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.

Will Microsoft’s Mango Shake Enterprise Mobility, Part 2?

In the upcoming Mango version of Microsoft’s Smartphone operating system it is reported that they will add 500 new features. As mentioned in Part 1 of this article one of the key feature updates is designed to blur the difference between search and applications.

Andrew Lees, president of the mobile communications business at Microsoft says about today’s mobile applications, “The user has to go app by app by app. It’s as if every time you wanted to go from the living room to the dining room, you had to go through the front door.”

Mango will link specific data points on your smartphone to enhance the user experience. Here are some of the linked data:

Location data
Information about a subject
Shopping options

The data will be presented to the user as “related views.” In the article I was reading (I somehow ripped the article out of the newspaper without the newspaper’s name, sorry!), it described looking up a new movie. The first screen showed theater locations and scheduled viewings, the second screen had reviews and the third included purchase options.

This is a great step toward “predicting” what the user wants instead of everything being manual. Although in early versions this may seem too annoying to those more advanced needs, enterprise users may find these developments will introduce many new efficiencies to the mobile workforce with defined needs.

Whitepapers of Note

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

Webinars of Note

3 Critical Considerations for Embracing Mobile CRM
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 Mobil

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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.

Will Microsoft’s Mango Shake Enterprise Mobility, Part 1?

I read this week about Microsoft’s newly announced Smartphone operating system code named Mango. They reported that it would have over 500 new features. This is impressive since Windows Phone 7 has just been out for seven months. Since I focus on “enterprise” mobility, let’s dig into some of the features that may be relevant.

The strategy and tactics that Microsoft is developing in this next version are intended to enable it to compete against Apple and Google. It involves blurring the lines between search and applications. I found this particularly interesting, because it is my analysis that this is a critical next step in the evolution of mobile software. A busy person does not want to search for and open 13 different mobile applications to find all of the information they may need for one account, task or project. It needs to be aggregated into one role based view or application.

I use the phrases “context aware” and “predictive” to push this concept even further by advocating that business intelligence software that is aware of who you are, what you are doing and where you are located should be able to predict your need for specific information even before you ask for it. Your mobile software should automatically prepare a portfolio of information even before it is needed. This further reduces the need to wait for reports and data as it will be available in anticipation of your need.

Read Part 2 of this article.

Whitepapers of Note

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

Webinars of Note

3 Critical Considerations for Embracing Mobile CRM
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

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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.

The Importance of Mobile EAM and M2M

Wireless Remote Sensors

In a session I attended on enterprise mobility a few weeks ago the speaker said that he divides mobility into three parts; 1) Extending mobility to internal employees, 2) Extending mobility to external customers, and 3) mobile EAM (enterprise asset management). What do you think of those categories?

SAP announced their first three mobility applications that will be released in the next 5 weeks and one of them is mobile EAM that integrates with SAP. They prioritized EAM, and then met with their co-innovation partner Syclo to ensure them that they were making a simple/basic EAM application and not competing in a significant way with the complex, industry specific mobile EAM applications that Syclo has invested in over the past decade. At the same time Syclo is now embracing SUP as their platform for SAP customers.

In the mobility ecosystem SAP had three early co-innovation partners; RIM, Sybase and Syclo. One of their co-innovation partners was a specialist in EAM. Again, SAP prioritized mobile EAM.

Jim Snabe, Co-CEO of SAP mentioned sensors many times in his presentations during SAPPHIRENOW 2011. Remote and wireless sensors are used primarily to monitor, track and manage enterprise assets. High value assets of all kinds are now including wireless embedded sensors. I spoke with the IT team at Whirlpool appliances last year about this subject and they have an entire product line of appliances that are "smart" and communicate with wireless sensors.

The military (download and read this whitepaper) and the healthcare industry are embracing M2M as fast as they can fund and implement it. What is your organization doing to take advantage of EAM solutions and M2M?

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.

SAP ECM Partner Open Text Adds Mobility

Did anyone else miss this recent press release from SAP ECM (enterprise content management) partner Open Text? They are investing in mobility, even though they are a company primarily focused on ECM. I tried my very best to meet up with Patrick Barnert at Open Text but we kept missing each other at SAPPHIRENOW 2011.

