Enterprise Mobile Web or Mobile Application? – Which way to go?

by Purushottam Darshankar

Enterprise mobility is now moving from the early adopter stage to become a mainstream focus for enterprises and their IT departments. Enterprises are beginning to understand how they can use mobile technologies to improve business process and optimize their mobile worker performance.

Factually, lots of enterprises are in dilemma in terms of choosing a right option – a mobile website or a downloadable application that run on the handsets. The best answer is, it depends on what the enterprise wants to accomplish.

Web applications traditionally have been valued for its ease of distribution; faster release cycle, decreased barrier to entry etc. Coming to mobile, web development has long suffered from a rigid platform and the inability for mobile browser to keep up with current web technologies. With many handset manufacturer attempting to clone the iPhones usability and appeal, the mobile web applications are getting better, the browser more robust and the devices more capable in terms of supporting Javascript and other web technologies such AJAX, flash etc.

The mobile web allows you to develop on a single platform and target the broadest set of handsets. On the flip side, the mobile web application cannot access the advanced features of the phones such as contact list, location information, camera, bluetooth etc. The interfaces on mobile websites are quite poor and clunky resulting in less than desirable user experience due to browser fragmentation and varied form factors. For better usability, vendors such as Volantis (Multi-channel Server), Mobileaware (Mobile Interaction server) etc. have come up with middleware that manages rendering of web pages to different devices based on device capabilities.

If enterprise has an existing high traffic web destination, developing a mobile version makes sense as site already has a brand attached to it and loyal followers.

Today’s mobile handsets are more than just a phone and improved native capabilities of phone can be better utilized with smart client mobile applications. The mobile application provides ability to better control user interactions and user interface via possible inputs such as touch, voice, keyboard etc. The smaller footprint of database allows user to store reasonable amount of data directly on handset giving offline functionality to user. The offline functionality, the important differentiator, could become a major decision factor for enterprises in deciding which way to go.

Mobile device fragmentation at platform, device, firmware and operator level may lead to further confusion for enterprises to choose best suit for their business needs. Additionally, the porting efforts to other platforms and testing applications on physical handset add to overall cost of developing rich mobile application when compared to web site development.

If enterprise has need of extensive data management and interactive user experience on device and also requires access to device functionalities such as location, contact list etc., developing mobile application makes sense.

In conclusion, if enterprise is targeting the mobility to reach out to their customers- a wider audience, mobile web may be better choice compared to native application development, as they do not have a direct control over the mobile devices, personal devices being used by them. If enterprises are thinking of improving the business process or optimizing the mobile workers performance, mobile application would be better choice as enterprise are in better position to manage and control the devices. And, if enterprise believe in mobility as a strong medium for marketing, business process improvement and operational efficiencies, consider investing in both mobile application and mobile friendly web site to utilize the best of these two technologies.

Six things that may disappoint business users in iPhone 3GS

Here are the 6 things that may disappoint business users in iPhone 3GS.
1. Battery life
For business users one of the top priorities in a smartphone is a good battery life. Though Apple iPhone 3GS has improved battery life, many analysts still feel that the model fails to match up to most BlackBerry models.
iPhone 3GS provides up to 5 hours of 3G talk time or Internet use. Apple claims that the new model supports up to 12 hours of talk time, 30 hours of audio, 9 hours of Wi-Fi and 10 hours on video playback.
BlackBerry Storm supports battery life of up to 15 days (standby time) and up to 5.5 hours (talk time).
2. Security weaknesses
In terms of security too iPhone 3GS has gone several notches up over its predecessor, however, the new device still leaves lot for improvement.
According to many web reviews, iPhone has been hacked far too many times to be considered a secure platform. iPhone's new operating system, OS 3.0, reportedly includes 46 security patches. The majority of the patches are for the iPhone's Safari browser and the WebKit open source browser engine.
On security front, one of the most loved features in the new device is the Remote Wipe which allows users to erase all data from an iPhone that has got lost.
3. No physical keyboard
Another big miss for corporate users is the absence of a physical keyboard. Though the new software includes a landscape keyboard for Mail, Messages and Notes, however, most business users feel that a slider-style QWERTY keyboard would have been more handy.
Research In Motion's (RIM's) BlackBerry phones pack QWERTY keyboard for easy typing.
4. Video conferencing
Though Apple has fulfilled a long time wish by enabling the device to record videos, however, iPhone 3GS still lacks front-facing camera for video conferencing.
This means the device is not capable of sending videos across a Wi-Fi or cellular network in real time. This comes as a big disappointment especially for business users in the age of video conferencing.
5. No editing in Word Document
Another dampener for business users is absence of editing support for Word documents. This means while iPhone users can read Word documents, they cannot edit it. This again is an area where Apple needs a bit of rethink especially while targeting the device in the business segment.
Unlike iPhone 3GS, most smartphones let users edit Word documents to make changes and send them. However, there are a couple of third-party solutions that may solve this issue.
6. No Flash
iPhone 3GS also disappoints corporate users looking forward to Flash support in the new version. The latest iPhone too offers no Flash support.
This is a big miss for users who may want to see those multimedia files that require Flash or browse through Web pages with Flash on their iPhones. Earlier, Apple had said that Flash would run too slowly on the iPhone.

