Mobile Expert Podcast Series: Psion's Gregg Anderson, Part 1

Some of the most interesting discussions about real world enterprise mobility are with people involved in the ruggedized handheld industry.  These guys/gals work day in and day out supporting equipment designed for environments covered in dust, water, mud, heat and cold.  Their mobile devices must withstand constant exposure to these environments, drops, scrapes and impacts.  In Part 1 of this audio podcast I am interviewing industry veteran Gregg Anderson with Psion about what makes the industrial grade and ruggedized handheld market different from other mobility markets.

Listen to Part 2 of this audio podcast interview here.





*************************************************************
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.
- No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,

Enterprise Mobility Solutions with Depth and Width

Some enterprise mobility solutions are "containers", "shells", "frameworks", "libraries" or "scripts."  They don't in themselves have a lot of business logic or business process expertise.  These kinds of enterprise mobility solutions often provide interesting low cost efficiency improvements, but the efficiency gains are typically small incremental improvements.  Enterprise mobility vendors, however, that bring to the table depth and width in their business logic and business process expertise can revolutionize the way a company operates and significantly impact the company's bottom line.

Often companies will start with simple low cost mobile solutions to test the waters and to demonstrate some efficiency improvements, but the best in class will move beyond that and research how the new world of mobility can actually revolutionize their business.

Let me provide as an example of depth and width, an excerpt from ClickSoftware's recent software update announcement.

This offering optimizes the deployment of the entire workforce; not just those employees out in the field, but also those who are office/plant based, using the same Workforce Management Platform. This means that employees can be quickly aligned to company objectives across any number of businesses or departments regardless of their role. 

This update reaches beyond just dispatching work orders to mobile service technicians, it now seems to include the ability to optimize the schedule and deployment of all workers in all departments  This requires sophisticated and complex business logic (depth and width).  These new kinds of optimized workforce scheduling solutions also include mobile clients.  Here is more on that:

ClickSoftware’s Mobility Studio now allows enterprises to build and configure mobility applications that utilize the latest HTML5 standards so that they are device agnostic.

It is my opinion that the business logic and business process expertise is where the most value comes from in any mobile solution.  The more you can simplify the enterprise mobility component the better.  Here is more on that topic:

Version 8.1.5 adds to this the Business Views Engine enabling business users with no technical ability to create and configure modular mobile applications with no coding, and using drag and drop wizards to meet role-based requirements.

To truly revolutionize your business, you need depth and width in your mobile applications that provide sophisticated algorithms, in-depth business logic and business process expertise.  Revolutionary mobility is not usually simple mobility.  It takes some thought and execution to be best in class.

Upcoming Events


Build vs. Buy:  Mobile App Development Webinar - August 24, 2011
Field Mobility 2011, Sydney - October 25 - 27, 2011
Enterprise Mobility Exchange - November 2 - 3, 2011

Whitepapers of Note

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

Recorded Webinars of Note

3 Critical Considerations for Embracing Mobile CRM
Healthrageous Mobility Case Study
The Latest m-Business Trends and How the Onslaught of Mobile Devices Affects Development Strategies
The Real-Time Mobile Enterprise:  The Benefits of Rapid, Easy Access
Syclo and SAP Deliver Mobile Apps on Sybase Unwired Platform 

Ruggedized and Industrial Mobile Device Articles

Consumer Smartphones or Industrial Smartphones?

*************************************************************
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.

ClickSoftware field service management software
- No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

Mobile Commerce News Weekly - Week of August 22, 2011


The Mobile Commerce News Weekly is an online newsletter made up of the most interesting news, articles and links related to mobile payments, mobile money, e-wallets, mobile banking and mobile security that I run across each week.  I am specifically targeting market size and market trend information.

Also read Field Mobility News Weekly
Also read Mobile Marketing News Weekly
Also read Mobility News Weekly
Also read M2M News Weekly
Also read Mobility Charts Weekly

According to Visiongain there are currently 150 million mobile payment users and that number will likely grow at 30 percent yearly for the near future.  Read Original Content

The recently released BlackBerry Bold includes an NFC feature allowing owners to pay for goods using the mobile device.  Read Original Content

New York City is testing a mobile payment parking meter program that will allow people to pay for parking spots through their mobile phones.  Read Original Content

Pyxis Mobile provides an agile, powerful, and secure mobile enterprise application platform.  It enables rapid cross-platform application development, unlimited data integration, enterprise-grade security, and the unique ability to change and update applications in real time.  This newsletter is sponsored in part by Pyxis Mobile, http://pyxismobile.com/

Narian, a mobile payment company, has recently produced a new software program designed to allow retail companies to easily create mobile payment apps for use in their stores.  Read Original Content

For the second consecutive year, Wells Fargo & Company has been named "Best Consumer Internet Bank" and "Best Corporate/Institutional Internet Bank" in the United States by Global Finance magazine.  This award includes an analysis of a company’s mobile banking features.  Read Original Content
Read more »
- No comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Kevin's Random Notes on HTML5 for Enterprise Mobility Solutions

Question: Why would enterprises use HTML5 instead of native mobile applications?

