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Well, by now you probably have seen the commercials. The first commercial began with a children’s lullaby playing in the background as a series of “i don’t” phrases appeared on a whiteboard. This was just enough to catch one’s curiosity when the final “i don’t” phrase dissolves into an eerie Sci-Fi fuzzy screen and a voice is heard announcing the coming of Droid. As a fighter pilot wannabe, the second commercial was much more to my liking. A squadron of what look to be 2^nd or 3^rd generation stealth fighter-bombers is flying in formation when the order is given to release the pods. A shower of what appears to be meteors fills the skies. Upon impact the locals gather around each crater and the pods begin to open when the background voice announces the arrival of Droid.

Last Friday Verizon’s iPhone killer went on sale. Motorola’s Droid has a mobile open source platform on the Verizon network. Michelle Megna reports for Internetnews.com on the impending battle between Apple, the maker of the iPhone, and the PC community in her article entitled “Droid First Step in iPhone Fade Away?”. Megna quotes Tim McLaughlin, CEO of Siteworx, a mobile app and Web development company,

"History shows that unlike Apple, PCs gathered the ecosystem of profitable companies, such as Dell and IBM, thanks to its open technology. Apple, however, only develops systems that benefit itself. It all comes down to economics, and the only company interested in making the iPhone ubiquitous is Apple. On the other hand, you have Google, Verizon, Motorola, all these big companies together, the cumulative market value is huge. You put all of those resources together, and even though it's less effective because it's not centralized like Apple, it will still have a huge impact"

Brad Reed and Matt Hamblen have done their due diligence research on the product and have come up with a nifty review in their article for Computerworld entitled “Four reasons to buy (and one reason to avoid) the Droid”. I’ll try to provide a brief summary of their five points:

1.       Droid is the strongest device on the Verizon Network with the following three characteristics:

a.       Mobile browsing capability

b.      A very good voice recognition functionality

c.       The largest 3G data coverage network of Verizon

2.       The Google connection: The open platform will stimulate development of new apps and allow users to switch to new carriers while maintaining the same device.

3.       Ability to run two applications simultaneously: iPhone can’t do it. Once Droid develops the appropriate security features, then Blackberry will need to pay attention as Droid could become the device of choice for the enterprise user.

4.       Connection to the internet through Wi-Fi: Also use of the same processor as the iPhone will allow a fast and smooth browsing experience.

5.       AND the one reason to avoid this device is the keyboard: Droid has the touchscreen capability, but in order to get that feel of hitting the keys, they have also developed a slide-out keyboard. This feature allows enough room for a larger display screen. Reed and Hamblen report that users do not get the same feel with this shallow keyboard.

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Gartner reports that worldwide sales for Smartphones topped 32 million units for the second quarter of 2008.  It seems that the North American consumer shrugged off any thoughts of a downturn in the economy.  This market experienced an annual increase of over 78%.  Even with new competitors and the new touch screen technology, Nokia kept its leading worldwide market share, although its growth rate was half the market average.  Nokia will address this sluggish growth by introducing its own touch screen Smartphone later this year.

On the other hand, Research in Motion (“RIM”), the maker of the Blackberry, came in with a stalwart performance for 2008 topping 126% growth from last year.  Gartner reports:

“RIM continued to execute well at the consumer level, increasing its global market reach. In the second half of the year, the company is expected to launch smartphones based on new form factors, which are necessary to keep pace with the competition at the consumer level”

The apparent lackluster sales for the Apple iPhone was due to inventory troubles on the initial sales of the iPhone, but we should expect record sales numbers for the second half of this year.

Read the complete story as reported by Judy Mottl of InternetNews.com in her article Smartphones Show No Signs of Slowing.

Speaking of RIM and its latest clamshell BlackBerry …

Research in Motion announced its latest entrant into the consumer market with the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220.  This model is aimed at Apple’s iPhone consumer based market and not the conventional RIM enterprise user.  The usual full keyboard has been reduced to a 20 button keyboard which favors the web surfing of consumers over the text entry preference of the enterprise user.  Competition in this space can be fierce with such competitors as Apple’s iPhone, Nokia’s Symbian OS, and the soon to be released Google Android.

AR Communications analyst, Carmi Levy, commented on RIM’s strategy,

"RIM's ability to get all of its next-generation devices out the door and into the channel by year's end as originally planned is critical to its continued market and revenue growth,"

This latest 8220 Flip open Smartphone boosts 2 LCD screens.  When closed, the outside LCD allows the user to preview calls, emails, and text messages.  Also available on the 8220 will be AOL AIM and ICQ instant messaging services, and AOL Mail.

