This week I was reading the Linked-In Group “SAP Mobility – Mobilizing Business on the Move”. The question posed to the group “Which smartphone/PDA mobile platform, in your opinion, will dominate the market in five years Microsoft ( Mobile 7), Google (Android) or Apple (Iphone)?” seems to be the question many of the “mobile denizens” are asking.
Each of the platforms have their own pros and cons, depending on what you’re looking for but the choice really comes down to the details of the applications you will be running. One thing is for sure in five years none of the Mobile Os options will be the same as they are today. The evolution is too fast. Like cars, boats and any other product change is the only thing that is a constant. However in the technology it seems change is exponential.
With continued improvements in Smartphones, Mobile OS platforms, 3G/4G networks, apps stores, mobility platforms the raw ingredients are there for an explosion in business applications extending to mobile devices.
I get the feeling many companies are holding back their decision to extend business process to mobile solutions. It’s as if they are looking into the Magic Mirror attempting to divine which decision is correct. But as the power of mobile devices increase, cellular networks become faster and coverage becomes more ubiquitous the decision becomes even more urgent to move forward to stay competitive.
To me it’s less a question of what Mobile OS you’re going to adopt but which business process will be mobilized first. Areas you can achieve immediate ROI include:
- Mobile CRM
- Field Service
- Inventory Management
- Job Costing
- Route Management and Optimization
- Maintenance
- Mobile work order dispatch
- Parts and equipment consumption
- GPS Proof of Delivery or Inspection
Choosing the right mobile OS, platform and devices are important decisions. But the more important question is “when will you stop gazing in to the mobile OS mirror and take action?”
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Author: Jody Sedrick – CEO, Zenware
http://www.zenware.com
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