-Phone-7-Top-Enterprise-Mobility-Trends-876783/

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This week I registered for SAP's TechEd 2010 Las Vegas. I am excited about it this year - the year of mobility! SAP's 2010 focus is - on premise, on demand and on device. MOBILE device that is. I will be teaching a session on The Future of Enterprise Mobility, and hosting two SAP Enterprise Mobility sessions in the Expert Lounge. I have seen the conference agenda and it is packed full of sessions on mobility. I hope to see all of you there!

http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/2010/08/kevin-benedict-on-teched-2010-in-las.html

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China’s Union Mobile Pay is reporting an M-Commerce sales volume equivalent to $4.4 billion U.S. (30 billion yuan, which is about 3.1 billion euros), according to a report Tuesday from PaymentsSource. That service also reported 140 million registered users, as of the end of last year.

http://www.storefrontbacktalk.com/e-commerce/more-m-commerce-proof-from-china-4-4-billion-in-mobile-revenue-last-year/#ixzz0xktFnZIU

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The worldwide mobile payments market--including purchases of digital and physical goods, money transfers and NFC transactions--will grow from $170 billion in 2010 to almost $630 billion in 2014 according to a new forecast issued by Juniper Research.

http://www.fiercemobilecontent.com/story/juniper-forecasts-mobile-payments-reach-630b-2014/2010-05-04

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I worked on a mobility project a few years ago with a very large construction and engineering firm that did contract work for water and electrical utilities in the UK. They came to me with a need to survey and inspect council houses.

http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/2010/08/saving-billions-with-help-of-enterprise.html

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Bank of America Corp plans to begin a test program next month that lets customers use smartphones to pay for purchases in stores. The program, set to run from September through the end of the year in the New York area, is the biggest step yet by the biggest U.S. consumer bank toward creating a "digital wallet" with a host of financial capabilities built into the latest, most sophisticated mobile phones.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idCAN1927163120100819?rpc=44

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High end retailer Barneys New York went for speed and simplicity when it launched its mobile commerce site in October.

http://www.internetretailer.com/2010/08/26/when-it-comes-m-commerce-test-and-test-again-retailer-says

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Two-thirds of service providers surveyed intend to use WiMAX for mobility-based services by 2012. This indicates a richer service environment for WiMAX in the future, but at the same time, the survey showed that key challenges remain; specifically, the limited range of WiMAX-enabled mobile devices and the difficulty of building low-ARPU pricing models for developing countries.

http://www.infonetics.com/pr/2010/WiMAX-Services-Strategies-Service-Provider-Survey-Highlights.asp

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In the UK the water utilities and the government wanted to find ways of reducing water consumption so they could delay or avoid building new water reservoirs. You can image how difficult and costly it is to build new water reservoirs in populated areas! The company that was awarded the inspection work contacted me to help them mobilize this system. Here is a high level view on how I remember the process worked.

http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/2010/08/saving-billions-with-help-of-enterprise_26.html

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A new survey of hundreds of wireless industry executives from around the world found strong support for a switch from flat-rate mobile data plans to usage-based models. The survey found that 48 percent of executives surveyed predicted that carriers will focus on developing new mobile data pricing models over the next three years. Additionally, the survey showed that 55 percent of those surveyed agreed usage-based models are coming to mature markets, and 47 percent said flat-rate data plans are crimping their ability to increase revenue.

http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2010/08/25/end_of_fixed_price_data_plans_may_be_near/

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Last week, in a blog article, I discussed the challenges of preparing to consult with a company and advise them on issues related to enterprise mobility. I shared that it is helpful to send questions in advance so you know what kind of environment you are walking into. Since that article I have thought of a few more questions which I have listed here.

http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/2010/08/more-on-how-you-advise-enterprise-on.html

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SAP and Sybase Press Release on Enterprise Mobility Roadmap – August 19, 2010: The companies will integrate the SAP NetWeaver® Mobile component and SAP® BusinessObjects™ Mobile software with Sybase Unwired Platform to deliver a single mobile development and deployment platform with integrated analytics.

http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/2010/08/sap-and-sybase-press-release-on.html

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I have been thinking a lot lately about how management, and the art of managing, needs to evolve with the advancement and progress in mobile technology. It is not just mobile devices that change, but a whole list of new capabilities that are now available to a manager. I wonder how many managers have adapted their management styles and practices, and re-engineered their business processes to take advantage of these mobile features and capabilities?

http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/2010/08/sap-enterprise-mobility-and-management.html