Here are some of their current mobility solutions:

Open Text focuses on on ECM. Content is needed on mobile devices. They also have document management systems. Documents need to be accessed by mobile devices. They are the developers of the SAP Vendor Invoice Management solution. This is basically a transactional content management system. A solution for monitoring and tracking the progress of a transaction or document. It works with the SAP workflow and workflows need approvals, alerts and notifications.

You can see from the above information that mobility and mobile solutions will impact just about every aspect of the enterprise and enterprise solutions.

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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 Weekly - Week of May 30, 2011 **Special Edition

This is a special edition of the M2M News Weekly. In this edition I have collected the best market and trend numbers from the past few months and aggregated them into one edition. You can save this edition and use these numbers in your own business plans and presentations.

Enterprise Mobility Application Predictions

In recent years the focus of enterprise mobility has been on device support, UX and the novelty of spinning wheels, swiping screens and supporting various keyboard designs in mobile UIs. I believe the novelty of this will soon wear off with the introduction of more standards, policies, HTML5, etc, and the focus will again turn to developing increasingly valuable mobile applications that are user-specific.

One of the Mobility Experts that I interviewed earlier this year advised that mobile application designers should NOT start from the perspective of what can an ERP extend to the mobile workforce, but rather what can mobile technologies offer the mobile workforce. What does the mobile workforce need, in the field, to more effectively deliver on their mission/assignment?

If the mobile workforce is the center of the universe, rather than the ERP, then there will be different priorities. The mobile workforce may need mobile applications that are not part of the ERP, and are a mash-up of various web services that together provide unique benefit for the mobile worker and the company. Here is a scenario to consider:

A field services technician needs to order parts and have these parts delivered before repairs can be completed on a piece of equipment. What would be useful information for this mobile field service technician?

Which vendor has these parts in stock?What are the prices? How can you get approval to order?
When can the parts be delivered?
How can these parts be purchased?
Is there a customer account number to use?
Do we have a discount plan with the vendor?
Who in the company is certified to install the parts?
Who is available to install the parts when they arrive?
Who will notify the customer when the repair will be complete?

The answers to the above questions would be very useful to the field services technician. There are many scenarios like this that would benefit the mobile workforce, but are often overlooked by those inside the four walls of the enterprise.

What do you think?

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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.

What I Learned About Mobility at SAPPHIRENOW 2011, Part 2

In an article that I wrote pre-SAPPHIRENOW 2011, I shared what I hoped to learn at the conference. In this article I share what I did learn. I have included the original list and added what I have since learned.

1. I hope that SAP and Sybase will unveil ambitious, innovative and powerful mobile solutions at Sapphire 2011. What I learned - SAP announced 19 mobile applications, three to be released in June. I understood the three to be EAM (enterprise asset management), CRM Field Services and Retail Execution. The 16 or so later this year will utilize the HTML5 container to be released in SUP 2.1 in September.

2. I want to know how SAP is going to address mobility in the cloud. What I learned - Sybase's 360 business manages over 1.5 billion text messages per day. I also know there is a lot of work with the MNOs (mobile network operators) to run Afaria in the cloud. I think there is more for me to learn here. I think SAP is doing more than I learned about.

3. I want to learn how SAP is going to integrate M2M (machine to machine) wireless communications. What I learned - SAP's CO-CEO Jim Snabe mentioned "sensors" seven times in 24 hours when I was in the room with him. He spoke about "sense and respond" and directly about M2M (machine to machine) kinds of sensors and their role. In a later keynote session with a group of futurists, they communicated that embedded sensors, M2M and wireless chips will be one of the next big revolutions.

4. I want to see if SAP/Sybase have figured out how to simplify their enterprise mobility message and guidance for companies. What I learned - See my mobility photos from Day 1. SAP created a mobility campus with about 10 booths showing specific mobility topics. This was a good move SAP, but where was the booth on how to develop a mobility strategy? I worked with the SAP PCN (premier customer network) round tables to help them think through strategies, but what about all the other companies? I believe the right technology exists today, but there is still so much confusion that companies are hesitant to buy. There is need for more work to be done helping companies determine and develop their mobility strategies.

This is a special edition of the Field Mobility News Weekly. In this edition I have collected the best market and trend numbers from the past few months and aggregated them into one edition. You can save this edition and use these numbers in your own business plans and presentations.

