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.

Mobile Retailing News Weekly - Week of May 9, 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 Marketing News Weekly
Also read Mobile Money News Weekly
Also read Mobility News Weekly
Also read M2M News Monthly

Italy's main telecom operators have launched a common platform that will allow their clients to use mobile devices to pay for digital content and services by using their mobile accounts. Telecom operators are increasingly aware that the mobile payment industry is growing and is estimated to be nearly $500 billion by 2014.

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110509-709127.html

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Bling Nation has launched a social media element to its contactless Bling Tag offering. This element, FanConnect, is a rewards and loyalty application that intertwines contactless payments, social marketing and the ubiquitous Facebook page.

http://www.contactlessnews.com/2011/05/09/contactless-payment-scheme-enables-loyalty-via-facebook

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McDonald’s has announced that soon all franchises within the U.K. will be equipped with NFC capable registers.

http://www.nearfieldcommunicationsworld.com/2011/05/09/37284/mcdonalds-uk-goes-contactless-considers-nfc-loyalty-programmes/

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Near Field Communications is starting to be a feature more commonly supported by smartphones. NFC phone shipments could approach 100 million units this year if Google’s projections for Android NFC smartphone shipments prove accurate.

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

The U.S. market for smart grid technologies was worth $15.3 billion in 2008. This is expected to increase to $17.3 billion in 2009 and $37.4 billion in 2014.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/reportlinker-adds-enabling-technologies-for-the-smart-grid-121157529.html

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Daily RFID has released a new RFID tag for cattle ranchers that makes tracking livestock more accurate and reliable.

http://www.theopenpress.com/index.php?a=press&id=103883

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The Davenport City Council awarded the city’s fire department $250,000 to upgrade to rugged electronics including Panasonic’s Toughbook.

http://qctimes.com/news/local/article_aca5d2d8-77a3-11e0-8632-001cc4c002e0.html

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Smiths Detection has launched a new, more accurate handheld radiation detector to identify radiological and nuclear threats. The device has a wide array of applications from enabling civil defense and first responder rad-nuc search operations, to helping port and border personnel with cargo, container and vehicle screening.

Mobile Expert Video Series: IDC Research's Nic McQuire

I am in Brussels this week chairing the Enterprise Mobility Exchange conference and interviewing mobility experts. Nic from IDC Research is one of my favorite interviews. He has both opinions and the numbers to back them up!

Whitepapers of Note

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

Webinars of Note

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

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.

Managing a Mobile and Network Centric Operation, Part 2

This article is Part 2 in this series, read Part 1 here.

In the first segment of this series, we introduced some key concepts in a network centric operational strategy. In Part 2 we will explore these concepts in greater depth, add some context, and introduce some additional requirements and considerations for you to ponder. Let’s now review and expand on a few of the key concepts:

Network Centric Operational data needs to be shared in real time. In a mobile world that means real time communications with the mobile workforce.
Network Centric Operations strategies are based on the concept of a dynamic, and shared information environment that provides access to trusted information for all users, based on need, independent of time and place. This description highlights the idea that the actual use of the data is not known in advance by the managers of the shared information environment. The approved consumers of this information will creatively utilize this content in their own applications and systems to best execute their individual missions. This concept supports an agile and unpredictable environment without causing unnecessary and artificial barriers that limit effectiveness and deployment in the field by setting up standards and integration methodologies.
Network Centric Operations are designed to use data that can be collected and processed in real time from thousands of different data collection sources - human, computer and machine. Examples are humans, mobile devices, satellites, web services connected to other data collection sources, GPS vehicle and cargo tracking systems, EDI, barcode scanners, RFID readers, Bluetooth anything, remote M2M wireless sensors, faxes, emails, SMS, physical mail, customers and partners. This data needs to be translated into standardized formats (data syntax and semantics) so consumers understand what it is and what it means.
Network Centric Operations can easily bury a consumer in irrelevant and unnecessary data. Humans can easily be distracted and overwhelmed with large quantities of data. Having the right, real time intelligence and analytical systems in place to assist the human consumer is critical. Systems that can offer highly accurate predictions, identify patterns, suggest actions and augment reality in real time, in the right place, at the right time, to the right person, on the right device and in the right amount are the goals.

As you can quickly see from just these four network centric operational concepts, it is not just about moving data from point A to point B, or from an ERP to a smartphone. Building and supporting this “network” requires all of the talent and skills that have made traditional ERP and IT systems irreplaceable for companies today.

Whitepapers of Note

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

Webinars of Note

3 Critical Considerations for Embracing Mobile CRM
Exclusive SAP Mentor and Blogger Briefing: Syclo and SAP Deliver Mobile Apps on Sybase Unwired Platform
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
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

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: British Airways' Glenn Morgan

Whitepapers of Note

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

Webinars of Note

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

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.

Enterprise Mobility Exchange - Brussels

I have the honor of being able to chair the Enterprise Mobility Exchange conference this week in Brussels. I took this photo last evening from my hotel window. I have stayed in worse places.

Here are some of the speakers that I look forward to hearing this week:

Glenn Morgan, Head of Service Transformation, British Airways
Divya Mahajan, Director Architect for Enterprise Integration and SOA, Philips International
Simon Skeet, Retail and Logistics Manager - Groceries Online, Sainsbury's Supermarkets
Nick Capell, CIO/IT Director, Parcelforce Worldwide
Jan Kampfer, European Product Marketing Manager, Panasonic Toughbook
Nicholas McQuire, Research Director, Enterprise Mobility EMEA, IDC Research

I interview a lot of brilliant enterprise mobility experts that work for vendors, but this event is mostly end users sharing their real world experiences. I expect it to be very interesting.

There are over 40 sponsors here, but some we discuss regularly are SAP, Syclo, ClickSoftware, Sky Technologies, Newelo, Motorola, Panasonic Toughbook, Intermec, Soti, etc.

It is interesting to note that Sybase is not here. I spoke to an unnamed Sybase person who said they are traditionally at this event, but there is a bit of confusion as to when Sybase should appear, and when SAP should appear at these events right now. I image this will be worked out soon.

I will be blogging from Brussels this week.

You can follow this event on Twitter at #emeeu.

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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.

M2M News Monthly - May 2011

Welcome to Kevin's M2M News Monthly, 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 Kevin’s Field Mobility News Weekly
Also read Kevin’s Mobile Marketing News Weekly
Also read Kevin’s Mobile Retailing News Weekly
Also read Kevin’s Mobile Money News Weekly
Also read Kevin’s Mobility News Weekly

The global market for satellite M2M services is projected to reach $1.7 billion by the year 2017.

http://www.benzinga.com/press-releases/11/04/p1006231/global-satellite-machine-to-machine-m2m-service-revenues-to-reach-1-7-

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The smart grid managed services market is likely to reach $4.3 billion by 2015 from $470 million in annual revenue in 2010 as utilities face new operational challenges.

http://smart-grid.tmcnet.com/topics/smart-grid/articles/161849-smart-grid-managed-services-market-touch-43-billion.htm

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According to Berg Insight, M2M technology in mobile communications will double by 2015.

http://www.smartgorillas.com/?p=3705

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A Yankee Group forecast predicts enterprise cellular M2M connections worldwide will surge from 81.8 million in 2011 to nearly 217.5 million in 2015.

Download this audio podcast of all the mobility news for the week. Listen to Kevin Benedict's obnoxious voice as he covers the subjects of mobility market trends, field mobility, mobile retailing, mobile marketing and mobile money.

Listen to the audio podcast here!

Whitepapers of Note

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

Webinars of Note

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

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.

SAP, Sybase and Syclo Enterprise Mobility Update

I had the opportunity to participate in a pre-SAPPHIRE briefing by SAP's Daniel Faulk and Syclo's Jon Schmidt yesterday on the topic of enterprise mobility. I joined a handful of SAP Mentors and bloggers to learn more about their strategies and plans. It was recorded and you can listen to it here.

In this briefing Syclo's Jon Schmidt discusses their co-innovation partnership with SAP around SAP EAM and CRM, and SAP's Daniel Faulk talks about SAP's partnership strategies with Syclo, and product roadmaps for SUP and Afaria.

SAP Mentors John Appleby, Bluefin, Jon Reed with http://www.jonerp.com/, and myself ask a series of questions about SAP's, Sybase's and Syclo's mobility strategies.

Whitepapers of Note

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

Webinars of Note

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