Once logical groupings have been established, the needs of each group can be more easily profiled. A key part of the profiling focuses on the group’s environment and how a mobile solution can improve the productivity of the group, or help solve the group’s problems.
2. What geographic areas do your user groups cover?
While the word "mobility" often suggests a wide range of locations, mobile workers tend not to roam across vast areas. Typically, the majority of mobile activity is conducted in a well-defined region—within a one-hour drive from the office, or in a specific city or multi-state region.
Geographic factors affect the connectivity method. Systems such as cellular provide wide-area coverage, but data coverage is not always available outside major urban markets. For remote coverage needs, satellite systems may be needed. And if mobile users have access to fixed-line connections wherever they go, traditional landline connectivity via a modem may be a practical connectivity method, given that these connections generally support higher data rates than, for instance, cellular data rates.
For users who simply need to be mobile within the office or campus area—to improve the tracking of inventory, for example—Wi-Fi connections are a popular choice. These connections are also becoming increasingly available to individuals traveling in many urban locations around the country, from coffee shops to airports.
3. In what type of environments will the wireless devices be used?
The local environment in which the worker uses the mobile tools can vary greatly. Harsh environments that range from manufacturing sites to construction or field sites will probably require ruggedized or hardened devices. Enclosed or underground locations, where no data connection is possible, may need to store data offline, which increases the device’s required storage capacity. Walking or driving affects both the connectivity and the form factor of the device. Heavy usage and complex applications require a lot of processing power and battery life, so available electrical sources and replaceable batteries need to be considered.
4. How secure do your communications need to be?
Different organizations require different levels of security. Organizations that require a high level of security will find that higher end processors such as those provided in Windows Mobile–compliant devices may be better equipped for the job than lower-end phone-based devices.
Lower-end phones are restricted in the level of security they can provide due to limitations in the processing capabilities available. These limitations preclude many phones from running the algorithms that are necessary to support highly secure applications. If adherence to standards such as the federal security standard FIPS 140-2 is important, then lower-end phone based devices will not be able to support this level of security.
Of course, phone-based devices may still be suitable—for instance, if the user is simply scanning a piece of information using a bar code scanner and sending that back to a database, and not and accessing personal, financial, or military data.
5. What applications would you like to have in the field?
There are many different wireless applications available. Some of them require devices with specific technologies such as GPS or cellular location-based services, which support directions, routing, etc.
Support for newer data collection technologies such as RFID and more mature technologies such as barcode reading also impact device selection. When you need such applications, it is important to note whether the functionality is integrated into the device, or if the functionality is provided peripherally. Adding too many external features to a device will cause devices that started out small and light to quickly become heavy and unwieldy.
6. What type of data are you accessing and entering?
Data access dictates screen size and color considerations. The more complex the data, the larger the screen size needed. For instance, for a physician reviewing X-rays using a telemedicine application, a tablet would be the most appropriate device. Color is probably going to be of primary importance to people making presentations or reading complex charts or maps.
The data entry requirements of your users is going to determine whether an external keyboard will be necessary or whether pen-based or keypad input will suffice. You also need to keep in mind that users are much more likely to adopt applications if the user interface is familiar to them and is easy-to-use.
7. Do you need to access and react to data in real time?
Many mobile applications today do not support true real-time data delivery. Instead, they simply synchronize data with back-office systems at the end of the day. While this may be fine for some applications, it is not ideal for others. For example, only with real-time data delivery can you see that the salesperson in the next territory just sold the last available replacement part in the warehouse, enabling you to immediately let another customer know that it’s out of stock. With sync, that information wouldn’t be available until the other salesperson got back to their office.
The need to support real-time data delivery can affect device selection. Is more than one type of capability required to support the real-time resolution of problems from the field—for instance, does the mobile user need voice capability as well as e-mail? And if both of these capabilities are combined in one device, can the mobile employee use both capabilities simultaneously?
8. What are your long-term mobile goals?
Long-term goals will have a significant impact on your device selection process. You may be starting out with a small mobility project targeted at just some of your employees, for which a single application needs to be provisioned with a single type of device—a point solution. But if you anticipate that your mobile needs will expand in future years, you’ll need to take a platform approach by adopting a more flexible and scalable architecture.
