ENTERPRISE MOBILE DEVICES/ APPLICATIONS: Leap Ahead

Mobile
phones, laptops, and PDAs have evolved from being personal communication and
productivity devices and have now become synonymous with tools for mobile
workers.

Today's workforce
needs real-time access to information. Accessing corporate data with mobile
devices at lower costs has helped companies achieve huge business benefits.

Mobile devices are not
only more visible, but they are also becoming more powerful. They are becoming
the lifeline for millions providing them the much-needed connectivity but also
the potential for increasing incomes and opportunities. They have become
indispensable tools in the hands of the decision-makers. In today's global
economy, business professionals are expected to have on-demand access to email,
calendar, contact, and other information around the clock. The major benefit of
staying in touch, while roaming about is a 60% improvement in business
productivity, according to Forrester Research.

It has also been found
that customer service improves by 36% based on more responsive support, and that
the entire company operates 20% more efficiently with real-time communications
and the smooth flow of the latest information. The availability of mobile email
can result in individuals gaining up to 55 additional minutes of work time each
day.

Enterprises today
require a number of applications on a single mobile platform. The need of which
can be addressed to a smart phone. The growth of wireless computing belongs to
the smart phone, a powerful device that extends the superb voice functionality
of a mobile phone into the realm of data communications. These mobile devices
have come a long way since IBM designed the first smart phone called Simon in
1992.

WORKING ON THE MOVE

A smart phone with a keyboard, can place and receive phone calls, send and
receive e-mail and maintain your calendar and contacts list, synchronized with
your computer. One can also read Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files, as well as
Adobe PDF files, on certain handheld; even edit them and synchronize the changes
back to a PC. Applications such as multi-party (up to six way) conference
calling, integrated hands free and conference call, dedicated voice key,
Internet call (VoIP over WLAN), push to talk over cellular, enhanced voice
commands, speed and voice dialing, and car kits bring a rich calling experience
within reach of every mobile professional.

	EXPERTS PANEL
	Atanu Mandal, president, ACL Wireless Ganesh Guruswamy, country manager and director, FreeScale Semiconductors India GK Chakrapani, country general manager, Enterprise Solutions, Nokia Sudhin Mathur, general manager, Sony Ericsson India Vijay Shukla, country head, Value First Vinayak Deshpande, president-operations, Tata Teleservices Vishal Gupta, director-product technologies, Qualcomm

For the enterprise,
smart phones will have an impact similar to that of mobile telephony itself.
Most of us already take for granted our ability to place and receive voice calls
from anywhere at any time. Smart phones, which were initially designed primarily
as mobile phones with data-communications functionality along with advanced
computing capabilities, have the ability to handle and host a number of
applications letting them behave exactly like handheld computers.

Smart phones offer
compelling advantages, not only to the degree that they mitigate the need to
carry multiple devices, but also because they allow for integration of voice and
data applications.

Mobility has become
more of a necessity than an option. Improvements in hardware and software have
made it an indispensable attribute of corporate life. Wireless PDAs, laptops
with high speed wireless connections, and smart phones all have the ability to
stretch the work-desk, making the world smaller for everyone.

Mobile devices of all
shapes and sizes (smartphones, PDAs, portables, USB drives) have already
penetrated into the enterprises. As Bluetooth enabled devices enter mainstream
and faster technologies arrive. Mobile data access for workforce is all set to
become a reality. India is one of the fastest growing markets and more mobile
devices will be contending for accessing enterprise networks and applications
than ever before. Applications, GUIs, and web pages will fit to mobile devices.

While other uses of
the phone are increasing, the mobile device is still not much more than a PIM or
phone device. Enterprises face increasing challenges when it comes to selecting
devices, enabling access to email and securing corporate data, while carriers
are facing more and more complexity to support these demands. As mobile devices
become more 'business enabled,' they will be used by an increasing number of
employees as well as partners and customers to access the enterprise. Security
solutions: Device Lock, MMC Password Lock, OMA DRM 1.0 Forward Lock, SSL 3.0/TLS
1.0, IPSec, 802.11 WPA 1.0/WEP, Operator WLAN/EAP SIM for Wireless LAN security
are some solutions available to address this issue.

The fact remains that
data services delivered to a smart phone through a web browser have a long way
to go before offering a consistently positive user experience. The problem lies
in the ability of organizations to extend the reach of their internal business
and customer-facing applications to mobile devices.

PDA phones first made
their appearance in the Indian market in 2004. The entry of PDAs has changed the
business of data collection in various industry segments such as FMCG,
pharmaceuticals, automobiles, and mining.

