Leveraging advantages of mobile devices to e-business

With 3G devices making a foray into the market and with technologies like
Bluetooth and WAP revolutionizing the concept of computing, mobile devices like
handhelds, PDAs and cell phones are becoming increasingly crucial to the
functioning of an organization. Especially in an e-business environment,
officials are realizing the advantages of providing mobile devices to their
customers. Some of the advantages include increase in the productivity of the
organization and smooth and efficient running of the workplace. What is
important is that the benefits of these mobile devices need to be extended into
the corporate e-business environment, enhancing the current level of
functionality and control.



What we are talking of here is a very advanced concept of enterprise
connectivity that needs to be implemented for a streamlined business process.
Although there might be hindrances and limitations towards achieving this goal,
it is possible with good planning and strategy. The organization needs to
explore the issues surrounding the integration of mobile devices into the
existing infrastructure of the organization and chalk out a suitable strategy.

Some of the aspects include,

• Supporting multiple devices with different applications and operating
  systems
• Synchronization of the data and the server
• Smooth integration of the mobile devices into the existing systems
• Better handling of crucial e-business data
• Implementing and developing handheld applications

Multiple mobile devices, operating systems and applications

Although the easiest thing to do would be to standardize on a single device,
it is not possible in these days. There are several mobile devices and users
expect more and more services from their handhelds. Each corporation
manufacturing handhelds and other mobile devices have a myriad range of
business-specific applications and operating systems they work on. The best
solution would be platform independent in the broadest sense of the idea. A
solution that can support a range of operating systems as well as a multitude of
applications is required.

Data and Server synchronization

Synchronizing personal information between a PC and a handheld is simple. It is
done via a serial cable or by means of an appropriately connected modem. For
this to happen two criteria needs to be satisfied. 1. The user must have a PC
and 2. The PC needs to be on when the user is not within the premises.

On a large scale, fulfilling these criteria is not really viable. Equipping a
mobile worker with a hand held and then providing him with a PC for
synchronization means spiraling costs. And leaving the PC on for synchronization
on overnight makes it vulnerable to security attacks. Last but not the least,
the procedure describes is suitable for personal data and is not effective for
multi-user interaction.

With hundreds of users all trying to update the database at once, integrity
of data becomes very important. Hence the verdict is, synchronization between
hand held and PC is not sensible, it should be synchronization between handheld
and the server.

Integrating the mobile device with the existing infrastructure

If you are serious about implementing a mobile computing environment, it is very
important to integrate the solution well into the existing systems. One of the
best practices is to incorporate existing business logic into data transfers to
give a seamless solution. This must also activate specific tasks in response to
organization-defined requests that can be transmitted to and from the mobile
device.

Handling the cost of ownership

With handhelds becoming an integral part of the working environment, the
support costs could shoot up as compared to the cost of the handset itself. In
order that the handhelds be effective, the system must be able to remotely
install or upgrade applications. Devices should be managed remotely and any
problems must be gauged earlier and fixed suitably.

Security and backup

Managing the data accessed by mobile workers is a big challenge to the
e-enterprise. Security systems in place must be robust and tamper-proof. A back
up of all the information accessed is important and the best way to do this is
by adopting a standard method for automatically back up and restore information.

After considering all these aspects, one needs to develop and build
applications that bring the enterprise data out to the user. Custom applications
that reflect the needs of your organization need to be built. Applications need
not be complex they need to be simple and effective.

For organizations and e-businesses to exploit the benefits of a mobile
computing system a well-formed strategy is very critical. Despite the process
seeming complicated, the returns can be mind-boggling; paybacks can be expected
in weeks rather than years. Effective mobile computing offers e-businesses the
opportunity to radically improve their business practices, whether it’s
streamlining internal processes, increasing employee productivity or decreasing
customer turn-around time.