Technology: something we usually take for granted until it doesn`t work. Which synonymously means we usually can`t work either. While some people bemoan our dependence on the devices that have transformed our lives and the way we do business, these hot technologies should rather be lauded for what they have enabled - and the newfound freedom many of us now enjoy as a result of mobile, Web and wireless.
Keith Fenner, strategic sales director: Softline ACCPAC, explains that with e-mail, browsing facilities and mobile telephony a given on most handheld devices, this extended functionality is allowing ubiquitous connectivity to the office.
And, just as they`ve enabled standard programs such as e-mail, so too have they allowed businesses to make use of these devices for far more complex activities and functions - such as customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP).
Fenner explains that ERP solutions have become institutions in their own right in many large organisations - addressing comprehensive accounting and financial intelligence needs.
While their integration typically includes aspects of CRM, business intelligence, accounts, warehousing, service management and manufacturing, their development is definitely being affected by portable devices and mobility.
"It`s about making these systems work in mobile environments and on mobile devices - adapting them for decision-makers who aren`t office bound. We as solution providers appreciate that data needs to be made portable. We have to accommodate for this need in our solutions."
While the Internet has served to revolutionise applications such as ERP and CRM, "portable" Internet has challenged solution developers even further. "In this new Web-based environment, a standard requirement is access anywhere at anytime on any device. Data thus needs to become fully portable in terms of 3G and wireless data networks, with devices like PDAs able to afford intelligent functionality." To deliver a truly Web-based application therefore, the bandwidth pull has to be low enough to operate the software effectively - something that has proved a real challenge for many developers.
Fenner uses the example of Softline ACCPAC`s approach to illustrate what is already possible in the realm of handheld devices. "We are using our CRM solution to deliver access in this manner, as CRM provides the top layer of information for any organisation. By integrating functional ERP areas into CRM, it becomes a simple task for us to deliver sales, marketing, accounts, service and customer care data to a mobile device."
By adding rich CRM flavours to this such as workflow, alerts, escalation and notifications, a fully mobile solution is within reach at low cost with a proportionally low total cost of ownership (TCO). This is something affecting all software development in a very real way.
PDAs and mobile devices have thus made that much more possible, both in the realm of the personal and the professional. They have also made previously office-bound applications mobile - a very exciting development for any business. With solution providers committed to making mobility work, new technological developments in this space can only mean more opportunities for developers and users. This proves that this space is not only very hot - it`s also one to keep watching.
Share
Editorial contacts