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MULTIPLICITY OF DEVICES
The competition amongst handset vendors to launch more feature-rich handheld devices is posing another challenge for all-the application developer, the mobile operator and above all the enterprises. According to Bhargava of SAP India, "We would say multiplicity of mobile devices is a key challenge and every company has multiple software and hardware applications, and enterprises face multiplicity challenges in all areas." He offers a solution for this and adds, "There should be a common integration platform for all enterprise solutions like ERP, CRM, SCM, and SRM, among others as it helps in bringing standardization."
| Gartner's Mobile Mantra For Enterprises |
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Excel at the fundamentals: Mobilize the right applications, 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.
Define a strategy: Understand and prepare for market trends such as convergence and commoditization, select technologies and partners that will survive in the long term, exploit the convergence of the Web and mobility.
Innovate: Look beyond mobile email and workforce enablement to find new ways in which wireless can revolutionize processes and customer relationships.
Profit from mobility: Align mobile initiatives with business goals and generate provable ROI.
All of these will be essential, and none of them will be easy in the ever-changing world of wireless. By 2008, several new wireless technologies will be available and organizations will choose from 500 different models of mobile device and hundreds of competing technology providers. Challenging commercial decisions are on the horizon as well. Early industry leaders will be threatened by mega-vendors as markets consolidate and mature. Network pricing models will change frequently and radically as cellular operators embrace convergence and introduce new services to compete with threats such as the Internet, VOIP and WiMax.
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The Application Landscape
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Customer-centric Applications
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Sales Force Automation
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Customer Relationship Management
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Customer Care/Call Center
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Legacy/customized applications
Productivity-enhancement Applications
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Email
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Internet/Intranet
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Calendar
ERP-centric Applications
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THE CHALLENGES AHEAD
Solutions and services are there, but challenges also exist which application vendors are facing while developing mobile applications for the enterprises. Bhargava lists some of the challenges which companies face in developing mobile enterprise applications-limited battery power, processor speed, memory size, storage capacity, form factor security, vulnerability, transaction safety of mobile devices apart from low reliability of network devices. The key challenge, according to him is optimizing the available bandwidth while providing reliable data exchange between the mobile devices and the back end server.
| The key challenge is to optimize the available bandwidth while providing reliable date exchange between the mobile devices and the back end server |
Shukla on the other hand lists some more challenges around adoption of mobility applications by the Indian enterprises highlighting the multiplicity of platforms and OSs. He gives some examples like "Multiple OS-Nokia comes with Series (40/60/90); Microsoft with Mobile OS, PalmOne and a number of Linux-based OS which have increased complexity of development and deployment of mobile applications." He goes on to add that there is little or no support for launching and promoting device-independent applications by mobile operators. He cites low ROI leading to little incentive for application developer for Indian markets as opposed to the overseas markets as another hurdle. There are other issues like little post-sales services backing for standalone applications which is very important due to low awareness of usage and OS-specific issues.
Sudesh Prasad
sudeshp@cybermedia.co.in
Source: Dataquest
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