Mobile Applications for all your different needs

Popular Mobile Apps

by Purushottam Darshankar

Social networking-
If you are an intrepid Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, Photobucket, YouTube or Friendster fan, wish to blog, share video or geotag photos, want BBC or CNN, iTV or NowPublic on your phone...make the ShoZu mobile app (http://m.shozu.com) your single-window social media hub.

Check out Fring (www.fring. com) too. It’s a dependable app for instant messaging (IM) and free calls across Skype, MSN Messenger, GoogleTalk, ICQ, SIP, Twitter, Yahoo! and AIM. As backup, you can also install Nimbuzz (www.nimbuzz. com). It’s a neat mobile messenger that allows you IM as well as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) across several services.

Google mobile app
www.google.com/mobile/default/app.html You’ve probably heard of all the apps from this stable—Gmail, Search, Maps, News, YouTube, Latitude and other Google gurgle. But did you know that some of these are directly accessible from your phone without any browser bumming? You can download the mobile Gmail to quickly check your mail on the go. You can also use Google Sync on several phones to synchronize your Google Contacts and Calendar with your hand-held. Latitude will let you broadcast your current location on a map to friends and family.

Nokia Beta Labs
http://betalabs.nokia.com/betas The Nokia Beta Labs’ landing page has several interesting Symbian S60 tools. The best of these include Wellness Diary, a personal journal that helps you record and track health parameters such as weight, eating habits, exercise, blood pressure, etc., and Sports Tracker, a phone-centric GPS-based activity log that automatically records workout distance, routes, speeds and time in your training diary. It even allows you to share the information with others via a website.

You may also want to try Handwriting Calculator, and Ovi Contacts applications from this stable. But remember, before you download these; check out if they are compatible with your handset.

Web browsers
The Opera Mini (www.opera.com/mini/) browser is fast and furious. It features several advanced and user-friendly features, including personalized skins, YouTube video playback, bookmark sync, page saving for offline browsing and user-defined shortcuts, etc.

If you have a Sony Ericsson handset, try the full-fat, albeit slower Ozone (www.o3mobi.com) Web browser. Though it runs on a very limited number of handsets, Ozone offers a more desktop-like browsing experience.

Internet radio and podcasts
One of the best things about listening to Internet radio over your phone is not having to use those constantly tangling earphone sets. Small and easy to install and run, Nokia Internet Radio (http://www.s60.com/life/application/displayDetails.do?appId=320) gives your phone access to hundreds of Internet radio stations over Wi-Fi as well as GPRS. You can pick the quality of your connection according to your ambient network.
Check out Spodtronic (http://www.spodtronic.com/en/specialpage.html?pid=3) too. Another free Internet radio app, it lines up a wide variety of audio entertainment for your phone—including podcasts and mood-based personalized radio. You can also get download-and-play-later podcasts from Nokia Podcasting at http://europe.nokia.com/get-support-and-software/product-support/podcasting.

Reading
If you are an avid reader and don’t mind your mobile phone’s small screen, Wattpad (www.wattpad.com/download) is a good option. Download the app and plunge into community-driven categories ranging from biographies to business, sci-fi to sports, tech to travel. You can also upload your stories, ruminations and essays to jokes, and share it with the Wattpad community.
For audio books, install the Nokia Audiobooks (http://betalabs.nokia.com/betas/view/nokia-audiobooks). For free audio books, go to Librivox.org. You can use the Nokia Audio Books Manager to convert and transfer them to your phone.

WidSets
www.widsets.com WidSets is a collection of around 4,000 widgets (mini apps), including games, fun, news, sports, weather, utilities, games, social content, videos and much more. So, instead of diving in and out of sites looking for interesting apps, you can check out this one-stop site and fire your searches. It’s currently compatible with over 300 phones—we wonder what will happen after WidSets metamorphoses into the Nokia App Store in June.

Dr Jukka apps
www.drjukka.com/index.html This is another stockpile of various Symbian S60 applications available in one place. Most people will be able to make good use of Y-Browser, an uncomplicated phone file manager and Y-Alarms, a multi-alarm utility. 50 Widgets comprises an expansive collection of games and puzzles.

Yahoo Go!
http://mobile.yahoo.com/go If Gmail is not your cup of tea, you can check out Yahoo! Go. This all-in-one download gives you real-time access to email, news, search, stock quotes, Flickr photos, maps, etc. You can build your own menu according to your interests. Depending on whether you are interested in MTV or eBay auctions, Hollywood gossip or bull runs in the market, you can add or delete what you want.
Not convinced? Visit the Yahoo! Go homepage on your PC before downloading it and take the app for a spin through an interactive demo.

Miscellaneous

Money Lite
www.flyingbirdsoft.com/freeware.html
This light app helps you track your expenses, deposits, transfers and other transactions.

FlipSilent
http://flipsilent.com
Stop fumbling for the Silent button. Flip your phone over to mute the ring or refuse a call. Needs an accelerometer and works on limited handsets.

Phling!
www.phling.com
Phling! connects you to all podcasts and pictures stored on your PC.

Pocket Express
http://pocketexpress.com
Get zippy access to news, sports, weather, stocks, travel, entertainment and other updates on your phone without deploying a browser.

Qik
www.qik.com
A video-streaming app that enables you to share your life in real time with family and friends from your mobile phone.

GyPSii

www.gypsii.com
It automatically captures geotagged pictures, video and audio on your phone and lets you share these with friends in real time.

Zyb

www.zyb.com

Terrified of losing the contact numbers on your phone? Zyb backs up and syncs and updates your contacts to the Internet automatically.

Do Businesses require a Mobility App Store?

Future businesses to take a bite of an apple

by Purushottam Darshankar

It all started a year back, when Apple launched its App Store for the iPhone 3G, and ever since then, there has been enormous interest across the mobile ecosystem to emulate this model. The technology advancements in mobile computing- 3G networks, high resolution displays, battery life and more- are paving the way for a new generation of enterprise mobility applications. Needless to say, the future is mobile, as next phase of business mobility will go considerably beyond e-mails. The concept of App Store fundamentally changes the way in which the applications are made available on the mobile handset and have enormous implication on how the revenues are likely to be distributed across the value chain.

Following its popularity, many device vendors made their own software stores for their mobile platform. Palm published the “Application Store” similar to app store; Microsoft announced the “Windows Market place for Mobile” for windows mobile devices. RIM has launched its application store “BlackBerry App World” and Nokia announced the “Ovi Store” for its S60 and S40 devices.

The new trend in mobile enterprise market shows that businesses are not willing to purchase the middleware platform that connects mobile users to back end systems. Instead they are looking for prepackaged hosted solution where return on investment can be gained by improving the operational efficiencies of field service personnel.

But for the most part, hosted mobility services have not been popular because businesses want to keep the critical information in-house rather than allowing it to reside outside the firewall. Enterprises also need to think more about how mobility integrates with the existing enterprise infrastructure and what can be pushed into mobile environment as an application for their field personnel.

The most widely used mobile operating systems in business mobility are BlackBerry and Windows Mobile, with European enterprises often supporting Symbian as well. However, it is no surprise that iPhone has started making its presence in enterprise mobility market. Some of the enterprise mobility applications were hit and made its presence felt at App Store. Few of these applications require the involvement of company’s IT department as specific software needs to reside on organizations IT infrastructure.

At App Store, Oracle Business Approvals for Sales Representative/Managers allows user to review sales quotes and approve or reject them, and chart sales forecasts, quotas, and actual numbers. Salesforce.com recently posted an updated version of Salesforce Mobile for the iPhone to give salespeople access to contact and account information in Salesforce.com. JAMF Software's JSS Mobile lets IT pros manage their companies' Mac systems from their iPhones. Applications developed through the Enterprise Program are exclusively for institutional use which allows businesses to develop more proprietary applications not for public release.

In business mobility app store space, security issues are a top concern among organizations that must address strict security, regulatory requirements when implementing mobile device and application solutions. There will be few takers from banking, financial services and insurance firms for such service. As a result, it is believed that business app store will be more popular among SMBs, which typically don’t have as strict IT requirements as large enterprises. The other advantage is its low risk high ROI proposition as such application services will be charged to businesses on usage based i.e. “On-Demand” pricing or fixed payment for each user.

In general, the Business mobility app store will appeal more to the small and medium businesses than the bigger organization. The horizontal solution will be more successful as it will see more users cutting across the verticals than domain specific solution which heavily depends on the backend applications at organization IT infrastructure.

Business model innovation for managed mobility services

Telco managed revenue shared model for enterprise mobility

by Purushottam Darshankar

Today’s mobile devices with their significant processing power, multimodal communication and large storage capabilities are fast proving to be a productivity improver by enabling the business users to make better decisions by using up-to-date enterprise information, wherever they are working.

While field services and sales applications are the largest opportunities for mobility solutions, CIOs, CXOs, technical managers are busy working on ROI estimates to take go, no-go decisions. On one hand it brings direct benefits in terms of productivity improvement and few indirect benefits such as increased employee satisfaction, improved customer satisfaction that could save business thousands of dollars. On the other hand, there is ever increasing diversity of mobile devices and costs associated with managing and integrating these devices into organizations IT infrastructure, training, support, networks and recurring costs of data connectivity. There needs to be balance between the operational efficiencies and costs. The TCO of mobility solution may vary depending on the functionalities, middleware, type of architecture and deployment. The decision needs to be taken strategically and not purely on traditional ROI and TCO model.

Given the underlying complexities of mobility solution, it is necessary to have pilot-run prior to full scale all functionality deployment. Also, it is necessary to take serious look at the duration of productivity plateau, when it will be necessary to upgrade the solution and finally when it will be time to retire the solution.

With the economic slowdown enterprises want to stay lean. Faced with tight budget constraints and stretched operating budgets, every business is looking to cut the initial capital investment and recurring operating costs of the mobility solution. This has led to emergence of new business model of managed mobility services that uses a common platform to integrate, support and manage the mobility solution.

The current telecom market is very competitive and operators are constantly looking for new revenue sources. As a result, many telecom operators are now adapting to provide managed mobility services with revenue share model to add new revenue source. They are encouraging the solution providers to use their network resources to provide services to businesses and share the revenue earned. Solution providers are also attempting “non linear growth” to increase their revenue by investing in building the vertical solution for various verticals.

There are compelling financial and technical reasons why businesses will move from premise based services to hosted shared services model. The businesses can save on their capital investment as they stay away from purchasing, operating and maintaining any IT infrastructure for mobility solution. Telco managed shared services provides high reliability, security and uptime so that businesses can more focus on their core competency.

It is important that appropriate security infrastructure be in built into such shared services model. If proper measures are taken, shared services can offer a safe, secure and reliable means of communicating sensitive information and provide businesses with a mobile service infrastructure that is as secure as any organization's “traditional” IT infrastructure.

The pricing model for such services is usage based “On-Demand” pricing, fixed monthly payment for each user. The business does not bear any risk of losing the money. The telecom operators have required flexibility to scale-up or scale down based on rapid fluctuations in its customer demands and needs.

The hosted shared services model provides opportunity to businesses to pilot-run their services to demonstrate their ROI for decision making. Once successfully adapted by their end user the managed service model will place the businesses on longer term benefit.

Whether launching new mobility services or to manage the existing one , businesses can always look at managed mobility services option provided by operators that manages all part of mobility solution and also offers flexible per-user pricing option.