Mobile Computing FAQ

Week 5 Team A: Mobile Computing FAQ

CMGT/554

Mobile Computing FAQ

What is mobile computing?

Mobile computing is human-computer interaction by which a computer is expected to be transported during normal usage, which allows for transmission of data, voice, and video . In this context, computer refers to any electronic device that allows the user to access a wireless LAN, such as laptops, smartphones, tablets, and/or PDAs.

In the enterprise world, mobile computing involves to the implementation of infrastructure aimed at enabling employees and customers to access corporate resources remotely, without the need of being “tethered” to a fixed physical link. This capability is especially important in the modern business world, in which people depend heavily on their mobile devices to save time and expedite job related tasks.

How mobile computing is integrated into an existing enterprise IT infrastructure?

Don’t wrap your solution around a particular technology until you know what processes will gain from mobile computing. Think opportunity where improvement can be made; start with the value-chain processes (customer interactions and sales, order fulfillment and logistics, product manufacturing, warehouse management) and the business-analytics processes in your organization. Think in terms of process improvement and how that improvement brings value to the company. Identify steps or areas in processes that can be eliminated or modified and how that change affects the process in terms of tangible benefits (e.g., increased revenue, time, etc.).

Select software and devices – a wealth of options to choose from but there are some considerations:

Test deployment, then rollout – it is a good practice to test the deployment with a small group. You don’t want to just deploy the solution across the enterprise because there are always issues or technical problems. Any of these issues can be ironed out as the test group begins using the devices and applications.

• Financial implications of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) versus company purchased devices.
• Are applications for your process improvement available or do you have to develop your own?
• Integration with existing business applications. How is security handled? How are the devices maintained?

What are the technical challenges and risks of supporting types of mobile devices?