The Mobile Perspective

Interesting Perspective

Have you ever thought that a mobile worker might see enterprise mobility from a different perspective than the company he or she works for?  The company might be thinking only about how to extend their existing SAP ERP out to mobile devices.  However, in order to maximize productivity, the mobile user could benefit from other mobile solutions and by having integrations into many other back office applications.  Here is a scenario to consider:

1. Charlie needs work orders to be dispatched to his smartphone from his non-SAP scheduling and work order management application.
2. Charlie needs to fill out his timesheet using SAP's mobile timesheet application.
3. Charlie needs step-by-step navigation from his existing location to the next job site.
4. Charlie would benefit from having an automated telephone calling service to alert customers of his imminent arrival onsite.
5. Charlie would like to have mobile access to his SAP based HR benefits, vacation and sick days information.
6. Charlie would like to have mobile access to the account information of his customers in SAP CRM.
7. Charlie would like to have mobile access to the service history of his customers.
8. Charlie would like to have mobile access to shipping status, so he knows when he can schedule a return visit.
9. Charlie would like to see how his KPIs compare with his peers so that he can improve his performance.
10. Charlie provides asset maintenance services for his clients and needs to review EAM (enterprise asset management) data in IBM's Maximo solution.  He would benefit from a mobile integration with IBM Maximo as will as SAP.
11. Charlie would like to have the ability to take orders, while on location, via his smartphone.
12. Charlie would like to collect payments while onsite with the customer.  He would benefit from being able to process a credit card payment via his mobile device.
13. Charlie would like to know the location of parts that he needs for his repairs.  Is the part in inventory in the warehouse, in a nearby company vehicle or down the street at a preferred vendor's location?
14. Charlie would like to geo-tag (capture GPS location and apply a barcode label) to the equipment he maintains, so that next time he knows the exact location of all the equipment on the maintenance plan and can uniquely identify it.

The point of this list is to suggest that the mobile user, in order to maximize his/her productivity, may have different needs and different priorities than others in different roles and departments.  It is important to review the mobility needs of all of your mobile workforce first, before developing your company's IT priorities and mobility strategy.

Whitepapers of Note

The Business Benefits of Mobile Adoption with SAP Systems
ClickSoftware Mobility Suite and Sybase Mobility Solution
Networked Field Services

Webinar of Note

Redstone Arsenal’s (DOD/Chugach) 3 Maintenance Challenges Solved by Mobile

***************************************************
Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict
Join the SAP Enterprise Mobility Group on Linkedin

Read The Mobility News Weekly
Read The Mobile Retailing News Weekly
Read The Field Mobility News Weekly
Read The Mobile Money News Weekly
Read The M2M News Monthly

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

Field Mobility News Weekly - Week of April 11, 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 Money News Weekly
Also read Mobile Retailing News Weekly
Also read Mobility News Weekly
Also read M2M News Monthly

The global printed electronics market including RFID technology is expected to grow from $2.8 billion in 2008 to $24.25 billion in 2015.

http://pr-usa.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=686294&Itemid=29

********

NASCAR pit crews are now using sensor technology and tablet PC’s to track the performance of racecars.

http://www.ruggedtabletpc.com/blog/bid/56443/NASCAR-Driver-Safety-Improved-by-Real-time-Data-and-Tablet-PCs?source=BlogTwitter_%5BNASCAR Driver Safety%5D

********

The FDA has recently cleared the use of a handheld device that analyzes blood in real time.  This is the fourth medical handheld device that the FDA has cleared since January.

http://mobihealthnews.com/10629/fda-clears-abbotts-mobile-blood-analyzer/

********

DAILY RFID has released UHF RFID Wristband for patient identification and management.  With an RFID chip sealed inside the wristband, the RFID Wristband can be used to automatically record and transfer the real-time data for hospital management.

Mobile Expert Podcast Series: Philippe Winthrop, Part 1

I am excited to be able to provide you with the following two part interview with The Enterprise Mobility Foundation's Philippe Winthrop.  He is an experienced mobility expert, veteran mobility analyst and all around good guy.  We have done several webinars and events together in the past, and I appreciate his expertise and enthusiasm for mobility.  In this interview we talk about the complexities inherent in enterprise mobility with special emphasis around enterprise mobility management and mobile device management.

