Wireless Data for the Enterprise

Cover
......Page 1
Credits
......Page 2
Dedication
......Page 4
Copyright......Page 5
CONTENTS......Page 7
FOREWORD......Page 15
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 19
INTRODUCTION......Page 21
1 A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A MOBILE SHE DEVIL......Page 26
“Disruptive Technology” — A New Alchemy......Page 30
Consider these trends for the future:......Page 32
2 NEEDED AND DO-ABLE: A WIRELESS DATA HISTORY......Page 42
"Needs" and "Technology": Pigeons to Ponies to PDAs......Page 44
Consider:......Page 46
The Power of Convergence: Telegraphy, Telephony & Radio......Page 48
The Beginnings of Wireless......Page 49
Roots of Cellular: MTS Voice Systems......Page 52
Spread of Analog Cellular......Page 54
The Push for Digital Voice and Data......Page 55
The First Wireless Data Networks......Page 56
Wireless Data in Our Time......Page 58
The Drivers for Wireless Today......Page 60
The Growth of "Horizontal" Wireless Business......Page 62
We now see new trends and business drivers:......Page 63
3 UNTETHERED ENTERPRISE: NO PAIN, NO GAIN “Beam Me Up, Scottie”......Page 68
Here is an essential list:......Page 70
Three “Dead Giveaways” for a Wireless Data Solution......Page 73
Pioneers: Fidelity Investments Go Wireless......Page 74
First Deployments: Going for Simplicity, Security......Page 75
A Good Combination: In-house Talent, Strategic Partnerships......Page 77
Spiraling Expectations and Benefits......Page 78
Pioneers: Unwiring BellSouth Telecommunications– "May the Field Force Be With You"......Page 79
Trying Other Approaches: Packet Data Proves Economical......Page 80
Shortening Transaction Times......Page 81
Drivers for the Solution......Page 82
Productivity: A Confounding Process......Page 83
Your Enterprise: Where to Go from Here?......Page 84
Business Challenge: Better Dispatching......Page 88
Solution: En Route Tracking of All Package Flows......Page 89
Advanced Stages: Wireless Package Tracking at ‘Turn-Around’ Points......Page 90
BXR......Page 91
Lessons Learned Along the Way......Page 92
ROI: The Key to Productivity......Page 93
The Future: Public Networking, Hybrid Wireless Voice & Data......Page 94
Business Challenge: Rebuilding an RF System From Scratch......Page 95
How the Application Changed the Business......Page 96
Lessons Learned: Future Proofing the Applications & Networks......Page 97
The key benefits of Northeast Utilities infrastructure are:......Page 98
Business Challenge: Messaging, Control, and Data Collection Between Machines and Humans......Page 99
Solution: Pervasive Machine Telemetry, Remote Messaging, and Monitoring......Page 101
Current Configuration: A System for ‘Universal’ S.O.S.......Page 102
Web-Driven Messaging......Page 103
Another Application: Mass Broadcast Telemetry and Control of Lighting Systems......Page 104
Return On Investment & Lessons Learned......Page 105
Public Safety Challenge: Better Cops, Criminal Detection......Page 106
Solution: A Secure Mobile Trunked Data Radio System......Page 107
A Critical Choice: Wireless Middleware for ‘Network-Agnostic’ Operation......Page 108
Current Configuration......Page 109
The Future: Untethered Police Everywhere......Page 111
Bottom Line Benefits......Page 112
Bottom Line Benefits — Continued......Page 113
Early Stage Objectives......Page 114
ROI, Lessons Learned, and Future Functionality......Page 115
5 THE WIRELESS CONSUMER: WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO WOO THE MASS MARKET? Spreading Network Intelligence like Wildfire......Page 118
The Pervasive Wireless Model......Page 121
The Connected Home of the Future......Page 122
Lessons Learned......Page 126
Wireless Convenience and Desire......Page 127
Convenience Factors......Page 129
The Desire for Status......Page 130
Three Classes of Wireless Applications......Page 131
Computing Can Give Insights into Wireless’ Future......Page 133
Wireless devices will need to make improvements in the following areas:......Page 135
Factors for Mass Adoption: Wireless Web and Bluetooth?......Page 136
Will Our Devices Talk to Each Other?......Page 137
The Forgotten Markets for Wireless Data......Page 139
Tips for Mobile Operators......Page 142
6 
MIDDLEWARE IS THE HUB OF WIRELESS COMPUTING......Page 146
