Windows 8 – the Resurrection of Microsoft as a Mobile Giant?

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For years I have watched Microsoft complacently sit back and let their foothold on the mobile market slip away. Mobile innovation from Microsoft has been conspicuously absent for the past 5 years. If it were not for the rugged space I suspect Windows Mobile would have already gone the way of Palm – a slow agonizing death. And even the rugged mobile space is asking the question “When will you support Android?”

Windows 8 is Microsoft’s last chance to resurrect Microsoft as a long-term viable mobile player enabling Microsoft to recapture marketshare.

Potential Windows Phone 8 Impacts on Business

1. Built-in Development Community, Tools and Resources
Microsoft has a built-in community to develop and deploy applications. Microsoft has the resources and community to promote and encourage development of applications. The tight integration of Windows 8 and Windows 8 Phone will be an attractive choice for CIOs and IT Managers who are looking to fully integrate mobile devices and internal systems.

2. Unique UI 
Windows 8 Phone provides a very unique and functional user interface.  Unlike Android where each manufacturer’s implementation is so varied you wonder if you have the same OS installed.

Microsoft wisely signed licensing agreements with Apple for some of the mobile technologies in their development of WP8. This offers some protection to the device manufacturers. I’m sure manufacturers will consider this as they watch the Samsung vs. Apple court battles continue.

3. Opportunity to Earn a Piece of the Rugged Market
I know that many rugged mobile device users are clamoring for a better device experience. They are tired of wrestling with a needle-sized stylus to enter data and an OS that hasn’t been significantly updated for 5 years. Many are even reconsidering the rugged versus consumer grade ROI argument in light of providing a more fluid way of collecting and recording information in the field. I have also noticed a culture characteristic that has underlined some purchasing decisions. This may seem petty but a reality, many rugged mobile device users I’ve talked to want the iOS experience but they see the iPhone as a “preppy, costly, elite user” mobile device. They see the Android as a blue collar, affordable mobile device option that could play very nicely for Windows Phone 8 adoption.

4. Built-in Printing
This could be the Trojan Horse for Windows 8 Phone business and field service adoption. Printing in the field from an iPhone or Android is a three-ring circus. The hoops you have to jump through to print in the field is largely dependent upon third party intermediaries or full connection to a wireless network.  If Windows 8 Phone provides direct printing this will serve as a dark horse feature that will help the adoption especially in the service sector.

5. Tablet Form Factor
Can you say Coup de Tat? The Surface, scheduled for release Oct. 26th, could be the device that accelerates Microsoft’s recapture of lost ground in the mobile space. Many people want the larger form factor provided by a tablet device. I’ve especially noted this in the field service industries where they want a mobile device that accommodates fat, grubby, man-sized fingers and a full set of mobile functionality.  Add the dual functionality of switching between Windows 8 and traditional Windows mode and Microsoft has provided nice transitional step for many potential users. This coupled with the promise of easier mobile printing could kick the door wide open for Windows 8.

The field is ripe for Microsoft to recapture its place as major mobility contender. Question is will Windows 8 have enough punch to excite mobile users and resurrect the sleeping giant?

Jody Sedrick

Enterprise Mobility Strategist, Follow me on Twitter: @jodysedrick and @zenewareinc

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Enterprise Mobility - "While we are benefiting, it's a mobility mess!"

This morning I visited with a significantly larger enterprise client that has divisions that provide services in  mining, oil and gas exploration, environmental impact studies, building engineering, water conservation and more. In our conversation he commented, "My biggest challenge is that we have come to realize we all have all these disparate mobile solutions that service individual business silos, but can not interact with each other. Each division is running their own mobile strategy. Some have mobile apps, some are still on spread sheets, others have no mobile solution but considering and I just learned we currently have two MEAP solutions running. And we haven't even discussed the mobile device issues. While we are all benefiting individually, it's a mobility mess."

In my experience companies who have rolled out mobile solutions have deployed them in an opportunistic fashion. Typically a field manager has caught the mobile vision early. Through his ingenuity, tenacity and budget maneuvering has implemented a mobile solution specific to his group. The positive impact of his mobile solution inevitably catches the eye and envy of other departments who eagerly clamor to adopt mobile solutions.

While this approach provides a strong, quantifiable internal use case for mobile solutions it often leads to a reevaluation of the first mobile solution. Especially, if the first mobile implementation only addressed a specific business need, was limited in scope, didn't plan for the broader needs of the company and was not scalable.