Read RIM's BlackBerry 'Flips' Out to Woo Consumers for a more complete story.

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I have reported on several new technologies as they have entered the market, such as SaaS and SOA, and also the newest devices powered by the latest applications.  Jim Hemmer, an experienced CEO in the hi-tech and communications industries, brings this altogether in his cutting-edge Op-Ed for SandHill.com entitled The Mobile Bang Theory.  I highly recommend this article to my readers and it is a must read for the IT managers trying to get a handle on the security and control issues that mobile computing presents.  Hemmer begins his article by announcing the new shift in the archetype and identifying its 3 components:

“a mobile renaissance is afoot as a result of more powerful devices, faster wireless networks and broader use and acceptance of Web services and SOA”

Hemmer’s insight begins by recognizing the catalyst for enterprise mobility.  He labels this the “outside-in demand” phenomenon.  Consumer’s personal use of mobile services on mobile devices has forced enterprises to rethink their approach.  With this new approach come the challenges of providing access to the data and applications so the employee/user can optimize their efficiency.

For the enterprise the competitive advantage comes from the ability of the mobile user being able to enter data once into a mobile device which results in not one response but puts in motion a multitude of real-time business processes.  Hemmer identifies the trends in mobile computing and how the applications perform.  He then provides some real-life examples of how this approach works and the higher returns the innovative enterprises have experienced.

Hemmer’s advice to the IT managers is to develop a mobile strategy that supports multiple devices and multiple solutions.  The old siloed approach does not fit into this model. Its inflexibility is too costly.  He puts it succinctly by stating:

“The real game-changer is to mobilize diverse business processes, applications and data from a variety of internal and external sources — from one unified, cohesive platform.”

 

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First I would like to define what we mean by Unified Communications (“UC”).  Unified Communications encompasses email, instant messaging, texting, phones, and other networking and mobility applications.  In short Unified Communications “ … lets users access people and resources, no matter the location or communication channel, spurring productivity and boosting business processes at an economical cost.”  For an in-depth discussion on this topic see UC Will Prove Challenging to Buyers And Sellers by Judy Mottl.

Initially SMB’s have found it a daunting task to try and pull all these various applications together into one cohesive platform.  The lack of funds and the lack of familiarity with these tools have hindered their move to UC.  The familiarity issue is evaporating as more people are using these communication tools in their non-work life and begin to demand these tools in the workplace.  For further discussion on the capabilities and uses of the newest wireless devices and the coming of the Mobile Web see the following posts in this blog:

• Blackberry Bold RIMs Next 3G High Speed Wireless Handset

• 4G and The Mobile Web: WiMAX v LTE

SaaS may be the way that SMB’s can overcome the budgetary constraints as well as the integration problems that have acted as a barrier for these enterprises.  SaaS provides a faster deployment and the right provider can pull all the telephony tools and applications together into one unified and interconnected unit.  Judy Mottl has written an excellent article that details in the ins and outs for those SMB’s considering this next step into UC.  In her article SaaS Best Path for SMB Unified Communications: Service strategy lets small companies enjoy technology benefits without the headaches she interviews Simon Edwards, UC project director, British Telecom (“BT”), who cautions not to get locked into one particular platform:

"SMBs have to make sure they stick to an agnostic platform," said Edwards, adding that the best approach is an open standards platform that allows emerging technologies from different tool makers

Mottl concludes her article with a quote from Mat Taylor, a senior software architect with BT:

"The ability to get things done faster, get workers more engaged in business scenario, provide better customer service, are all big productivity wins that benefit the bottom line"

For more on the coming of age of handheld devices for the UC revolution see the following posts in this blog:

• Future of Wireless Devices

• SAP Sapphire 2008

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I must confess that I just don’t get it. I am not a person that has to be the first to have the newest gadget, especially when it comes to the latest technology.  Give it time.  Let them work out the kinks.

Long lines were the order of the day for those wanting to be the first to get their iPhones.

Some people even got creative in their quest to be first in line.

One consequence that should have been anticipated was that iPhone buyers were unable to activate their phones as Apples online iTunes store was swamped.

Customers were told to go home and activate their phones by connecting them to their own home computers. The media is loaded with horror stories on this information meltdown.

