MobileParadigm » iPhone

Does the iPhone set the pace?

Paul DeBeasi — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:24:27 +0000

Many users have decided that Apple’s iPhone is the right device for them – but is it the right device for mobile IT? Tomorrow at the Mobile Business Expo I will chair a panel that explores the opportunities – and issues – inherent in the iPhone and its competitors, and help attendees prepare a checklist of key requirements for future handset deployments.

Download my slides here.

Mobile Business Expo

Paul DeBeasi — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:04:30 +0000

I am heading to NYC this morning to attend the Mobile Business Expo (part of Interop 2009). I am moderating a panel that discusses use of the iPhone in the enterprise. See panel members and description here. I will upload my slides later today.

iPhone in the Enterprise: It’s about policy, not technology

Paul DeBeasi — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:08:03 +0000

Enterprises often ask me about the technology solutions that will help them mitigate the risks associated with supporting the iPhone. Most of the conversations inevitably start with the same questions, discuss the same answers, but, interestingly, lead to different conclusions. As I contemplate why this occurs, I am struck with the notion that when enterprises ask me about the iPhone they are really asking me to help them figure out their iPhone policies. Policy defines things such as who owns the iPhone (i.e., ownership policy), how the iPhone can be used (i.e., usage policy), and what level of risk they will tolerate by using the iPhone (i.e., risk policy).

Well, if iPhone deployment is a question of policy, then what drives policy? More often than not, I observe that policy is driven by corporate culture and by the regulatory environment within which the enterprise must operate. Some enterprises have a very permissive culture. They assume that employees usually try to do “the right thing” and that allowing them to use the iPhone will improve their productivity. Others, are more restrictive and do not feel comfortable with the lack of enterprise control over the iPhone. This restrictive perspective is especially true in highly regulated industries such as financial services.

In a “perfect” world, business requirements should drive technology decisions. But, my observation is that corporate culture has an enormous influence on controversial technology decisions, such as enterprise iPhone support. Given the fact that there is no technology that will mitigate all iPhone risk, enterprises should spend more time trying to define policies that they can live with, and less time trying to find a perfect technological solution.

Maximize mobile application ROI

Paul DeBeasi — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 10:14:07 +0000

Introduction

This post continues a three part series on maximizing ROI for mobile applications. Part 1 explained why mobile application development is so difficult and introduced three common deployment approaches. Part 2 discussed the pros and cons of each technique. This post provides specific tips to help enterprises maximize their mobile application return on investment (ROI).

Tips to maximize ROI

Describe the use cases before you develop the application – Who are the users? How will they use the applications? How will the applications integrate with existing business processes? Review these use cases with the users and with developers. Be sure to follow the use case guidelines during application development.
Define metrics for success – Define the metrics you will use to measure success. There may be different metrics for different groups (e.g., users, management, IT staff, security staff). For example, user metrics may include graphical user interface response time whereas management metrics may include user satisfaction ratings.
Carefully identify which applications must be mobilized – What applications are most important? Start with applications that have a large positive business impact. For example, for a package delivery company the most important application may be a package tracking application whereas for a mobile sales force, a customer relationship management (CRM) application may be the best choice.
Walk before you run – Deploy a limited pilot to a set of proactive users on a few mobile devices. Actively solicit feedback, admit when you’ve made mistakes, and correct them. Expand your pilot when you achieve the previously defined success metrics.
Integrate security up front – Device theft/loss and data leakage are huge problems. Be sure to design security into the application at the beginning of the project. Ensure that sensitive data is encrypted at rest and while in transit. Limit mobile data access to only essential information. Note that security for some mobile device platforms (e.g., Apple iPhone) may not be as strong as that for other platforms (e.g., RIM BlackBerry).
Think about which development approach is best for you – For example, a mobile middleware approach may be the best choice if you need to deploy rich mobile applications across a diverse set of mobile phones. Alternatively, a thick client approach may be the best choice if your application deployment will be limited to a particular mobile phone (e.g., BlackBerry). Lastly a thin client approach may be appropriate if your enterprise applications are already web-based and you want to deploy mobile applications across a diverse set of mobile phones.
Integrate management up front – Think about issues such as who has control over application installation, removal, and updates – the user or the IT staff? Also, will you be able to remotely reset a device? Consider whether the application should maintain logging and auditing information.
Think about compliance regulations – There are numerous regulations such as the Payment Card Industry – Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, the European Data Protection Directive that place specific regulatory requirements on enterprises. Be sure that your mobile application adheres to these regulations.
Adhere to standards – Most mobile application development environments have some sort of standards setting body or user community that defines development best practices. Be sure to get plugged into these organizations and follow their best practice recommendations (e.g., JavaFX Best Practices and Mobile Web Best Practices Working Group).

Conclusion

This three part series reviewed the most common approaches to mobile application development. The thin client approach uses a mobile browser to access a server resident enterprise application. The thick client approach is built upon full-featured, smartphone-resident software. Finally, the mobile middleware approach uses an abstraction layer that sits between the native mobile phone hardware/software and the enterprise application. Each has their challenges and benefits. However, by following the tips outlined in this post, enterprises can maximize their mobile application development ROI.

This blog post was originally written by me and published on www.searchmobilecomputing.com. It is posted here with permission from TechTaget.