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Networked Field Services whitepaper - This paper explores the convergence of several different technologies including: mobility, GPS, business intelligence and M2M (machine to machine) technologies with evolving field services management strategies. This convergence has resulted in a new “Networked Field Service” model that has been developed by leading military strategists. Governments have made huge investments over the past few years in Network-Centric Warfare strategies and mobile data collection technologies that are relevant to field services organizations.

http://www.clicksoftware.com/1c7060c0-1296-4c54-90d6-8f83c5c5ecf0/knowledge-center-white-papers-registration.htm

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High end retailer Barneys New York went for speed and simplicity when it launched its mobile commerce site in October.

http://www.internetretailer.com/2010/08/26/when-it-comes-m-commerce-test-and-test-again-retailer-says

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Read the latest Mobile Expert Interviews at: http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/p/mobile-expert-interview-series.html

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Kevin Benedict, SAP Mentor, SAP Top Contributor, Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst
Phone +1 208-991-4410

twitter @krbenedict

Join SAP Enterprise Mobility on Linkedin:
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=2823585&trk=anet_ug_grppro

Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility consultant, mobility analyst, writer and Web 2.0 marketing professional. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.

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SAP Enterprise Mobility and Management Education

I have been thinking a lot lately about how management, and the art of managing, needs to evolve with the advancement and progress in mobile technology. It is not just mobile devices that change, but a whole list of new capabilities that are now available to a manager. I wonder how many managers have adapted their management styles and practices, and re-engineered their business processes to take advantage of these mobile features and capabilities?

What do you think? Do you see managers staying on top of new mobile capabilities, or are they managing the same way they did in a disconnected world?

Let me provide just one example. Earlier this year Syclo connected their mobile applications to the SAP global support backbone. This is a great step that recognizes the importance of mobility to the enterprise, but how many managers know what this means and how to use it effectively? Here are some details.

Syclo’s mobile applications now connect to the SAP global support backbone of the SAP® Active Global Support organization and have built-in support for incident processing and remote diagnostics using the partner edition of the SAP Solution Manager application management solution, providing end-to-end incident management processes. Syclo is using SAP Solution Manager during support operations and conforms to SAP standards for shared support processes, service-level agreements and escalation procedures. The integration between Syclo’s SMART Work Manager and SMART Service Manager applications and SAP Active Global Support will help customers increase operational efficiency.

Now that the technology is here, I believe it is time to educate management. What do you think?

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Kevin Benedict, SAP Mentor, SAP Top Contributor, Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst
Phone +1 208-991-4410
twitter @krbenedict
Join SAP Enterprise Mobility on Linkedin:
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=2823585&trk=anet_ug_grppro

Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility consultant, mobility analyst, writer and Web 2.0 marketing professional. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.

More on How You Advise an Enterprise on Mobility

Last week, in a blog article, I discussed the challenges of preparing to consult with a company and advise them on issues related to enterprise mobility. I shared that it is helpful to send questions in advance so you know what kind of environment you are walking into. Since that article I have thought of a few more questions which I have listed here:

Do you need an SDK (software development kit) to customize and/or edit your own mobile applications?
Do you want to develop your own mobile application in-house, buy off-the-shelf or contract with a third party for a custom mobile application?
If you want to develop in-house, are your stakeholders patient enough to wait for the final product? What are the costs to the business of not delivering on time?
If you develop in-house, who will support new versions of the mobile operating systems and new mobile devices?
Which business unit will budget to pay for upgrades to mobile operating systems and mobile devices? They change every few months? Do you really have developers that will be available for all of these updates and upgrades?
How will you support it? What is the plan for supporting mobile applications and mobile devices?
What countries will be using it?
What data plans does the company want to use in each country?
How will you manage the data plans?
What is the policy for replacing missing or damaged mobile devices?
Which business unit will pay for lost devices and data plans?
What is the process for approving mobile access to ERPs and business processes?

Syclo, a co-innovation partner of SAP in the mobility space, speaks of supporting any data source, any network, any device, any industry, any process and anywhere in the world. Doing that all for one enterprise takes getting a few questions answered. What other questions should we add to this list?

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Kevin Benedict, SAP Mentor, SAP Top Contributor, Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst

Phone +1 208-991-4410

twitter @krbenedict

Join SAP Enterprise Mobility on Linkedin:

http://www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=2823585&trk=anet_ug_grppro

Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility consultant, mobility analyst, writer and Web 2.0 marketing professional. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.

Saving Billions with the Help of Enterprise Mobility Solutions, Part 2

In the UK the water utilities and the government wanted to find ways of reducing water consumption so they could delay or avoid building new water reservoirs. You can image how difficult and costly it is to build new water reservoirs in populated areas!

The water utilities and the government, which own a significant number of council houses, developed a program in which they would send inspectors out to inspect water usage and recommend ways of reducing it.

