Enterprise Mobility, Netcentric Operations and Military Mobility

Network Based Operations
I read an article today summarizing a speech by Vice Adm. William McRaven, commander of the Navy’s Joint Special Operations Command where he was detailing the special forces needs for mobile solutions, networks and communications.  In his speech, McRaven detailed areas where he would like to see improvements.
  1. Easy access to networks that include newer technologies like tablets and smartphones.
  2. A universal domain.  "So I can pick up my iPhone or Android phone and communicate with all the folks I need to communicate with and not have to worry about security protocols." 
  3. Improved reception would help forces receive and better understand information.
  4. Improved cloud computing. “We need a soft enterprise cloud that allows me in a platform-independent way to access any data located anywhere within our enterprise,” McRaven said.
  5. He would like a full spectrum search engine that lets warfighters and commanders find all relevant data that’s available in top secret, secret and unclassified domains.
  6. Real time video language translation.
  7. Ironclad mobile security
  8. Improved communications for squads that are traveling to operations. He said teams can’t be out of communication during the critical time when they are headed toward the theater of operations.
I subscribe to a number of military newsletters such as, http://www.defensesystems.com/ that focus on the network centric approach to warfare, because I believe these extreme operational environments can teach the field services industry a great deal.  Mobile Technology and mobile workforce strategies being tested in the battlefield environment today, may offer valuable insights and lessons to the service industry of tomorrow.

Upcoming Events

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.
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Mobile Marketing News Weekly - Week of August 22, 2011


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

Android is expected to be the top global mobile ad platform by the end of the year, according to the latest quarterly analysis from independent mobile advertising network InMobi.  Read Original Content

Google this week released a new tablet based online catalogue that promotes mobile shopping through devices.  Google Catalogs includes content from Anthropologie, Bare Escentuals, Bergdorf Goodman, Crate and Barrel, L.L. Bean, Lands' End, Macy's, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Pottery Barn, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sephora, Sundance, Tea Collection, Urban Outfitters and Williams-Sonoma.  Read Original Content

A Georgia hospital is using Quick Response codes in its advertising to make it easier for women to schedule mammograms.  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.

Portio Research reports that the mobile application user base is expected to hit 256 million people by 2015, growing at 37 percent yearly.  Read Original Content

A survey by JiWire reports that 63 percent of UK participants are willing to give up personnel information in order to receive relevant updates on their mobile devices.  In the United States that number is 60 percent.  Read Original Content
Read more »
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Mobile Expert Podcast Series: Psion's Gregg Anderson, Part 2

This is Part 2 of this audio podcast with Psion's Gregg Anderson (listen to Part 1 here).  Psion is the manufacturer of ruggedized mobile devices.  They support the use of mobile devices in the dirt, water, dust, heat and cold.  They have very interesting stories, experiences and advice to share.





*************************************************************
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.
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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.
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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
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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 »
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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.
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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 »
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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.
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Interviews with Kevin Benedict