However, Wade points out that when considering wireless access to corporate data beyond email, it is best to identify the problems and opportunities that exist, the expected returns, and the associated costs.

There's More!
While SMS and mobile email continues to be the mainstay application, there is a plethora of business applications emerging beyond the two. Among those in the process of stabilizing include Field Force Automation, Sales Force Automation, mobile application for customer service and support, Mobile Warehouse Management, order management, etc. According to Uthappa, mobile claims management, mobile insurance POS is gaining importance in the Insurance Companies. All consumer oriented enterpise(banks/ FMCG/ insurance etc) are now looking at providing enchanced services to the end customers through the mobile. Mobile banking, mobile trading and mobile commerce will be among the important applications in the future.

According to Arun Gupta, director, P-GIS, BRM–SCANZ, Philips Electronics India, the CIO should experiment across the spectrum of technologies to seek a fit within the enterprise. What works in one industry may not succeed in another in the same format. Thus, it is important to review the need and build a business case before attempting large scale deployment. They should not try to modify existing applications to fit the mobile space, rather they should build afresh and integrate with legacy applications until the application portfolio can be revamped.

The Device Factor
A critical component that can mark the success or failure of the application is the device. According to Wade, device form factor is important to the success of the mobile or wireless application deployment. A stable, stylish and user-friendly device wins the interest of end-users, but can also be difficult to manage. Similarly, a mobile device connected to corporate data but outside the firewall can be a wireless link of security and fatal to the company's digital asset.

Device management policy, therefore, becomes critical. Device policies should define all key aspects related to the device and its usage, including security. For instance, when the device is lost, the application data/ device should be switched off by the administrator, preventing the user from installing any unauthorised application. Besides the security of these devices, which has been an issue, the management and administration of these devices in terms of downloading patches, new application releases and maintaining version uniformity are some of the critical challenges, as no supporting tools are available.

According to Savla, interoperability and portability are two important factors. No user would like to carry one more device or one specific device for particular application. Along with the storage space of the device, the synchronization technology and the size of network bandwidth, and its connectivity with enterprise servers are equally important for building successful killer applications around these devices.

Challenges
Probably the major IT issue CIOs face is the problem of security, and, in particular, the problem of how to secure remote access links into the company. Security of corporate data has become a key concern for many enterprises. Security threats like device theft and data interception can endanger the integrity of corporate networks, warranting the deployment of anti-virus protection, user authentication and data encryption technologies. Data security while in transit is addressed to some extent by VPN and encryption options available. For device security in terms of device loss, a multi-layer security policy including device encryption can be enforced. Even local storage of data should be discouraged. For information theft (when enterprise is extended beyond the office, there is always possibility of someone sharing information with others), there needs to be continuous review.

All the while, its important to keep in mind that wireless security can be similar but not the same as wired security, and often requires its own set of guidelines.

Beyond Security
Besides security, quality of service issues can also be of concern. Effective mobile usage for enterprise applications demands a minimum level of network performance and coverage. Only recently high-speed wireless connectivity (EDGE and CDMA2000 1x) has been made available for Indian networks. But network coverage availability still remains an area of concern.

If the very nature of application does not permit the enterprise to go the Web way then enterprises can use mobile databases which occupy less storage space and build the business logic of their applications on laptops or hand held devices. The same can be given to the work force deployed in fieldby advising them to synchronize the information with enterprise server periodically This will result in saving expenditure on bandwidth and reducing dependency on the availability of back end enterprise server.

Mobility also poses new support challenges. As the number and scale of corporate mobile application grow, the issue of support will become more challenging. Best practices for controlling support costs will involve a blend of good application design, system management tools, training, organization and ensuring that employees have a positive attitude towards the new system. For this, have the fallback system in place. Since the screen of the device is small, make the application in a way that uses not much data entry in the application. It should be selection based. Also, considering the users are on the move, design the application in such a way that users don't require any documentation and training.

Eye on Future
Keeping the long term vision in mind while fulfilling the short term goals effectively can be the golden path to an effective mobility strategy. This may be easier said than done. However, this can be resolved by designing the future roadmap that is aligned to the current requirements.

In the end, no matter which wireless solution an enterprise chooses to build, it should be flexible, secure, and scalable beyond the company's immediate needs. Else, the wireless freedom will soon be curtailed.

Shipra Arora
shipraa@cybermedia.co.in

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