The company that was awarded the inspection work contacted me to help them mobilize this system. Here is a high level view on how I remember the process worked:

Mail was sent to the council house addresses announcing the program.
Inspection visits were scheduled.
Inspectors were dispatched to a certain number of homes each day.
Minutes before the inspectors were to arrive, the home owners were called to make sure they were home.
The inspectors inspected all of the plumbing and appliances for leaks, and other areas where water consumption could be reduced.
Following the inspections the data was synchronized back to a central database.
The results of the inspections were organized and recommendations on a per house basis were made and the costs associated with the improvements where calculated.
Once the improvements and work was approved, field service technicians were dispatched to install equipment and repair equipment that was intended to reduce water usage.

The key point was that the ROI for this project was potentially billions of Sterling for the government and water utilities. Delivering that ROI was dependent on getting the inspections and work done efficiently. If the inspections and work cost were too much, then the entire project would be jeopardized. Efficiencies were required in order for any of it to happen.

Read Part 1 of this article here.

Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility consultant, mobility analyst, writer and Web 2.0 marketing professional. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.

http://www.clicksoftware.com/e86e075b-4fca-44c9-bfeb-4efcc978f416/knowledge-center-white-papers-delivery.htm

Kevin’s M2M News Weekly – August 25, 2010

Welcome to Kevin's M2M News Weekly. This is an online newsletter that consists of the most interesting news and articles related to M2M (machine to machine) and embedded mobile devices that I read each week. 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.
You can read archived editions of Kevin's M2M News Weekly at http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/p/m2m.html.

Also available are Kevin’s Mobility News Weekly and Kevin’s Enterprise Mobility Blog.

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According to a recent IE Market Research forecast, the worldwide market for GPS powered navigation and location-based services will grow from $1.6 billion in 2009 to $13.4 billion in 2014, representing a compound annual growth rate of 51.3 percent.

http://www.fiercemobilecontent.com/slideshow/5-ipad-navigation-apps-offer-new-directions-location-based-services

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The seemingly recession proof smartphone is suffering from a side effect of the rough economy: Manufacturers simply can't build enough of the gadgets because chip makers that rolled back production last year now are scrambling to play catch up.

http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100821/BIZ/8210302/-1/rss05

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M2M devices and applications are an area of wireless data usage with a projected compound annual growth rate of over 25 percent per year through 2014 and a projected need for up to 50 billion M2M devices by 2025.

http://networking.itbusinessnet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=1182351

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You may have heard one of the absolute brightest spots in the tech space is the M2M market where analysts believe sales will total $18 billion in the next five years as device totals surge from 75 million to over 225 million.

http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/rich-tehrani/m2m/m2m-market-to-grow-to-18b-in-5-years.html

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The number of devices connected to the internet is expected to break through the five billion mark this month, according to web market research firm IMS Research. Numbers could be as high as 22 billion by 2020.

http://www.itpro.co.uk/626209/web-connected-devices-to-reach-22-billion-by-2020

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Over the last few years, the key focus of M2M applications has shifted from tactical, local deployments – where M2M began – to increasingly strategic, national and international deployments. As a result, the demand for cost effective national and international network coverage has increased dramatically.

http://www.telecomengine.com/NewsGlobe/article.asp?HH_ID=AR_6545

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Many technologies today focus on providing high speed connections for multimedia, information and entertainment applications. However, at the opposite end of the spectrum, there is a growing need for new breeds of smart devices based on wireless sensors that have a very different set of core requirements.

http://www.ferret.com.au/c/Clarke-Severn-Electronics/Wavenis-Wireless-Technology-for-M2M-Applications-available-from-Clarke-Severn-Electronics-n894840

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The ABI study "Cellular Machine-to-Machine Markets" discusses the market trends and analyzes cellular M2M vendor strategic responses for the period 2003-2009. According to the study, the M2M communication market has had fluctuating fortunes. While 2007 was a “good year”, 2008 was witness to a drastic decline in shipment volumes and revenues. However, as 3G gained more significance, the market seems to have picked up and it is estimated to be worth $3.8 billion in 2015.

http://m2m.tmcnet.com/topics/m2mevolution/articles/95825-3g-leading-growth-m2m-market-abi-research.htm

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Cleveland's city council has equipped residential recycling bins with RFID tags. Passing garbage trucks count the bins, and any residents whose bin isn't left on the curb for a few weeks will be visited by the "rubbish inspector." After a bit of digging (literally), if it turns out that resident has been discarding recyclables, they face a $100 fine.

