wireless platforms

Much more mobile

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 06:59:59 -0500

It's a good-news twofer this week: News that new trials are beginning for in-flight WiFi is welcomed by every business traveler who's gone coast-to-coast while a project waited on "pause" for a few critical hours. Add to that the news that new applications, from Google's search portal to SAP's ERP, are being made available on wireless platforms, and it's obvious that users will be able to remain more productive, more of the time.

These bits of good news are wonderful because they help move the market in the direction of fulfilling the ultimate promise of wireless technology--a vision of ubiquitous computing that lets us be productive wherever we are, whenever we need to be. For those of us who have built careers away from an office, the promise is great. For those who haven't, the promise is even greater, because it means the possibility of changing the way that work is done. With traffic and environmental concerns growing, it's time for organizations to take fresh looks at wireless technology. It's a good thing that wireless is ever more ready to step up to the challenge. -Curtis

FCC head says "yes" to open wireless

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 20:01:36 -0400

Kevin Martin is chairman of the FCC. His opinions are important when the topic is FCC policies. Martin thinks that the winners of the 700 MHz spectrum auction should have to commit to open access to the airwaves. Regardless of whether the auction that occurs is in line with the Google model or closer to what Verizon and AT&T want, the bias toward open network access should be a positive development for enterprise customers intent on pushing more applications out to wireless platforms.

For more on the chairman's words:
- read the news analysis at NewsFactor

What's next?

Sun, 08 Jul 2007 20:01:39 -0400

The iPhone's out, the hysteria is waning, and people are trying to figure out how the newest form of cell phone will actually be used. Now what? With the speed of product introductions, I figure it's only a matter of weeks before something comes along that will help pull the market's attention in a different direction. LG and YouTube have announced their candidate, and I think they may well be onto something--not necessarily the YouTube phone, but the concept of marrying strong mobile applications with a solid device. As smart phones and other wireless platforms become more capable, it will make more sense to base product designs and buying decisions on the software that the phone brings to the party.

Of course, software is also at the heart of a decision that might limit the availability of low-cost devices. One of the factors in lower-cost platforms is their dependence on open-source software. Now, the FCC (with apparent help from Cisco) has written rules that will, at a minimum, make it more difficult for manufacturers to gain approval for Linux-based devices. The concern over software-defined radio security is legitimate: declaring that all software released under a particular intellectual property agreement isn't secure, is not. The FCC should get far more input from many well-balanced sources before releasing rules that, by its own admission, could have a significant impact on the availability of affordable mobile devices. -Curtis

Execs want mobile app management

Sun, 11 Mar 2007 20:01:38 -0400

It's one of those "dog bites man" ideas: as applications move to mobile platforms, executives want the mobile applications to be well managed. In a very real sense, though, it marks a crucial point in the evolution of wireless mobile platforms as serious enterprise application systems. If executives have enough awareness of mobile wireless platforms to worry about management capabilities, then the business--not just the technical staff--has begun to take this new platform seriously. For the IT staff, that means beginning to make the case for platforms, tools and applications on a business basis.

For more on executives and mobile management:
- read the article at Information Week

Editor's Corner

Sun, 04 Feb 2007 19:01:39 -0500

Signs of Maturity?
Anyone who has kids (or who has been a kid) knows that growing up can be fun, but it's almost never easy. We get to see both sides of the maturity curve this week. Demo 07, the conference where companies pitch their newest products, had a heavy wireless contingent with a lot of companies eager to bring new products and services to the most portable platforms. That's great news. At the same time, we're beginning to see a market emerging in which customers demand high speed and great services, rather than the simple existence of a capability. That's still great, but makes life harder for you when you have to choose partners. Finally, the malware horde of Trojans, worms and viruses is beginning to invade the wireless world in a more serious way, and the anti-virus companies are noticing. It's a product category that you'd love not to need. Put them all together, though, and the signs are clear that wireless platforms are becoming more important as enterprise tools, and that's ultimately a very good thing for all of us. -Curtis