Developing a strategic plan is critical for the on-going adoption of enterprise mobile solution. The key is understanding "why you are going mobile". Evaluate what you trying to accomplish from an enterprise level all the way down to the individual level. Then develop a strategy that addresses this across the enterprise. Companies need to focus on the following key areas

1. Identify key business processes that will benefit from mobilization.
2. Determine how individual mobile projects integrate with a central mobile management, backend databases and security infrastructure?
3. Establish security policies for data accessibility, network accessibility, application distribution, device management, BYOD policies, etc.
4. Identify supported mobile devices; SmartPhone, TabletsPCs, Rugged devices
5. What supporting hardware is needed? Mobile Printing, GPS, RFID, etc.
6. Determine if mobile apps will be available on different mobile form factors; SmartPhone, TabletPCs, Rugged devices, etc.
7. Identify mobile user roles. User will roles determine data accessibility, security rules, appropriate device options.
8. Determine if mobile roles are transactional, informational or collaborative
9. Identify if mobile business processes and user roles are B2B, Internally driven or B2c
10. How many mobile users are targeted?
11. How will deployment and support of mobile users scale over-time?
12. What mobile architecture do you need to have in place?
13. How will mobile apps be developed, deployed and managed? Who will oversee this?
14. What types of apps will be supported? Custom-built, off-the shelf, modified mobile app templates, HTML5 mobile apps
15. Determine how success will be measured

Yes enterprise mobility brings new challenges and opportunities. Investing the time to conduct a full enterprise mobility assessment and developing the appropriate strategic mobility plan is critical for long-term sustainability and scalability of mobile solutions in the enterprise.

Like my client said, "We've been dabbling in mobility long enough. It's time to get serious and unify our mobile strategy and get out of this mobility mess."

Jody Sedrick

Follow me on Twitter: @jodysedrick and @zenewareinc

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Why are you going mobile?

This week I had a great meeting with a new customer that is looking to build a really cool enterprise mobile application for the lighting industry. Meeting with them was refreshing as they obviously had invested serious time thinking through the mobile application, end-user requirements, backend integration and reporting requirements. This is unusual in that most of the customers come to with an idea for a mobile app but haven't really through through the business application.

My experience with them motivated me to share some enterprise mobility guidelines we walk through with our customers.

First Question: What is your goal in "Going Mobile"? Or better yet, WHY go mobile?

Obvious as this questions seems, it is the foundation of your success. But many companies are on their 2nd, 3rd even 4th mobile implementation because they didn't understand the "why" of going mobile. If a customer understands the "why" of going mobile their success rate  increase exponentially.  Some example goals and the "whys" brought to us to date

• Improve responsiveness to customers.
  This is really a goal. It's a result of good systems. Why do you want to improve responsiveness to customers? Have you struggled in this area? Have you identified the bottlenecks? What does it mean if you are successful?
• Providing mobile access to existing applications in the field to improve field worker productivity
  When I hear this I ask, "why is it important for field workers to have this data?" Does it enable the customer to make a decision now? Does it enable the field worker to guide decisions of the customer? Does it enable the service tech to offer the service now?
• Improve operational efficiencies both in the field and back end
  Again this is a goal. What is the cause of operational inefficiencies? Where are the bottlenecks? If I can eliminate those bottlenecks how does this affect serving my customers? How does it improve invoicing cycles? What reports now become available to help managers/sales people more effectively drive business.
• Expedite the invoicing process
  The why on this is clear as every business wants to keep cash flow moving in a positive direction so they can grow their business.
• Proof of service completion and acceptance
  Why? - A business wants to confidently demonstrate  service was completed or accepted.

Once you understand the "whys" of going mobile you can can establish the goals that will help you determine the right mobile strategy.  Most companies today deploy mobile applications in opportunistic business silos. While this approach can serve as a proving ground for mobile solutions it also can create a situation where mobile solutions become limited in scope, disjointed, invite technology disparity and are not scalable.

Businesses need to consider the overall mobility requirements within an organization and develop a long-term strategy that supports these goals then develop rollout strategies and pilots that align with the long-term strategy. Businesses tend to initially evaluate mobile solutions from the perspective of the field worker. But mobility needs assessments need to consider the entire business process and infrastructure considering every component including:

• Customer experience; Do customers interact with the device? A customer might review a service ticket or to provide a digital signature
• Field worker: what is the business process in the field? What data is required to help the technician or customer make a decision? Is mobile printing required? GPS -Do you need to know where your workers are or do they need help finding customer locations
• What kind of PDA device? Smartphone? Rugged PDA? Customer and field worker needs will drive device selection
• Back end integration: what accounting or corporate database systems need to be integrated with?
• Management and Executive Management: Considerations may inclue reporting, management evaluation and / or approval processes
• IT Support - what is required from the IT department? What device and connectivity standards have been set?
• Security policies

I find companies are on track when they've carefully considered these areas as well as come conclusions on the following:

• They have identified specific business processes that will significantly benefit mobile technology and why those are important
• Individual or departmental mobile projects are implemented with the overall business goals in mind. "Smaller" mobile projects can integrate with the enterprise mobile management, infrastructure and security policies.
• Common software, cloud based solutions or middleware mobile solutions are implemented across the organization.
• Implementation of device policies whether they be BYOD or corporate sponsored are clear and enforceable
• Projects are managed and supported according to clearly defined policies

I'll take a look at deciding which mobile applications to deploy in part 2 of this article.

Jody Sedrick

Follow me on Twitter: @jodysedrick and @zenewareinc

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