A swift fall is
predicted in PDA sales and the number of new PDA models, although GPS popularity
will prevent a very sharp fall.

New devices continue
to come out from the market leaders, aimed at different user types and offered
at different price points. With the addition of GPS solutions, multimedia
capability, and Wi-Fi connectivity, handheld offer additional value beyond just
PIM for the enterprise.

Smart phones are
increasingly becoming a large part of the mobile phone market. Advanced handset
features are already common in Japan and South Korea, and they are starting to
appear in Europe and America. These advanced handsets can be appropriately
termed as pocket computers emerging from the consumer-electronics.

In India, the market
for mobile devices is growing rapidly. By 2008, analysts predict there will be
over 100 mn converged devices and 2 bn cell phone subscribers.

Phones that include
operating systems and popular software applications made mobile computing easier
and more convenient for business professionals, who no longer needed to carry
around a full-featured laptop to be productive. The arrival of a variety of
third-generation phones boasting high-speed data downloads is raising the
expectation today's consumers have of wireless handsets. Many cell phones have
portable entertainment centers that include multimedia messaging, music
downloads, mobile TV, gaming, and much more.

Gartner has predicted
that the milestone of one billion mobile phones sold per year will be reached in
2009. China and India alone will account for nearly 200 mn units in 2007, with
the Indian market surpassing China in 2009 to reach 139 mn units. It also states
that there will be 2.6 bn mobile phones in use by 2009-end. Ernst&Young
predicts that about 6 mn new additions a month in 2006. The mobile base would
double in 2006 to 130—140 mn.

Cities such as Delhi
and Mumbai boast phone penetration rates of about 40%, similar to East Asian
levels, and by the end of 2006, analysts expect India to be the world's
third-largest mobile market by number of users, behind China and the US. The
magical one-billion-figure is likely to become a reality in 2007. Thus, the
smart phones are all set to become the lifeline of the future and mobility will
become second nature to the corporate world.

APPLICATIONS ENABLING
MOBILITY

The business world is a fast-changing place. Information and communication
technology is continually setting the pace. New advances in technology are
changing the way everyone works. Not only at the desk, where more can be done in
a day, in less time than ever before, but also on the road and away from the
office. Globalization has led to spread of business geographically. To keep up
with the competition the enterprise needs a reliable, fast and secure
communication. There are industry specific tailored products and solutions to
fit into business process. CDMA operators are offering solutions enabling
authorized access to an enterprise's private network in a secure way. Vehicle
tracking solutions, sales price automation and insurance claim management are
some more services, which are being offered in the market.

An enterprise needs to
asses device will add to the business and use mobile applications letting users,
browse the Internet in color, make voice calls, send text messages and e-mail
messages. They can also work as digital cameras allowing users to take and send
photos with voice messages attached.

The initial
developments in mobile applications were on SMS, using SIM Tool Kit, WIB, WAP,
IVR, J2ME Applications, and MMS, which will allow the user to send and receive
messaging, sharing content containing pictures, images, sound and text, and lot
more.

3rd-generation mobile
phones transfer data 100 times faster and allow it to be shared in real time
between multiple users. They also provide video conferencing and enable access
to documents; databases and work schedules stored on company intranets and
secure websites.

In addition, there are
powerful handheld computer devices now available, including PDAs, Smartphones,
and Tablet PCs.)

Mobile phones have
certainly broadened their appeal in the communication network. Companies are
adopting mobile applications faster than planned because of advances in
technology and increased competitive pressure line-of-business (LOB)
applications, such as logistics and field service.

At present mobile
application is used to connect a mobile or fixed system with a mobile device for
voice or data connection. Mobile applications are currently being used more as
VAS in enterprises and have not been able to address their business issues. But
the industry today is unquestionably focusing on the applications that help it
solve its unique business issues. The developers and the telecommunication
industry is floating mobile field service applications, and the industry be it
public sector; media, entertainment, and leisure want more mobile applications
to complement their businesses. Stronger security, faster wireless networks and
more powerful development tools will contribute to the steady mobilization of
back-office enterprise applications in the future.

An increasing number
of businesses are recognizing the need for mobile data solutions. Typically,
there are two options, a hosted exchange solution where everything is managed
for you and your people. All you see are the messages, e-mail messages, data,
reports, and content that are delivered to your PC or mobile online device as
part of your hosting agreement. Second option is a mobile information server,
which is a full solution, managed inside your business or by a hosted supplier.