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

A planned modernization of the U.S. national power grid will cost up to $476 billion over the next 20 years but will provide up to $2 trillion in customer benefits over that time, according to industry experts. Read Original Content

SAP is developing field service mobile applications that are aimed at technicians and other workers who are frequently away from a central location, servicing customers. Read Original Content

The mobile health market is estimated to be worth $2.1 billion at the end of 2011. Read Original Content

Since 1995, Syclo has enabled hundreds of companies in 37 countries and industries supercharge their businesses with mobility. This newsletter is sponsored in part by Syclo. http://www.syclo.com/.

According to a research report from the analyst firm Berg Insight, the number of fleet management systems deployed in commercial vehicle fleets in North America was 2.1 million in fourth quarter 2010 and is expected to reach 3.8 million by 2015. Read Original Content

Welcome to the 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 Marketing News Weekly
Also read Mobile Retailing News Weekly
Also read Mobility News Weekly

Machina Research estimates that the number of global M2M connections in the utilities industry will grow from 100 million in 2010 to 1.5 billion in 2020. Read Original Content

According to Juniper Research, M2M will generate more than $35 billion in revenue by 2016. Read Original Content

The global patient monitoring market will reach $9.3 billion by 2014, concludes strategic research firm Technavio in its latest report. Read Original Content

A research report by Reportlinker argues that the number of M2M connections in the utilities industry will grow from 100 million in 2010 to 1.5 billion in 2020, of which 99 percent will be smart meters. Read Original Content

A planned modernization of the U.S. national power grid will cost up to $476 billion over the next 20 years but will provide up to 2 trillion in customer benefits over that time, according to industry experts. Read Original Content

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 Marketing News Weekly
Also read Mobile Retailing News Weekly
Also read M2M News Weekly

In Apple’s App Store, the mobile marketplace for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, has unofficially passed the 500,000 approved apps mark, reaching the figure within three years from when the platform launched. Read Original Content

Specialists can determine how to treat strokes based on brain-scan images reviewed from their smartphones with nearly the same accuracy as using a full diagnostic workstation, according to a study by researchers at the University of Calgary. Read Original Content

Nokia's share of the smartphone market has fallen by a third, while Microsoft's has nearly halved, according to research firm Gartner. Read Original Content

U.K. based media firm Screen Digest states the mobile gaming market has grown from $2.2 billion in 2007 to $3.7 billion in 2010, with estimates putting growth at around a staggering $7.8 billion by 2014. "Since Apple launched its App Store, the mobile gaming market has undergone a transformation," explained Screen Digest analyst Jack Kent. Read Original Content

Led by the iPad, the tablet market has taken off with a bang, but even with all the hoopla, less than 5 percent of U.S. consumers polled by Nielsen actually own one. Read Original Content

Gartner’s latest report on mobile sales must make for pretty gloomy reading in Redmond, Washington. According to the research company, Microsoft sold only 1.6 million phones in 2011 first quarter. Read Original Content

Africa is the world's fastest growing telecoms market, and mobile phones have transformed the lives of Africans everywhere. Read Original Content

A month after the launch of Research In Motion Ltd.'s PlayBook tablet, AT&T Inc. still has not approved the Bridge software needed to connect the device to the BlackBerry smartphone, while Verizon Wireless is still deciding whether it will sell the device at all. Read Original Content

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/.

Google went live with its latest Maps update, which offers a significantly more feature-rich browser experience than before. In fact, once you opt in to share your location, the site feels very much like an app or like the desktop version. Read Original Content

New numbers from Gartner reveal that Nokia’s current market share is the lowest it has been since 1997, nearly 14 years ago. Read Original Content

U.S. lawmakers, considering legislation aimed at protecting consumers’ online privacy, said the market for smartphone applications needs to be regulated to prevent the inappropriate sharing of user data. Read Original Content

Pizza Hut claims that its ordering app for the iPhone, which was introduced in 2009, has been downloaded 3 million times. The company’s further expansion into mobile comes as it is looking to build on that success and give customers even more ways to order. Read Original Content

Gartner lowered its 2011 cellphone market view by 10-15 million phones as retailers stocked up after the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in March, hitting the supply chains in the electronics and car industries. Read Original Content

Google Inc. is teaming up with MasterCard Inc. and Citigroup Inc. to embed technology in Android mobile devices that would allow consumers to make purchases by waving their smartphones in front of a small reader at the checkout counter. Read Original Content