You can listen to Part 2 here.




Whitepapers of Note

The Business Benefits of Mobile Adoption with SAP Systems
ClickSoftware Mobility Suite and Sybase Mobility Solution
Networked Field Services

Webinar of Note

Redstone Arsenal's 3 Maintenace Challenges Solved by Mobile

***************************************************
Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict
Join the SAP Enterprise Mobility Group on Linkedin
Read The Mobility News Weekly
Read The Mobile Retailing News Weekly
Read The Field Mobility News Weekly
Read The Mobile Money News Weekly
Read The M2M News Monthly
Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility analyst, consultant and blogger. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.

Mobile Expert Podcast Series: K2 Partnering's Paul Andrew, Part 2

This is Part 2 of this podcast with K2 Partnering's Paul Andrew.  In this 8 minute segment we discuss the challenges for companies wanting to implement enterprise mobility.  You can listen to Part 1 here.



Whitepapers of Note
The Business Benefits of Mobile Adoption with SAP Systems
ClickSoftware Mobility Suite and Sybase Mobility Solution
Networked Field Services

 

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

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

Join the SAP Enterprise Mobility Group on Linkedin

Read The Mobility News Weekly

Read The Mobile Retailing News Weekly

Read The Field Mobility News Weekly

Read The Mobile Money News Weekly

Read The M2M News Monthly

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

Mobile Expert Podcast Series: K2 Partnering's Paul Andrew, Part 1

I am particularly excited about this 2 part interview with Paul Andrew because he is with K2 Partnering, a global provider of enterprise software consultants, and he is talking with his large clients nearly every day.  This gives him unique insights into what companies are needing and thinking around enterprise mobility today.




Whitepapers of Note

The Business Benefits of Mobile Adoption with SAP Systems
ClickSoftware Mobility Suite and Sybase Mobility Solution
Networked Field Services

***************************************************
Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict
Join the SAP Enterprise Mobility Group on Linkedin
Read The Mobility News Weekly
Read The Mobile Retailing News Weekly
Read The Field Mobility News Weekly
Read The Mobile Money News Weekly
Read The M2M News Monthly
Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility analyst, consultant and blogger. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.

Mobility News Weekly - Week of April 4, 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 Money News Weekly
Also read Mobile Retailing News Weekly
Also read M2M News Monthly

Boise State University has introduced a mobile version of the university website for iPhone, Blackberry, Android and other smartphone users.  The mobile site provides a usable interface as more people seek access to the website through portable and wireless devices.

http://news.boisestate.edu/update/2011/04/04/university-website-goes-mobile-at-m-boisestate-edu/

********

Led by the continuing success of Google's Android mobile operating system, sales of smartphones across the globe are set to double during the next six years, according to the Smartphone Forecast 2011-16 report recently released by Ovum.

http://www.creativedepartment.com/news/mobile/android-led-smartphone-market-set-double-sales-184500

********

Recent statistics from comScore show the company’s smartphone platform market share jumped 7 percent from November to February - a period in which nearly all of its competitors declined.

http://www.spetnik.com/a/news-story/id:800478831,story:google_thrives_as_competitors_dwindle_in_2011_smartphone_race

********

LG India on Tuesday made a move in the top-end smartphone market in India, announcing its flagship Android phone Optimus X2.

Mobile Money News Weekly - Week of April 4, 2011

The Mobile Money 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 Retailing News Weekly
Also read Mobility News Weekly
Also read M2M News Monthly

The number of Americans using mobile devices to access financial services is growing fast.  In the fourth quarter of 2010, almost 30 million Americans accessed their bank, credit card or brokerage accounts from a cell phone or tablet, up 54 percent from the same quarter a year earlier.

http://articles.cnn.com/2011-03-29/tech/mobile.banking.gahran_1_mobile-banking-mobile-financial-services-feature-phones?_s=PM:TECH

********

The decreased swipe fees for debit and credit use may help promote the wide use of mobile wallets.

http://finance-commerce.com/2011/04/reduced-debit-swipe-fees-may-hasten-shift-to-phone-payments/

********

A Sprint official has said that the company is moving to eventually have NFC chips inside its phones so they can be waved at the cash register for purchases, with the bill showing up on the customer's credit card statement and not on their cell phone bill.

http://www.walletpop.com/2011/04/05/mobile-payment-apps-increasing-and-so-may-your-debt/

********

Isis will pilot its mobile commerce program based on NFC technology in Salt Lake City in early to mid 2012, the joint venture said recently.  This venture includes AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.