In order to succeed,
an enterprise must assemble systems and business processes that help it meet
organizational goals and objectives while maximizing security. What this means
is that mobile devices need to deliver on the promised benefits of business
mobility to the stakeholders. For the top management, mobile devices form a part
of the overall business mobility strategy.Â
Financial considerations in terms of return on investments play an
important part in defining the mobility strategy. For others, mobile devices
need to be able to be easy to mass deploy, offer device management capabilities
so that the right technical infrastructure can be built and the right security
tools can be put in place

As part of mobile
strategy it is imperative for enterprises to excel in the fundamentals by
mobilizing the right applications. It is necessary to optimize productivity,
choose the best technology, negotiate winning contracts with operators and
service providers, pick the right partners, and ensure your mobile solutions are
secure and effective.

An enterprise is
required to look beyond mobile email and workforce enablement to find new ways
in which wireless can revolutionize processes and customer relationships, derive
profit from mobility, align mobile initiatives with business goals and generate
provable RoI.

Mobile GIS is the
expansion of a geographic information system (GIS) from the office into the
field. A mobile GIS enables field-based personnel to capture, store, update,
manipulate, analyze, and display geographic information.

GIS is now being taken
into the field as digital maps on compact, mobile computers, providing field
access to enterprise geographic information. This enables organizations to add
real-time information to their database and applications, speeding up analysis,
display, and decision making by using up-to-date, more accurate spatial data.

There is a plethora of
avenues where mobile applications can be used they range from mlultilevel query
processing to critical message delivery for network engineers to mobile
employees, flexible work schedules for BPO, IT companies etc. Point of sales
applications such as m-Commerce applications where phone can be used as credit
card and even m-Governance are also picking up pace as avenues for mobile
enterprise applications

Mobile e-mail is on
the verge of mass adoption, according to industry analysts Datamonitor.
According to the report there are roughly 650 mn corporate e-mail inboxes
worldwide today, at least 35% of which could be mobilized.

As per the estimates
the global addressable market for enterprise mobile e-mail would be around 260
mn subscriptions, while global mobile operator revenues from mobile e-mail and
personal information management are expected to surpass $600 mn by 2009, over
three times those of 2005.

The market is set to
show rapid growth over the next five years, and provide significant
opportunities for mobile operators and mobile infrastructure providers.

From innocuous
beginnings in the early 90's SMS has proved to become 'the killer app' for
mobile operators for data services. Even today, most mobile operators earn a
substantial portion of their data revenues via a plethora of consumer and
business applications SMS messaging applications.

India's mobile
industry is witnessing the highest growth in the world. As a consequence SMS
based mobile messaging is being increasingly adopted by Indian business as a new
channel of communication. SMS is instant, personal and leaves an impact on the
recipient In a business organization SMS helps in extending client reach and
improve customer loyalty, lower customer service costs and improve information
channel for stakeholders.

Push based
broadcasting can be used for marketing promotion and pull based information
access can be used by the end user to get the desired information economically,
location based services, m-commerce and content sharing application are all
mobile applications that can add value to a business

Mobile applications
are being rapidly accepted as an important business communication medium all
over the world. They provide enterprises speed, freedom, flexibility, and the
resources to work anywhere, at any time and in any way. These technologies
enable them to increase corporate productivity as it facilitates reduced turn
around time, increased efficiency and enhanced transparency. They also help to
strategize future operations as they can economically interact with each other
and customers to get prompt feedback.

There are applications
that can be installed on top of ERPs etc that connect with back-end databases on
the one hand and mobile devices on the other using popular protocols such as GSM,
CDMA or even 802.11 or Bluetooth. Application like Sales force automation with
existing SCM and ERP, Inventory Tracking on mobile infotainment services such as
chat messenger etc are the avenues that holds lot of potential for mobile
applications

Seamless integration
of mobile applications with desktop applications is an idea which is rapidly
picking up pace. There are various standards and protocols, which drive the
integration of mobile applications with desktop applications such.

Mobile technologies
have the potential to catalyze changes ranging from incremental productivity
improvements to radical redefinition of business processes. Some specific
coverage areas include laptops and notebook computers, mobile adaptation, mobile
application architecture, mobile operating systems, mobile synchronization, PDAs,
and wireless voice and data services.

This next phase in the
evolution of mobile applications will be the most significant to date. By
enabling clients to deliver applications that 'work' to their customers, we
will be providing them with a competitive advantage. So irrespective of which
device is used new innovations that are knocking the door of mobile
communication will change the way enterprises work.

Sonia Sharma

sonias@cybermedia.co.in