Why would this have an impact on your device selection? In point solutions, many of the device selection decisions are made for you. Point solutions often work on a limited choice of devices, based on criteria that the solution provider, rather than your organization, determines. With a platform approach, you maintain the flexibility to change devices as your needs change or as technological advances bring new and useful devices to market. Upgrade paths, flexibility, and scalability are all features of your mobile solution under a platform approach. This enables organizations to deploy many wireless applications and support many wireless devices while using a single integrated architecture. As applications are rolled out across time, an organization’s incremental cost of ownership decreases, instead of increasing. Put simply, an organization’s long-term benefits are dramatically higher with the integrated mobile platform approach.
Figure 1 illustrates the connectivity and device choices made by a two-billion dollar distribution company when building a mobile solution framework. Ultimately, device selection depends on understanding the differing requirements of your various user groups.
(above) Fig. 1: Mobilizing a workforce: A sample of connectivity and device choices by department
9. What are your organization’s financial limitations?
The financial factors that determine the total cost of ownership for a mobile device are very similar to those for desktop-based devices. Consider more than the initial device cost: what are the costs for maintenance and support?
You must also consider how to navigate the trend toward "convergent" devices and the impact this may have on hardware upgrade cycles. Using the Swiss Army knife approach may help reduce the number of devices a worker needs, but it may have significant cost implications. If, for example, one piece of the converged device becomes outdated or obsolete, you may be required to replace the whole device to maintain the functionality that you need.
Conclusion
Proper planning is the key to your mobilization success. It needn’t delay your rollout–in fact, it should save you from making expensive and aggravating missteps. Many of the above points are common sense. It’s only when they’re missed or overlooked that they
garner attention (and not the kind you’re looking for)!
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Stuart Layzell is COO and senior vice president of Defywire, a leading wireless middleware provider. The company’s flagship product, Defywire Mobility Suite, extends the enterprise by providing mobile employees with secure, real-time access to corporate information systems. His e-mail is [email protected].
Directions
by Chris De Herrera
Assessing OEM Support
When selecting a Pocket PC for yourself or for a corporate rollout, you should assess the support available from the manufacturer (OEM) for the particular models you are considering prior to your purchase. As part of this process you should investigate the following:
Phone support—All OEMs offer phone support for their Pocket PCs, but some only offer 90 days of free support. Make sure you know what it will cost if you have a problem after 90 days and check out extended service programs.
Time to repair—One of the most difficult things to deal with once you’ve had a personal device like a Pocket PC is getting along without it. Some OEMs will send out replacement units immediately (with your credit card number in hand to guarantee you send in your faulty unit) while others require you to mail in the Pocket PC and wait until it’s repaired. You should know what to expect in advance of making a purchase.
Reported problems with a specific Pocket PC model—I highly recommend that you do a little research on the Pocket PCs you are interested in to see if any (or many) users have reported problems with them. You can do this by visiting online forums associated with a number of Web sites, including Pocket PC Thoughts (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com), Pocket Now (http://www.pocketnow.com) and Pocket PC magazine (http://www.ppcmag.com/forum). Look to see if a device receives a lot of complaints, or complaints focused on a specific problem. This will help you gauge the quality level of the Pocket PC you are considering.
Current Patches and ROM upgrades— You should visit the OEM’s Web site to see what patches or ROM upgrades have been provided to fix the problems users have reported. You’ll want to install the appropriate patches on your Pocket PC to reduce the problems you will experience.
Prior patches and ROM upgrades—If you are considering a new generation of Pocket PC then I recommend that you look at prior generations of Pocket PCs that an OEM created and see what issues they have had. Also, look at what patches or ROM upgrades they have offered to fix these problems. In particular note the amount of time that the OEM offers patches or ROM upgrades for older model Pocket PCs as a way to gauge the level of commitment you can expect from your OEM in the future.
Longevity of support—How long (how many years) does the OEM intend to offer technical support and repair service for the Pocket PC you are considering? This is an especially important issue for corporate roll outs since most anticipate that the Pocket PC will have a 2-3 year life span.
Operating system (OS) upgrades—When Microsoft comes out with a new version of its OS and software, some OEMs will offer upgrades and some will not. To further complicate this, the ones that offer upgrades may only offer them for specific models. Be sure you understand the OEM’s upgrade before you commit to a specific model. If they don’t (or can’t) give you a firm answer, find out how they handled upgrades with older models. Remember that OEMs generally do charge for upgrades, so find out what they have charged for prior operating system upgrades.
Calling Support
Prior to calling support, I recommend that you make some notes about the device, problem or topic you need help with. Document the make, model, serial number and ROM version (usually displayed when you perform a soft reset) of your Pocket PC. If you are having problems with ActiveSync, make sure you note what desktop operating system you are using, as well as what version of Outlook and ActiveSync you have installed. Make sure you carefully observe what is happening when you are having the problem, and write down the steps involved. This will help the tech support person reproduce the problem and solve it. Finally, note what additional applications you have installed—in some cases they can be the source of the problem.
Conclusion
Armed with this support information, you’ll be able to make the best decision on what Pocket PCs to consider, whether you’re buying one for yourself or considering a corporate rollout. Further, the recommendations in Calling Support should yield faster and less frustrating assistance when resolving a problem.
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Chris is a special correspondent and contributing author for Pocket PC magazine. He maintains one of the best Pocket PC Web sites (http://www.cewindows.net) and discussion boards at discuss.cewindows.net. Chris is a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional for Mobile Devices and writes articles on Pocket PCs for his own Web site and for other mobile computing publications. Chris regularly participates in various newsgroups (including Microsoft.public.pocketpc). You can reach Chris at [email protected].
UC Berkeley Students Win Imagine Cup Exhibition Round, Meet Bill Gates
by Jeff Chen
Several months ago, I got the chance to make a 15-minute presentation to the Chief Software Architect of Microsoft, the father of Windows, and the richest man on the planet—Bill Gates. Here’s how:
The competition
Our team from the University of California in Berkeley competed in the Imagine Cup Exhibition Round in San Francisco, held at the Microsoft Mobile Developer Conference (MDC). The goal of the Microsoft-sponsored contest is to create an application to solve an everyday problem.
A team from the University of California in Los Angeles created an application to help travelers select nearby restaurants based on their stated preferences and interests. Another team from San Francisco State University came up with a mobile dating system, wherein a user’s mobile device suggests potential dates for them in the area based on their location. The Cornell University team demonstrated a system to pilot model airplanes using a mobile device.
(above) Jeff Chen, Casey Ho, and Lin Xu present to Bill Gates their mobile time management application, Mobile Time-Flex Solutions.
Our idea
We realized that everyone wants to be more productive, but effective time management is sometimes not possible when people are wasting time waiting in lines. We used the Visual Studio .NET development suite to create a mobile time management application. We named our program Mobile Time-Flex Solutions. It assists with the problem of time management at busy locations. Our application can be tailored to fit a variety of uses, from kids who want to go on more rides at theme parks to business professionals who need to talk to a number of vendors at conferences or trade shows.
(above) Fig. 1: Mobile Time-Flex ThemePark Solution lets visitors plan out their day to minimize the need to wait in line.
The contest
Judging for the contest was done in question-and-answer format. Judges (from the software development industry) visited each team’s booth to learn about their product and its benefits. The judges looked at the base idea, the potential market, security design, and many other factors. Every team faced difficult questions on areas like implementation, deployment, and expected consumer satisfaction.
Though answering the questions was challenging, the demo portion of the presentation was even more stressful for us. Our program was newly developed: we didn’t know how it would behave as we ran it through its paces. When the judges asked for our demo, we held our breath and crossed our fingers.
Why were we worried? Well, we were notified of the competition only four days before the judging! In addition, none of us had any previous experience programming in .NET or C#. We stayed up four days straight installing Visual Studio .NET for the first time, and then writing our program using newly-learned tools such as Active Data Objects and Active Server Pages. It nearly drove us insane!
Unexpected triumph
We didn’t expect to win. Programs from the other teams represented long-term research projects; they were much better developed than ours. So our team
sat in the back of the auditorium when the award ceremony finally came.
We were shocked when we won first place. I remember myself at the time literally jumping up and down and rolling on the floor with excitement. The judges told us that we won due to the ingenuity our product displayed. They saw in our project an interesting concept and a solution that could work. As the name of the Imagine Cup competition suggests, using our imaginations made us the winners.
The reward of the contest was a chance to give a presentation on our product to Bill Gates. Bill was at MDC to deliver the keynote address, and we’d get to meet him afterwards. Clearly, this presentation was very important and we definitely wanted our application to run perfectly. So, we stayed up all night again debugging things further.
The prize
We were in high spirits when we met Bill. We shook his hand and described our project. We were delighted when Bill said our project was, "quite impressive." When we told him about our sleepless days and nights of development, he laughed and said, "I guess we designed .NET pretty well then." At the end of our meeting, we all shook hands again, and Bill said, "We should all meet up in Redmond someday!"
Pocket PC magazine, October/November 2004 Page 11