As of right now, there are an estimated 1.5 million to 2 million iPhone 4s left out there, sitting on retailer and carrier shelves, waiting for a new owner like a puppy in a window. Read Original Content

Recent Articles by Kevin Benedict

Challenges for a Global Manager of Service Delivery
Mobile Expert Video Series: VIP’s Mark Goddard
Mobile Expert Video Series: SAP’s Nick Brown
Mobile Expert Video Series: Novus’ Dave Ploch
Mobile Expert Video Series: Clicksoftware’s Nigel Clark
SAPPHIRE NOW 2011 Day 3 Mobility Photos!
Mobile Expert Video Series: ClickSoftware's Moshe BenBassat
Mobile Expert Video Series: Smartsoft Mobile's Ed Krufka
Mobile Expert Video Series: SAP's Dr. Ahmed El Adl

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

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

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 I Learned about Mobility at SAPPHIRE Now 2011, Part 1

In April, I recorded a video and wrote an article sharing what I wanted to learn at SAPPHIRENOW 2011. In an upcoming article I will address those items, but in the mean time, here are my notes from the conference.

John Chen, CEO of Sybase said, "We expect to build only 10% of mobility apps, the ecosystem the rest."
John Chen CEO of Sybase said, "We have 2,000 mobile deals in the pipeline."
Marty Beard said that the Sybase 365 business grew over 100% last year. This is the SMS solution that Sybase has. It supports 1.5 billion text messages per day now.
SAP announced 19 new mobile apps.
Sybase announced SUP 2.0 with SDK
SAP announced mobility partnership with Accenture.
SAP will release three mobile applications in the June 2011 time frame, the rest in the September time frame.
SAP will release SUP 2.1 in the September 2011 time frame and this will support the HTML5 container.
Two of the first SAP mobile applications will be CRM Services and Retail Execution for CPG companies. SAP's Nick Brown talks about them here.
Jim Snabe announced an SAP Mobility Application store.
SAP announced a new iPad application that provides a 360 degree view of a customer including; customer details, invoices, payments, deals, status etc.
I personally hear SAP's Co-CEO Jim Snabe mention sensors 7 times in 24 hours. He used an oft repeated phrase at SAPPHIRENOW 2011, "sense and respond." In several cases he was definitely referred to M2M (machine to machine) communications and embedded wireless sensors.
SAP's 2011/2012 strategy seems to be to focus on1)In-memory for speed, 2) extend the reach of business via mobile, 3) people collaboration with social media.
I heard from the stage that SAP Co-CEOs manage SAP on iPads.
The "Integrated Enterprise" is a big focus this year at SAPPHIRENOW 2011. You must be integrated to be real-time. Mobility plays a big role in this.
Terabytes worth of customer data is collected but never analyzed. Important patterns never get discovered and insights are not shared.
Co-CEO Bill McDermott chooses to open his keynote talking about mobile retailing and mobile marketing applications shopping and comparing prices on smartphones.
The panel of futurist at SAPPHIRENOW 2011 share my opinion expressed here regularly that embedded sensors, M2M and wireless chips will be one of the next big revolutions.
Theme among futurist on the panel is that the computerization of healthcare will be revolutionary and change everything about healthcare.
SAP keynote focused so far on real time analytics and mobility. The power of in-memory computing extended to mobile devices.
Opening day keynote focused on real time analytics and mobility. The power of in-memory computing extended to mobile devices.
I attended the opening day breakfast meeting arranged by SAP's PCN (premier customer network) and the discussion was dominated by enterprise mobility topics.
In 2010 Sybase had a booth. This year they had a campus. See my photos of the mobility theater.
MCAP is the acronym for mobile consumer apps.
I worked with SAP's largest customers at the PCN mobility round table during 4 round table sessions. Security is still their biggest mobility issue. I was surprised that these large companies did not know more about Sybase's Afaria. In most cases, I know Afaria could satisfy all of their security requirements, but they were not aware of it. Here is your assignment Sybase and SAP!!!
Mobile strategy and mobile security seemed to be the two key points needed by the companies I spent time with at SAPPHIRENOW 2011.
I was surprised by how many big companies still have not started on enterprise mobility. They all seemed to be feeling the pressure to deliver mobile applications, but many had yet to start.

Part 2 of this article will be my responses to the items I wanted to learn about, listed here, that I posed in advance of SAPPHIRENOW 2011.

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

Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict