Mobile phones have set the world on fire. They have become a common device for communicating not only by voice but also by sending and receiving text, video, music and graphics, providing freedom to use the device from anyplace, anywhere, at anytime and to always be connected. "At the heart of the current worldwide trend towards wireless m-commerce, lies workflow," says Mark Ehmke, managing director of Staffware SA.
"There has been an explosion in the use of mobile phones, and particularly Wireless Application Protocol (WAP). With 180 million users of mobile devices, a greater number of applications will use wireless technologies as a backbone in the future and this will become another growth point for workflow software," he says.
The mobile phone has become very personal to the holder - the ultimate trusted device.
"Most of the businesses in the future will have to go wireless. It is the most effective way of doing business in a virtual environment. Mobile phones, Pocket PCs and other handheld mobile and wireless devices have set a trend," adds Ehmke.
"The use of mobile phones and handheld devices will force software manufacturers to produce wireless applications and functionality that exceed the expectations of a desktop computer.
"It has been predicted that by 2003 there will probably be a billion mobile phone users worldwide. If you think about it most of these won`t have PCs, and a large percentage of these users won`t have credit cards. However, they will all be used to paying for the advantage of their phone. They are part of the next wave called the mobile Internet and of wireless m-commerce."
Ehmke explains that Internet and WAP technology contribute to this wireless trend. New devices are evolving such as Pocket PCs and PDAs as multifunctional devices with phone connectivity. In fact, phones will be a part of these devices, which in turn will be wireless, connected to the extended World Wide Wireless network based on the concept of constant connection. Each device will have its own unique IP Address thus allowing IP connectivity in the massive network.
"The WAP and Web will require controlled access through security gateways, in addition to providing a scalable, reliable and trusted infrastructure that can adhere to the audit and control of transactions to take place. Business and personal processes and activities over the mobile devices will require a process engine to drive this functionality," he says.
"Process automation will have to be built into e-commerce and wireless m-commerce. If not, Web sites will loose control over the underlying transaction, creating difficulties in the logistics, security, and the ability to access existing information. As a direct result the customer will be dissatisfied. Companies without this core infrastructure will lose competing power."
Ehmke adds that companies need to seriously consider transforming their business to a wireless environment in the near future to maintain their competitive-edge. Most of the business transactions in the future will be wireless, as it is the most effective way of doing business in a virtual environment.
Benefits of e-process and wireless workflow
The key benefits of having an e-process engine and wireless workflow in an m-commerce environment are as follows:
- Allows your company to embrace a class of worker previously excluded from business processes, the mobile professional.
- WAP combined with m-processes enables professionals to work any time, any place, anywhere and always be connected
- Mobile employees remain in contact with the central business processes
- E-process engines will enable secure access for mobile workers
- Integration - an e-process engine provides access to core systems and applications
- Provides enterprises with full control of their e-commerce and B2B process transactions.
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