Answer: Simplicity is one reason to use HTML5 web apps, as opposed to native apps built specifically for each mobile device. Apps built for Apple, Android, and BlackBerry are not inter-compatible, so being able to use one single app for all devices is a huge time-saver for developers.

Question:  What mobile devices support HTML5?

Answer: An HTML5 web app only requires a compatible browser, which most current mobile devices have.

Question:  Where can I read more about HTML5's ability to store data offline?

Answer: Mobile Web applications in HTML5 can also store data offline by caching external dependencies for offline Web browsing and locally caching data until connectivity is restored.”  (http://learnthemobileweb.com/2010/06/html5-and-mobile-web/) 

Question: Where can I find best practices for using HTML5?

Answer:  The W3C has developed recommended mobile web application best practices. The most recent version, released December 14, 2010, is available here: http://www.w3.org/TR/mwabp/

Question:  What open source vendors provide HTML5 development frameworks?

Answer:  Just about all mobility vendors of significance, open source or not are supporting HTML5 today.  Here are some vendors I have come across recently -  Sencha Touch is a mobile JavaScript framework that allows development of mobile web apps that “look and feel native on iPhone, Android and Blackberry touch devices.” The company provides a free commercial version, as well as a free version for open-source projects. http://www.sencha.com/products/touch/ 

Another product, DHTMLX Touch, is a free HTML5 JavaScript library for building cross-platform mobile web apps. “It’s not just a set of UI widgets, but a complete framework that allows you to create eye-catching, robust web applications for mobile and touch devices.” http://dhtmlx.com/touch/

Here’s an article about these and other mobile application framework products using HTML5: http://www.web-delicious.com/7-best-mobile-web-html5-framework-for-mobile-app-development/




*************************************************************
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.
- No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , ,

Mobile Expert Video Series: Zenware's Rod Puzey

In this video interview I ask Zenware's COO, Rod Puzey about some of the mobile applications that companies are asking Zenware to custom develop.  The Zenware team is an expert in field mobile data collection and gets involved in many strange and interesting mobility projects.



Upcoming Events


Build vs. Buy:  Mobile App Development - August 24, 2011
Field Mobility 2011 - October 25 - 27, 2011
Enterprise Mobility Exchange - November 2 - 3, 2011

Whitepapers of Note

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

Recorded Webinars of Note

3 Critical Considerations for Embracing Mobile CRM
Healthrageous Mobility Case Study
The Latest m-Business Trends and How the Onslaught of Mobile Devices Affects Development Strategies
The Real-Time Mobile Enterprise:  The Benefits of Rapid, Easy Access
Syclo and SAP Deliver Mobile Apps on Sybase Unwired Platform 

Ruggedized and Industrial Mobile Device Articles

Consumer Smartphones or Industrial Smartphones?


*************************************************************
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.
- No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Field Mobility News Weekly - Week of August 22, 2011

The Field Mobility News Weekly is an online newsletter made up of the most interesting news and articles related to field mobility that I run across each week.  I am specifically targeting information that reflects market data and trends.

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

Two German supermarket chains are using RFID tracking badges on employees to secure warehouses and storage areas from unauthorized access and to reduce theft.  Read Original Content

General Dynamics has recently introduced a new rugged handheld device that is designed for mobile professionals.  The device includes barcode-scanning capability, high-resolution camera and water resistant display screen.  Read Original Content

Construction companies are beginning to provide workers with RFID tracking tags in order to streamline the payment process and to hold workers accountable for their clocked hours.  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/.

With the help from a Canadian grant, lamb producers in Alberta are using an RFID flock management system to increase profits and efficiency.  Read Original Content

Gresso has released a new rugged phone called the Extreme X3 that claims to be water proof at a depth of one meter, shock resistant from a seven-meter drop and able to survive harsh temperatures.  Read Original Content
Read more »
- No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,

The Mobility World is Not What it Was a Week Ago!

Click to Enlarge
Wow!  What a week in mobility!  First Google buys Motorola Mobile and gets into the hardware business.  This puts a cash rich competitor into the handset space, and another arrow into RIM (the manufacturers of the Blackberry), and a fatal blow to HP and their webOS aspirations.