Here are some links to articles just to give you a flavor of what happened today:

iPhone goes on sale, problems arise

Software problems bug Apple's launch of new iPhone

My other nightmare -- first the -4 and then AT&T activation

Rough Launch for iPhone 3G

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The next phase in the rapid move to the mobile web is 4G.  I discussed this progression in my post to this blog Future of Wireless Devices on December 26, 2007.  What this means for us no one can say with any certainty. Right now it is safe to say that we will be getting faster downloads and much more functionality to include mobile-video sharing.  The two wireless networking standards are WiMAX and Long Term Evolution.

Wikipedia defines WiMAX as follows:

WiMAX, the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, is a telecommunications technology that provides wireless data in a variety of ways, from point-to-point links to full mobile cellular type access. It is based on the IEEE 802.16 standard, which is also called WirelessMAN. The name "WiMAX" was created by the WiMAX Forum, which was formed in June 2001 to promote conformance and interoperability of the standard. The forum describes WiMAX as "a standards-based technology enabling the delivery of last mile wireless broadband access as an alternative to cable and DSL" (and also to High Speed Packet Access). Currently, Pakistan has the largest fully functional Wimax network in the world.

Wikipedia defines Long Term Evolution (“LTE”) as follows:

3GPP LTE (Long Term Evolution) is the name given to a project within the Third Generation Partnership Project to improve the UMTS mobile phone standard to cope with future technology evolutions. Goals include improving spectral efficiency, lowering costs, improving services, making use of new spectrum and refarmed spectrum opportunities, and better integration with other open standards. The LTE project is not a standard, but it will result in the new evolved Release 8 of the 3GPP specifications, including mostly or wholly extensions and modifications of the UMTS system. The architecture that will result from this work is called EPS (Evolved Packet System) and comprises E-UTRAN (Evolved UTRAN) on the access side and EPC (Evolved Packet Core) on the core side.

Judy Mottl has an excellent analysis in her InternetNews.com article entitled Who’s ahead in the 4G race?   At present it would seem as though the winner in the race could be WiMAX.  They have deployments up and running, however there is a surge in the acceptance of the LTE networking standards by the likes of AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and Nortel.  Sprint-Nextel is backing WiMAX.  Mottl has done her homework and I highly recommend her article.  She concludes with a look to the acceptance of 4G by enterprises and quotes Carmi Levy, senior VP, strategic consulting for AR Communication:

"Enterprises need to be watching and be aware of what's coming though it's not really in the line of vision at this point," Levy said, adding that vendors will be focused on providing what's most important to business -- solid voice and data networking performance at lower price points.

"In three to four years we'll know what will be. At this point it's about watching the landscape develop and adapting, if necessary, to leverage what's coming," Levy said.

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In my reading of interesting and relevant articles posted on the web, there have been several follow-on articles which expand on some of my more recent posts to this Blog. Due to the number of articles that I have come across, I thought it best to cite to some these articles, with a line or two of brief explanation, and let the reader pick and chose any article(s) of interest. I found the following to be of particular interest:

• 
  Time to Scrap Your BPM Spreadsheets? SMBs have powerful SaaS alternatives: Here is a way to streamline the budgeting and financial planning process. This will facilitate collaboration, what-if scenarios, and contingency planning.
• 
  Apple Watchers Salivate Over 3G iPhone Rumors - Developer conference expected to be launch venue for new iPhone: This will be one to watch this week. Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) starts Monday, June 9th in San Francisco. Could this be Apple’s answer to the recent flurry of applications announced to be integrated into the BlackBerry?
  
• 
  Software Sales in 'SaaSy' Transition - The consumer-inspired trend of easy, online access to applications is finding a ready market in the enterprise: What can I say. We told you so. This is a discussion about applications designed for the end-users and not colorful reports to impress the top brass.
  
• 
  BlackBerry Defies Stagnant Tech Spending - Companies are untying IT purse strings for smartphones but not for much else these days: With IT spending slowing down, RIM’s market share is estimated to reach 82% this year.
  

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Let’s start with full disclosure – I own a BlackBerry Curve. It provides me the freedom I require. I am not tied to the office. I can be out of the office and still receive my emails and determine if the email or document promised to be sent to me has indeed arrived. I can also get a quick note out and/or be responsive to a client’s email and simply state “Not in office. Call U later.” Instead of waiting to the end of this article for the “Moral of the Story”, let me state upfront in my opinion that the secret to high-tech (and especially wireless) should be to make the technology work for you and not the other way around. As of late, there has been a flurry of news surrounding 3G and RIM’s BlackBerry and so I am not quite sure that making the technology work for you instead of you being tied to the technology can remain as my mantra, but I will try. I do not intend for the following to sound like a commercial, but I confess that it might.

