True Field Mobility: The Wait is OverTrue Field Mobility: The Wait is Over

The promise of a dream undeterred, yet constantly deferred, is finally being realized. Wow, that sure sounds dramatic, doesn't it? But, for all the CIOs concerned with business-to-business mobile business applications -- never mind the numerous employees of itty-bitty mobile software companies that struggled for years -- true enterprise mobility as a reality is truly dramatic! The mobile marketplace has been waiting on baited breath for outside-the-four-walls mobile business applications to become the norm.From 2001 on, everybody "got it." The value that mobility brings to an enterprise speaks for itself, independent of both industry and field application. Whether deploying mobile sales force automation (SFA) for pharmaceuticals or mobile field service for utilities, the promise of accurate enterprise data, better resource management, and electronic inventory tracking is a seductive proof-point for today's CIO. It really makes you wonder why it took so long for people to start buying.

So many factors slowed down widespread market adoption of mobility. Sure, the economic downturn of 2001 and 2002 tightened purse strings. However, to only blame tight corporate cost restraints for delayed market adoption would be absurd. No matter how tight a purse string, when something is deemed necessary and indispensable, corporations find a way to pay.

What were some of the trends holding those Fortune 500s back? Let's review:

Slow WAN networks -- The past three years have given birth to mature and fast wide area networks that allow the rapid and secure transfer of data.

Adaptable software -- It used to be either fat client or thin client; there was no in-between. Neither choice helped enterprises achieve what they really wanted. Thin clients were slow, and dropped connections made you lose your work and start all over again. Fat clients hindered the enterprise from real-time adaptable computing. Now, cutting-edge software companies like Agentek and Dexterra let mobile users seamlessly roam in and out of coverage. The result for the enterprise is real-time, up-to-the-minute communication with the back-end system.

Reliable hardware -- Most field mobility environments call for durable or rugged computers. Without embedded WAN, GPS, and a device that takes a licking and keeps on computing, enterprises were spending loads of money on servicing and replacing their own devices instead of focusing on the customer. At the time, much of the technology just wasn't bulletproof. Many companies even needed paper-based forms for back-up, which pretty much defeated the purpose of the deployments.

Market consolidation -- Most of the software players leading the mobility charge were struggling, fledgling companies. Striking a software deal that involves escrow code and noncompete clauses is a tough, arduous, and, most important, LONG road. Often, by the time the deal was negotiated, the software company was purchased by a larger player or closed its doors and the CIO had to go back to the drawing board.

Good news, folks. The wait is over. It's no longer a Sysiphean undertaking to deploy field mobility applications. It's now quite easy, in fact. The software is mature, the hardware and the WAN are ready and environment-friendly, and the carrier networks can transfer data in a rapid and secure way. The time to deploy is now.

Leah Gabriel is principal of field mobility for Motorola and a guest contributor with Over The Air.