http://www.telecomengine.com/NewsGlobe/article.asp?HH_ID=AR_6544

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According to the 2010 "Green Quadrant" report published by Verdantix, an independent analyst firm that provides commercial analysis of climate change, sustainability and energy issues, Orange "stands out as the telecoms operator that has been most successful in creating, marketing and delivering telecoms solutions which offer sustainability benefits to business customers." Orange already led the market in the 2009 issue of the Verdantix report.

http://www.telecomengine.com/article.asp?Id=AR_6515

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Someday, all cars may be smart and connected. But today, it’s noteworthy indeed that ITU’s Fully Networked Car, and ng Connect’s LTE Connected Car are on display at two different major European tradeshows: the Geneva Auto Show and CeBIT.

http://blog.m2mzone.com/m2m/2010/03/lte-connected-car-project-can-it-bridge-concept-with-reality.html

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ORBCOMM Inc., a global satellite data communications company focusing on two-way M2M communications announced that Caterpillar Inc. has renewed its agreement with ORBCOMM for satellite communication services for their heavy equipment telematics solution. Caterpillar will benefit from their expanded services in countries like South Africa, Ghana, and Papua New Guinea.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/orbcomm-extends-telematics-services-to-caterpillar-inc-2010-08-24?reflink=MW_news_stmp

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Vodafone decided a while ago that M2M represented a strong opportunity for the Group, and subsequently appointed Erik Brenneis to the role of heading up a group M2M Line of Business unit, with overall responsibility for driving Vodafone’s growth in the M2M market. Mr. Brenneis was formerly Chief Sales Officer at M2M market leader Cinterion Wireless Modules and therefore has a strong background in M2M. Since then, they have been recruiting M2M specialists to strengthen this new group unit and aims to have 110 full time staff by the last quarter of this year. This will include regional heads for the Americas, AsiaPacific, and North, Central and South Europe, to be located in-region. To take one example, the plan calls for a new US team with an initial staff of 6, even though Vodafone has no direct presence in that market. Nevertheless, it does have a 45 percent stake in its affiliate, Verizon Wireless, the largest mobile operator in the US, now focusing on M2M following the establishment of nPhase as its M2M joint venture with Qualcomm.

http://www.telecomengine.com/NewsGlobe/article.asp?HH_ID=AR_6545

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Kevin Benedict, SAP Mentor, SAP Top Contributor, Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst
Phone +1 208-991-4410 twitter @krbenedict
Join SAP Enterprise Mobility on Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=2823585&trk=anet_ug_grppro
Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility consultant, mobility analyst, writer and Web 2.0 marketing professional. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.

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Saving Billions with the Help of Enterprise Mobility Solutions, Part 1

I worked on a mobility project a few years ago with a very large construction and engineering firm that did contract work for water and electrical utilities in the UK. They came to me with a need to survey and inspect council houses. Council housing is a form of public or social housing in the United Kingdom. Council houses are built and operated by local councils to provide uncrowded, well built homes on secure tenancies at below market rents to primarily working class individuals.

The contractor asked me to provide consulting on how to mobilize up to 3,000 inspectors all around the UK to go to council houses and inspect them for ways to conserve both energy and water. The number 3,000 had a magical ring to it so I agreed.

I flew to Newcastle where I met with the team and found out their real motivation for wanting to inspect the houses and mobilize their inspectors. Their real motivation was a desire to save billions in Sterling! If they could inspect the houses, recommend ways to reduce water consumption by 10, 20 or 30 percent, then they could delay the need to build new water reservoirs which could take years and cost billions.

I like mobile ROIs with the word billions attached!

The SAP Workforce Scheduling and Service Optimization solution is one of the solutions available that is designed for managing work in the field on mobile devices.

Read Part 2 of this article here.

Kevin Benedict on TechEd 2010 in Las Vegas and Enterprise Mobility

This week I registered for SAP's TechEd 2010 Las Vegas. I am excited about it this year - the year of mobility! SAP's 2010 focus is - on premise, on demand and on device. MOBILE device that is. I will be teaching a session on The Future of Enterprise Mobility. I have seen the conference agenda and it is packed full of sessions on mobility. I hope to see all of you there!

TechEd is a conference designed for those that do the real work. The developers, architects, business analysts and IT teams. It is a place to get real answers, not just the marketing messages.

I filmed a brief video about TechEd and why I like it and uploaded it to the SAP Mentor channel on YouTube.

I hope to see you there!!! I will be wearing a cool SAP Mentor rugby shirt with "Benedict" written on my back. Come introduce yourself to me!
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Kevin Benedict, SAP Mentor, SAP Top Contributor, Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst
Phone +1 208-991-4410
twitter @krbenedict
Join SAP Enterprise Mobility on Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=2823585&trk=anet_ug_grppro

Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility consultant, mobility analyst, writer and Web 2.0 marketing professional. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.