RIM announced its latest handheld device, the BlackBerry Bold. We can expect to see this new smartphone this summer. While the corporate customer is RIM’s target market for now, the added features to the BlackBerry Bold may help extend RIM’s reach into the consumer market as well. The new BlackBerry Bold will have “the most vivid display ever on a BlackBerry, a 2-megapixel camera with video recording capability and a media player for watching movies and managing music collections.” To be more descriptive, “the enhanced display” will be “twice the resolution of the Curve. The half-VGA color LCD is ‘fused’ to the undersurface of the device lens, which RIM says, improves definition and clarity.” Further the new BlackBerry Bold is “Sleek, shiny and sharp in design” and comes with “a newly designed full QWERTY keyboard, integrated GPS and 802.11 Wi-Fi. In addition, the unit has a 624MHz mobile processor for faster document downloading and support for triband HSDPA networks.” The more consumer-friendly features of this new device puts Apple’s iPhone squarely in its crosshairs. Read all about these new features in the article as reported by Reuters in the Internetnews.com post A Bold New BlackBerry for Business and also Judy Mottl’s article BlackBerry Goes Bold for Market Gold.

Continuing with this flurry of announcements, as I explained in my post of May 8, 2008, SAP Sapphire 2008, SAP will be integrating its CRM functionality into the BlackBerry with an aim at integrating all the functionality of the SAP software suite in the near future. This announcement was quickly followed by Microsoft announcing that it will make available Windows Live service on the RIM device as well. Users will now have available Windows Live Messenger and Hotmail. If this wasn’t enough, IBM announced that it is making the BlackBerry the only handheld enterprise device to have full mobile access to all Lotus collaboration solutions which includes Lotus Notes and Sametime. Users will now be able to collaborate across documents. “With the Lotus Collaboration Software suite, enterprises also gain access to IBM WebSphere Portal technology. The IBM dashboards software lets businesses build Web sites and single screen dashboard views that deliver information, applications and processes personalized to the individual BlackBerry user.” Judy Mottl reports this and more in her article IBM Lotus Goes Mobile Via The BlackBerry.

And if you aren’t out of breath yet from all these announcements, I’ve got one more. Mottl reports further that the BlackBerry will carry the RSA software in her article BlackBerry Becomes Security Token Device. With this new technology from RSA, the BlackBerry will be able to function much like a key fab security token. “The software generates a one-time passcode that users copy and paste to log in to corporate VPNs, enterprise wireless networks or network applications.” This technology will give greater security for network connectivity. As Mottl points out, such a need for this type of security for our mobile devices was magnified when several White House staffers’ Blackberries went missing during a recent visit from the President of Mexico.

That’s all I have for you now. But ask yourselves, with all this new functionality will we really be making the technology work for us or will we be working more because of the technology. At this point I am not certain.

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Faster and more efficient high-speed networks will be yielding more functionality and greater flexibility for handheld devices. As connectivity speeds increase, manufacturers will be developing multimedia devices that look and function like your cell phone. We are on the verge of the fourth generation (“4G”) of this technology. The data that is anticipated to be transmitted necessitates the development of these more powerful networks.

Wailin Wong, Chicago Tribune staff writer, describes in an article our sojourn from 2G which was our ability to make and receive calls as well as share photos and download ringtones, to 3G our present system which allows surfing of the net and accessing data-intensive media, and now the future which is 4G and will allow us to upload personal videos.

Two of the players in the market, Verizon and Sprint, are developing their technology now. Verizon’s technology is called Long Term Evolution and Sprints is WiMax. Ken Dulaney, of the Gartner Group, points out that the handset is key to this market:

“In the cellular world, it’s all about the handsets. If you have a new network and no handsets, who cares?”

Motorola, a late comer to the handset market for 3G technology, is trying to redeem itself against such competitors like Samsung. Motorola makes the WiMax technology for operators as well as consumers and is betting on this new technology to be embedded in numerous consumer devices in the coming year. They will enter the market with WiMax and continue to prepare for development work in Long Term Evolution in the coming years.

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