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

Image Credit: Joe Klamar/Getty Images

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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Zenware

I have iPads, Now what?

This week I had a great lunch meeting with a new client. One of the first things my client shared with me was the fact that "We've purchased 20 plus iPads for a pilot project and now everyone is wondering what to do with them." The client then asked me "Do you have some recommendations?"

This is a common theme I run across among potential and new clients. In their excitement and promise of enterprise mobility they rush to invest in new equipment without developing a plan for enterprise mobility.

The timeliness of this is evidenced in Kevin Benedict's blog post today highlighting some of the results of his  2012 Mid-Year Enterprise Mobility Survey where he asked vendors key questions about the challenges encountered implementing mobility. The number one challenge.... Drum roll please.....

"Q: What are your biggest challenges to implementing enterprise mobility today?" 

"A: The number 1 answer was, "Developing an enterprise-wide mobile strategy."  There was a tie for the next 2 between, "Determining anticipated ROIs" and, "Educating stakeholders on the potential impact of enterprise mobility on the business."   

(source Kevin Benedict's Enterprise Mobility Strategy Blog)

The importance of developing an enterprise-wide mobile strategy is critical. Many companies that I've delivered mobile solutions for are on the third or fourth mobile implementation specifically because they hadn't developed or thought through these three areas.

In the case of my client this week they clearly hadn't developed an enterprise-wide mobile strategy. In fact it was just the opposite, they threw iPads at the stake holders and said "here catch the vision of mobility". That's going to be a little difficult with 14 plus divisions, each with different ideas, interest, understanding, comfortability and vision of mobility. Further compounding the problem, each division has it's own ability to accept or reject the proposed solutions. (You might have guessed it's a state entity).

How do you successfully implement an enterprise solution in such an environment? You have to go back to the foundational requirements.

1. Develop an enterprise-wide mobile strategy. 
2. Educating Stake Holders 
3. Determine anticipated ROIs 

I'm working with my client through this process now.

Notice that while Kevin's survey results showed "Determining Anticipated ROIs" and "Educating Stakeholders" tied in importance, each customer is going to be slightly different. But generally I see the exact trends that are demonstrated in Kevin's Survey.

With my current customer I placed educating stake holders a higher priority based on the sophistication, interest and willingness to adopt mobility of the division managers. Either way you will have to address both of these issues. I tend to see educating stake holders and determining anticipated ROIs as dependent companions that help illustrate and articulate the transformative power of mobility.

Bottom line don't do anything with mobility until you lay a solid foundation for success.

Jody Sedrick

Follow me on Twitter: @jodysedrick and @zenewareinc

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Zenware

Mobile Field Service Significantly Impacting Business

This morning I took a look at a great report from Aberdeen (Aberdeen Group Field Service 2011: Mobility and the Extension of the Service Enterprise)

Here are a few interesting stats gleaned fromt he report with some of my thoughts:

• Average workforce utilization is only 57%
  This means your field service techs are idle or non-productive an average of 43% of the time.  Statistically most companies report the majority of idle time is spent driving back and forth between the office or waiting for their next service appointment. The conclusion is field service solutions provide an opportunity to decrease fuel cost as well as increase work force utilization.
• Companies that implemented mobile field service management solutions increased workforce utilization  to 76%
  That's a 19% jump in utilization. This is accomplished through better planning, better scheduling and ensuring the service tech has the information, tools and parts needed for every job. What would a 19% increase in utilization do to your bottom line?
• Companies that implemented mobile field service solutions gained a higher first time fixed rate - 82% versus 65%.
  This naturally leads to higher customer satisfaction rates. On the service side mobile field service solutions are enabling managers to assign the right technician, pre-load service vans with right parts, schedule service calls, etc.. An interesting note, in Aberdeen's report companies reported that 47% of the return visits are due to not having the right part on-hand.

I am seeing similar trends in my own business. One of my customers recently reported an 18% increase in their conversion rate from Estimate to Work Orders by using the "Call Back" feature in ZenTouch.

Field service management tools like ZenTouch provide access to information that enable service teams to improve work order assignment, lower operational costs, provide a better customer experience via reduction of repeat visits, provide real-time data for better communication between customers and the  service desk and more. This doesn't even account for the impact direct integration with backend systems like QuickBooks or Sage are having on the accounting side of the business.

Jody Sedrick

Follow me on Twitter: @jodysedrick and @zenewareinc

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Google Maps Coordinate - A silver bullet for field service?

As you may have heard Google has officially entered the mobile workforce space with the launch of Google Maps Coordinate. If you haven't heard Google Maps Coordinate is a mobile workforce tracking system that efficiently allows dispatchers to deploy jobs to their service techs and even track them while in the field.


