A New Paradigm For Mobile Computing.

When deploying mobile information systems for commerce and industry, businesses consistently ignore the fundamental adaptive attributes of the systems being developed, resulting in the implementation of inflexible mobile data systems.

The process of defining the business case for a mobile data solution and the undertaking of a requirements analysis, system design, development and deployment, can be a long, complex and high-risk project for any size of organisation. Problems continue when mobile projects are actually implemented, with a multitude of factors influencing success or failure. The mobile software industry is littered with mobile system deployments that have either been shelved, or are unsatisfactory in their reliability and performance. There are a number of fundamental weaknesses in what can be described as the `traditional' or purposive approach to developing mobile systems that must be addressed by a new approach and philosophy.

1. Multi-Vendor Supply

Mobile systems consist of a number of sub-systems: --

a) Mobile computers (PDA/hand held terminal / laptop) manufacturer.

b) Communications network provider.

c) Communications software or gateway vendor.

d) Mobile software/developer.

e) Host system back office and systems integration services.

In many cases these are separate companies providing their own component of a complex system. This complicates project management and also serves to impede fault resolution leading to a lack of ownership of problems when they occur.

2. Rapid Evolution of Technologies

The choice of communications networks and technology can be complex, with the most appropriate technology, vendor and tariff having to be selected through profiling the amount and type of data involved. Choices between mobitex, GSM data, SMS or any of the other networks need to be made, any mistakes in selection made here will be costly, as conversion to a new network technology and vendor in the future can be an expensive process.

The inevitable hype surrounding new and supposedly superior mobile computing technologies results in `Techno Push', bringing to market new ideas for providing opportunities for businesses to improve their operations, however this hype can also serve to inhibit and confuse the decision making process.

The rapid reduction in the price of hand held terminals and the emergence of mobile operating systems such as PocketPC and PalmOs on PDA type devices, has transformed the potential of mobile computing in terms of storage capabilities and processing power. Mobile devices vary from the highly ruggedised to the almost throwaway PDA. The overriding consideration when selecting hardware has to be that it is suitable for the type of environment in which the mobile worker is operating. Again the wide choice now available can slow and confuse the decision making process, issues such as mean time between failures, battery charge and replacement life, screen durability and visibility. Also weight must be considered when evaluating suitable devices. This often, and correctly, involves lengthy consultations with the mobile workforce.

3. Mobile Software Development

Companies developing software for mobile devices either generally provide applications for niche markets, or bespoke applications for individual installations. There is also a widespread occurrence of software vendors delivering applications on particular hardware platforms. There are many instances where hardware platforms and software platforms are linked, either through legal agreements or through incompatibility with other platforms. This compromises the end users ability to pick the right application with the hardware of their choice, often tying them into a particular hardware/software combination. When the software is a developed package the end user is forced to compromise in both business requirements and choice of hardware platform.

4. Integration

When multiple vendors are involved in delivering a mobile solution, integration and compatibility become issues. Of equal importance is the consideration of integration into the user organisations back office systems, this aspect of integration is often seen as complex and represents a major area of failure for the whole mobile system. Mobile systems must be tightly integrated into the organisations management information systems as they are often business critical and have the potential to fundamentally change the operating characteristics of that business and its responsiveness to its customers and revenue generating capabilities. The integration should not only cover the dissemination and collection of data from the mobile devices, but also tightly integrate the mobile workforce into the information flows of the company to enable better communication and management of the workforce.

5. Business Requirements Change

It is inevitable that business requirements will continue to change. From the defining of the business case for a mobile solution to its actual deployment will take several months, the longer the time scale the greater the probability will be that requirements will have altered.

The combination of changing hardware, communications technologies and business requirements, bespoke software development and integration issues spells one word to the decision makers and project managers -- RISK.

To some extent the risks can be mitigated by good project management and trials of hardware and other components of the solution, however this would not alter the fact that technological and business environments are turbulent by their very nature

The Adaptive Mobile Paradigm

With all the risks and uncertainty concerning mobile solutions, the question is whether businesses should bother?. The answer is yes, as the potential reward for any business successfully deploying mobile systems can be significant. It enables information flows to be taken directly to the point of contact with the customer or revenue generation process, as well as delivering better customer service, communication and performance metrics for the business. The whole process of deploying mobile systems can be made far less risky, faster and reliable by adopting a holistic approach that explicitly recognises the turbulent nature of the environments being experienced.

In order to overcome the limitations and risks of traditional mobile developments, the following principles should he followed when developing mobile software, and in mm, mobile systems for customers:

1. Mobile system design should take into account a degree of adaptive planning and a recognition of changes that will take place in technologies and business requirements over time.

2. The systems and software should be designed to be open. Mobile application software must be able to he deployed on any hardware platform enabling the user to intermix hardware in the same installation to allow older mobile device types to be swapped out for newer higher performance hardware when such technology is made available. Mobile software should have the capability to operate over different communications technologies and networks as required, again this is an explicit recognition that the costs and availability of communications networks will change in the future.

3. Mobile application software must be designed so that it is both parameter and data driven, whilst able to be re-configured from the central host system. This allows functionality to be changed as required by the business without recourse to the system vendor for software changes enabling the business processes to be changed rapidly, cheaply and at low risk.

Additional advantages to this approach are that prototype systems can be tested quickly and cheaply, and that the architecture can support multiple mobile application requirements at the same time on the one mobile device.

4. An enterprise wide view must be taken of mobile requirements. Mobile systems should be deployed as an infrastructure across the business enabling multiple business requirements to be supported in the same mobile environment. The solution therefore must he designed as a scaleable, enterprise wide mobile software infrastructure system. The flow of data between mobile devices and host systems must be encapsulated within one system component to minimise points of failure and provide transaction integrity.

These principles lead to the development of an Adaptive Mobile Paradigm for delivering mobile solutions customers, enabling purposeful systems to be deployed rather than the limited existing purposive mobile systems whose scope for change is limited. Those companies who have the ability to change and manage their information flows quickly and cheaply are the ones who in the global economy will gain competitive advantage.

www.controlforce.com

Paul Bouchier, ControlForce Ltd