The Table of Contents in Your Enterprise Mobility Book

If you were to write a book on enterprise mobility, what would you include in the Table of Contents?  I ponder this topic in this 11 minute video comments.



Whitepapers of Note

The Business Benefits of Mobile Adoption with SAP Systems
ClickSoftware Mobility Suite and Sybase Mobility Solution
Networked Field Services

***************************************************
Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict
Join the SAP Enterprise Mobility Group on Linkedin
Read The Mobility News Weekly
Read The Mobile Retailing News Weekly
Read The Field Mobility News Weekly
Read The Mobile Money News Weekly
Read The M2M News Monthly
Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility analyst, consultant and blogger. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.

Mobile End Points Not Just Mobile Device or Mobile App Management

Mobile Data End Points

I was researching consumer mobility trends this morning.  It turns out that for the first time people are accessing their mobile devices for news more often than television, radio, magazines and newspapers.  They expect mobile devices to be their trusted source of information.  What does this new development mean for businesses?  I believe it means that customers will begin, if they don't already, to expect businesses to supply more account and products information on mobile devices because that is where they turn to for information.

I believe that in many cases the information that customers want to access on a mobile device is nearly the same information that the field service engineer needs.  The customer wants to know when the field service engineer will arrive on location.  They want to know their account, product and service history.  They want to know the status of their service ticket and the invoice amount.

As more of these kinds of mobile applications are developed, it will become increasingly important for IT departments to keep track of what data they are sharing with employees, customers and the general public via mobile apps. 

It is not sufficient for companies to monitor and manage the mobile devices and mobile apps of their employees.  It is the corporate data that must be managed.  The data that leaves the enterprise database must be managed and tracked to the end point.  The end point is any device that may access and store your corporate data.

I realize that I may be stating the obvious, but all of us in enterprise mobility like to talk about MDM (mobile device management) and security as being important, but it is more than that.  It is really about managing the data correctly in mobile environments.

Do you agree?

Whitepapers of Note

The Business Benefits of Mobile Adoption with SAP Systems
ClickSoftware Mobility Suite and Sybase Mobility Solution
Networked Field Services

***************************************************
Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict
Join the SAP Enterprise Mobility Group on Linkedin

Read The Mobility News Weekly
Read The Mobile Retailing News Weekly
Read The Field Mobility News Weekly
Read The Mobile Money News Weekly
Read The M2M News Monthly

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

Mobile Retailing News Weekly - Week of April 4, 2011

The Mobile Retailing News Weekly is an online newsletter that is made up of the most interesting news, articles and links related to mobile retailing applications and mobile marketing applications 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 Money News Weekly
Also read Mobility News Weekly
Also read M2M News Monthly

Mobile marketing is expected to continue to grow in the U.S. this year, with brands expected to invest more than $1 billion on mobile marketing in the U.S. alone in 2011.

http://moconews.net/article/419-dont-shoot-the-messenger-users-warm-up-a-bit-to-mobile-marketing/

********

A recent report from Forrester Research predicted that by 2014 over 40 percent of consumers will be accessing the web via a mobile device.

http://www.utalkmarketing.com/pages/Article.aspx?ArticleID=20782&Title=Why_the_mobile_ad_industry_must_show_greater_transparency

********

By 2015 digital strategies, such as social and mobile marketing, will influence at least 80 percent of consumers' discretionary spending.

http://www.echannelline.com/usa/story.cfm?item=26701

********

Mobile advertising networks delivered 340 billion filled and billed impressions across the globe in 2010, generating $794 million in media spend and earning $254.3 million in net platform and media services-related revenue.