Google Maps Coordinate offers tight integration with Google Maps as you would expect makes assigning jobs to a technician based on his location very simple and appealing to service managers. Assigning and sending jobs to field service techs is an easy task for dispatchers. Service jobs are time stamped and techs even have the option to accept or reject jobs based on their current on-site status. With an introductory price of only $15 per user Google Maps Coordinate seems like a nice solution for service companies.

Sounds pretty good, Right? What's the downside?

1. Google Maps Coordinate only works on Android. If your team currently uses iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry or any other web enabled SmartPhone you are out of luck.
2. Google Maps Coordinate only offers real-time work force dispatching and tracking. Yes, it provides great insight as to where you service team members are now but you are not provided any true scheduling capabilities.  From the service techs perspective he only sees active jobs that are assigned to him enabling him to only focus on the jobs at hand.
3. Integration into QuickBooks, Sage or other accounting systems is non-existent at this point. Given Google's influence I'm sure this will come in future versions. But for now there is no way to streamline and expedite the invoicing processes.
4. Reporting - While Google Maps Coordinates provides information about a specific job there are now report functionalities that show you trends within your business; what service tasks are most common, which service tasks are most profitable, etc.

Clearly Google Maps Coordinate is  Google's first step into providing a cloud based mobile workforce management solution. I expect it to evolve quickly. But based on the service companies I've talked to it does not meet the needs of a field service organization that is dispatching, managing multiple schedules, managing preventative maintenance schedules, managing inventory, conducting data analytics on service call times, evaluating service margins and profitability and integrating with their back end systems.

If you are looking for a real-time tracking and dispatching solution Google Maps Coordinate could be right tool for you. It certainly gives small to medium-sized service business a competitive tool to help them more dynamically manage their service crews and respond quicker to service calls placed by customers.

Jody Sedrick

Follow me on Twitter: @jodysedrick and @zenewareinc

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Government and Mobile Apps

For the past couple of weeks I've enjoyed some very interesting discussions with Samantha Lapin, CEO of Pod, Inc. about government's adoption of mobile solutions. She found a great article from Information Week that highlights "14 Cool Mobile Apps from Uncle Sam". http://www.informationweek.com/news/galleries/government/mobile/231000240

Here is the list

· The Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Electronic Preventive Services Selector (ePSS) aids primary care clinicians in identifying the best treatment for their patients based on an array of patient characteristics.

· NASA App

· FBI Most Wanted App

· The White House The official app of the Obama White House is mostly a vehicle for White House news, and provides users with news, blogs, photos, and both live streaming and archived video of White House events.

· US Post Office

· Smithsonian's MEanderthal app. Make yourself a Neanderthal.

· U.S. Army News & Information

· Lunar Electric Rover Simulator

· The FCC Mobile Broadband Test is a simple app that lets users test their mobile broadband connection's download and upload speed, as well as network latency. The app stores results of old tests, and differentiates between Wi-Fi and cellular signals

·  My TSA app gives travelers and their families, friends, and colleagues access to information about flight delays, checkpoint wait times

·  The Library of Congress' Virtual Tour app highlights the library's exhibitions, collections, and architecture with photos, video, and audio.

·  IRS2go, launched earlier this year, lets taxpayers check their refund status, follow the IRS' social media feeds, contact the IRS for support, and sign up for tax hints.

·  The National Institutes of Health's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's BMI Calculator aims to help users determine whether their weight may lead to health problems.

I'm off to download the Lunar Rover Simulator now.

I'm interested to see where else government is adopting mobility. If you have any favorite government apps or are aware of interesting mobile government solutions please let me know.

Jody Sedrick

Follow me on Twitter: @jodysedrick and @zenewareinc

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IBM bans Siri - loose lips a security risks

A new wrinkle was introduced in the BYOD argument today as IBM announced they are banning use of SIRI in its networks viewing SIRI as a potential security risk.

Where's the rub?

Siri captures your voice input and sends the data to Apple's servers in North Carolina where it processes the voice inputs to send the query results back to the device. It is unclear who has access to this information and for how long.  IBM is concerned that anyone with access to these servers could glean information from these transmissions.

While IBM is prohibiting the use of Siri within their networks what happens when an IBM employee is off campus? They still have access to Siri.

I've noticed  a greater concern about BYOD the past couple of months. This puts a new wrinkle in the BYOD argument.  While on the surface BYOD seems a great idea with the promise of greater employee productivity, IT costs being shifted to employees and worker satisfaction. There are significant risks that are bubbling to the surface that companies are have ing to address with stronger BYOD policies.

IBM's banning Siri highlights the criticality of protecting company data. It is imperative that companies establish BYOD policies that address company needs and provide clear acceptable policies for a personal device. IBM is finding this balance is a  little difficult to manage  and in the end zipping the lips of Siri. 

I'm curious to see what other BYOD policy changes are coming down the pike.

Jody Sedrick

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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