Abstraction Simplifies Technology......Page 148
Abstraction Layer = Middleware......Page 151
Three Quintessential Features......Page 149
When You DO Need Middleware......Page 152
Networks......Page 154
Server Resource Connectivity......Page 155
Wireless is Added to the Mix......Page 156
How Do You Choose Wireless Middleware?......Page 158
Defining Your Needs......Page 159
Who is the User?......Page 160
Finding the Right Device......Page 161
What is the Nature of the Interaction They will Have with the Data?......Page 162
How will these Factors Change in Version 2 through N of the Application?......Page 163
Prospective purchasers should ask the following questions:......Page 164
Enterprise Examples: Middleware Optimizes the Wireless Connection......Page 166
7 
WIRELESS NETWORKS AND DEVICES COMPLETE THE MOBILE LANDSCAPE......Page 170
Network Trade-Offs......Page 171
Understanding Network Types......Page 173
Circuit-Switched Networks......Page 174
Packet Data Networks......Page 176
In the U.S., There Are a Wide Variety of Public Data Networks for Mobility......Page 177
What the Future Holds......Page 179
The Rise of 2.5 and 3G Packet Networks......Page 180
2.5 G is the Reality Today......Page 181
Satellite Networks & GPS......Page 182
Low Earth Orbit Satellites......Page 183
Global Positioning System......Page 184
Wireless LANs and Fixed Broadband Systems......Page 185
Broadband Wireless......Page 186
War of Devices......Page 187
One Size Fits all vs. Multiple Devices......Page 189
Wireless Device Predictions......Page 190
The Emerging Form Factor......Page 191
PDAs to the Rescue?......Page 193
“Ruggedized" Terminals and Hybridization......Page 194
Here are some likely trends in device form and features that are worth watching.......Page 195
8 
CREATING A WIRELESS BUSINESS: A PRIMER......Page 198
Your goal is to reap significant return on investment (ROI) by:......Page 200
Steps to a Successful Solution......Page 201
Assembling the Project Team......Page 203
Requirements Analysis: Developing a Process Specification......Page 206
Objectives for the project should be quantified, if possible, in terms of the following area(s):......Page 207
During this documentation period, the system designers should determine:......Page 208
Designing the System Architecture......Page 209
What to Look for in an RFP Response......Page 210
The categories and some major hardware vendors offering products are listed below.......Page 211
Some questions to consider are:......Page 212
Battery Operation......Page 213
Thick vs. Thin?......Page 214
Some issues to consider include:......Page 215
Following are some questions to consider when deciding which type of modem support you require in a device:......Page 216
Price and Support......Page 217
Speed......Page 218
Reliability......Page 219
Look at each option in terms of the following issues:......Page 220
Be sure to ask:......Page 221
Things to Consider When Developing a Wireless Application......Page 222
Here are some key questions to ask while designing your application.......Page 223
Information Delivery......Page 224
Multiple Devices......Page 225
Coverage Fluctuations......Page 226
Bandwidth......Page 227
Security......Page 228
Network Management......Page 229
Testing......Page 230
A complete test plan should include the following tests/items:......Page 231
Execute Testing......Page 233
The steps required of this stage are outlined below.......Page 234
These steps are outlined below.......Page 235
Pilot Testing......Page 236
The following list outlines some items to test:......Page 237
For example, services provided by a partner include:......Page 238
Conclusion......Page 239
9 
BOLDLY GO…INVENTING THE WIRELESS ENTERPRISE......Page 242
Common Knowledge Doesn’t Always Apply......Page 243
Consider these real-life, line of business applications......Page 244
Where Wireless Fits......Page 245
Factors Influencing the Wireless Data Equation......Page 246
Is Wireless Right for Your Business?......Page 247
Three Paths to Wireless Enabling Your Business......Page 248
The Time is Now......Page 250
EPILOGUE......Page 252
GLOSSARY......Page 254
INDUSTRY DIRECTORY......Page 270
BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 274
ABOUT THE AUTHORS......Page 276