HP surrenders the mobile device and mobile operating system battle as there is NO way they can compete against Apple, Google or even RIM.  They are even wanting to leave the PC/laptop market now.  I think they recognize the PC/laptop market is morphing into the same business as mobile devices and they cannot compete against Apple and Google in that space.

Nokia surrendered a few months ago on the software/OS (operating system) battle and partnered with Microsoft.  Now all the major mobile OS players are intimately connected to specific hardware manufacturers.

My analysis, both Apple and Google are inside the "decision cycle" of RIM, Motorola, Nokia, Microsoft and HP.  In another words, Apple and Google are making good strategic decisions and executing them faster than any of the others can even respond.  This according to Colonel John Boyd and his OODA principals, causes confusion, frustration and panic among opponents.  The result is what we have seen this week.

Colonel Boyd says that all battles are won not by technology, but by people.  People with better ways of thinking.  Congratulations Apple and Google teams!

I would invite anyone interested in competitive decision making and strategic thinking to read up on Colonel John Boyd's OODA principals and how they relate to management, competition and strategy.

*************************************************************
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.
- No comments:
Labels: , , , , , ,

M2M News Weekly - Week of August 15, 2011


Welcome to M2M News Weekly, an online newsletter that consists of the most interesting news and articles related to M2M (machine to machine) and embedded mobile devices.  I aggregate the information, include the original links and add a synopsis of each article.  I also search for the latest market numbers such as market size, growth and trends in and around the M2M market.

Also read Field Mobility News Weekly
Also read Mobile Commerce News Weekly
Also read Mobile Marketing News Weekly
Also read Mobility News Weekly
Also read Mobility Charts Weekly

European investments in smart grid technologies will reach $80.3 billion between 2010 and 2020, according to Pike Research.  Read Original Content

AT&T and Digi International have created a partnership to offer home and building energy applications for the 13 million smart meters that connect to AT&T’s wireless network.  Read Original Content

According to ABI research, the market for wearable medical devices that remotely monitor patients will reach 100 million units per year by 2016.  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/.

With the help from new laws enacted by the United Kingdom, the European smart meter market is set to grow by 47 million additional units by 2020.  Read Original Content

From 2009 to March of 2011, the number of smart meters installed among a major group of 51 utilities grew by 81 percent according to Zpryme’s new report.  Read Original Content
Read more »
- No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mobility News Weekly - Week of August 15, 2011

The Mobility News Weekly is an online newsletter made up of the most interesting news and articles related to enterprise mobility that I run across each week.  I am specifically targeting information that reflects market data and trends.

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

The global mobile satellite television market is projected to reach $11 billion by 2015, driven by the growing consumer demand for video content on an anytime, anywhere basis.  Read Original Content

Twenty-nine percent of mobile phone owners today believe their handset will be the primary device for their entertainment needs in the future, per a new report by Experian Simmons.  Read Original Content

Google is buying cell phone maker Motorola Mobility Holdings for $12.5 billion in cash. It is by far Google's biggest acquisition and a sign the online search leader is serious about expanding beyond its core Internet business and setting the agenda in the fast-growing mobile market.  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/.

Nokia plans to offer handsets at prices below even the cheapest Android phones, as the company reveals more of its game plan to regain market share and relevancy in the smartphone market.  Read Original Content
Read more »
- No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,

Mobile Expert Video Series: Zenware's Dave Wasden and Rod Puzey

I was honored to be able to spend time with my friends, and some of the mobile industry's most experienced developers and product managers this week at Zenware.  Between Dave and Rod they have been involved in several hundred mobile software development projects over the years.  It is hard to find a mobile use case or project they have not worked on.  They have developed both the muscles and the scars from these projects and really know what they are talking about. 

In this video interview Dave and Rod discuss their work with HTML5 and Sybase's Unwired Platform.  They have been working with Sybase's mobile technologies since 2004.



Upcoming Events

Build vs. Buy:  Mobile App Development - August 24, 2011
Field Mobility 2011 - October 25 - 27, 2011
Enterprise Mobility Exchange - November 2 - 3, 2011

Whitepapers of Note

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

Recorded Webinars of Note

3 Critical Considerations for Embracing Mobile CRM
Healthrageous Mobility Case Study
The Latest m-Business Trends and How the Onslaught of Mobile Devices Affects Development Strategies
The Real-Time Mobile Enterprise:  The Benefits of Rapid, Easy Access
Syclo and SAP Deliver Mobile Apps on Sybase Unwired Platform

Ruggedized and Industrial Mobile Device Articles

Consumer Smartphones or Industrial Smartphones?

*************************************************************
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.
- No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

Interviews with Kevin Benedict