When developing a corporate strategy for mobile computing, you may find there’s no off-the-shelf commercial software that meets your organization’s needs. There may be several reasons for this:
If you’re in any of these situations, your path to enterprise mobility is quite a bit more difficult. This doesn’t mean it won’t be worth it. Before looking at what it takes to get a custom project off the ground, let’s consider general trends in enterprise mobile computing.
Industry trends
First, nobody wants to be the first to try out new technology. Like Avis, everyone wants to be number two: they want to implement proven technology. Many companies are looking at their competitors to see what they’re doing with mobile computing and how they’re doing it. It’s gotten so that some companies conduct confidential pilot programs in order to prove technology internally without their competitors knowing about it.
Second, “mobile” is often improperly considered to be a synonym for “wireless” due to the simple fact that most visible mobile deployments to date have been thin-client or Web-based applications. While this is a legitimate architectural model, it requires prevalent, fast, and reliable wireless connectivity. Many people simply assume that since these types of systems often have issues regarding performance, reliability, and usability, they should wait until pervasive high-speed wireless data networks have arrived before attempting to “go mobile.”
While many mobile solutions to date require constant wireless connectivity, there are other architectures that can leverage the amazing computing power of today’s Pocket PCs. With .NET and the Compact Framework, Microsoft is providing us all with some absolutely incredible tools for mobile software development that can take these devices much further than we’ve ever taken them before. If you can understand what these devices are truly capable of, you will see hundreds of opportunities today for using them in businesses all around you.
Development options
The most inexpensive way to develop custom software is to create it yourself with a product such as Visual CE by Syware (http://www.syware.com). While this can often be an extremely cost-effective strategy, it’s not for everyone. You can develop simple data-driven applications very easily and rapidly, but keep in mind that with the simplicity comes a lack of programmatic functionality. You won’t get the same power and capabilities that come when using a more powerful development environment, and many people may feel overwhelmed with the task of “programming.” Consider carefully whether this approach will meet your needs.
If you are a part of a larger organization that has programmers on staff, you may be able to have an internal software development team create the system. Be aware, though, that they will probably have to adjust their user interface design practices, usability/reliability standards, and overall architectural assumptions if the project is to be successful. In order to help with the transition to mobile software development, you may want to consider hiring experienced consultants and/or mobile software engineers to evaluate your needs, develop a strategy and system design, and then have your in-house software developers program and maintain the system.
Finally, you can simply outsource the entire project. Some development firms prefer to build software directly from a formal specifications document, while others would rather help the customer evaluate their needs in order to develop requirements and specifications. While some firms specialize in conducting Return on Investment (ROI) analysis, feasibility studies, and usability research, other firms simply want to do what they’re best at—writing great software. You’ll find enormous disparity in the cost and quality of work performed, so it pays to do your research, to know exactly what you’re looking for, and to compare as many firms as possible before selecting one.
Other alternatives
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