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Mobile phones, laptops, and PDAs have evolved from being personal communication and productivity devices and have now become synonymous with tools for mobile workers.

Today's workforce needs real-time access to information. Accessing corporate data with mobile devices at lower costs has helped companies achieve huge business benefits.

Mobile devices are not only more visible, but they are also becoming more powerful. They are becoming the lifeline for millions providing them the much-needed connectivity but also the potential for increasing incomes and opportunities. They have become indispensable tools in the hands of the decision-makers. In today's global economy, business professionals are expected to have on-demand access to email, calendar, contact, and other information around the clock. The major benefit of staying in touch, while roaming about is a 60% improvement in business productivity, according to Forrester Research.

It has also been found that customer service improves by 36% based on more responsive support, and that the entire company operates 20% more efficiently with real-time communications and the smooth flow of the latest information. The availability of mobile email can result in individuals gaining up to 55 additional minutes of work time each day.

Enterprises today require a number of applications on a single mobile platform. The need of which can be addressed to a smart phone. The growth of wireless computing belongs to the smart phone, a powerful device that extends the superb voice functionality of a mobile phone into the realm of data communications. These mobile devices have come a long way since IBM designed the first smart phone called Simon in 1992.

WORKING ON THE MOVE
A smart phone with a keyboard, can place and receive phone calls, send and receive e-mail and maintain your calendar and contacts list, synchronized with your computer. One can also read Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files, as well as Adobe PDF files, on certain handheld; even edit them and synchronize the changes back to a PC. Applications such as multi-party (up to six way) conference calling, integrated hands free and conference call, dedicated voice key, Internet call (VoIP over WLAN), push to talk over cellular, enhanced voice commands, speed and voice dialing, and car kits bring a rich calling experience within reach of every mobile professional.

	EXPERTS PANEL
	Atanu Mandal, president, ACL Wireless Ganesh Guruswamy, country manager and director, FreeScale Semiconductors India GK Chakrapani, country general manager, Enterprise Solutions, Nokia Sudhin Mathur, general manager, Sony Ericsson India Vijay Shukla, country head, Value First Vinayak Deshpande, president-operations, Tata Teleservices Vishal Gupta, director-product technologies, Qualcomm

For the enterprise, smart phones will have an impact similar to that of mobile telephony itself. Most of us already take for granted our ability to place and receive voice calls from anywhere at any time. Smart phones, which were initially designed primarily as mobile phones with data-communications functionality along with advanced computing capabilities, have the ability to handle and host a number of applications letting them behave exactly like handheld computers.

Smart phones offer compelling advantages, not only to the degree that they mitigate the need to carry multiple devices, but also because they allow for integration of voice and data applications.

Mobility has become more of a necessity than an option. Improvements in hardware and software have made it an indispensable attribute of corporate life. Wireless PDAs, laptops with high speed wireless connections, and smart phones all have the ability to stretch the work-desk, making the world smaller for everyone.

Mobile devices of all shapes and sizes (smartphones, PDAs, portables, USB drives) have already penetrated into the enterprises. As Bluetooth enabled devices enter mainstream and faster technologies arrive. Mobile data access for workforce is all set to become a reality. India is one of the fastest growing markets and more mobile devices will be contending for accessing enterprise networks and applications than ever before. Applications, GUIs, and web pages will fit to mobile devices.

While other uses of the phone are increasing, the mobile device is still not much more than a PIM or phone device. Enterprises face increasing challenges when it comes to selecting devices, enabling access to email and securing corporate data, while carriers are facing more and more complexity to support these demands. As mobile devices become more 'business enabled,' they will be used by an increasing number of employees as well as partners and customers to access the enterprise. Security solutions: Device Lock, MMC Password Lock, OMA DRM 1.0 Forward Lock, SSL 3.0/TLS 1.0, IPSec, 802.11 WPA 1.0/WEP, Operator WLAN/EAP SIM for Wireless LAN security are some solutions available to address this issue.

The fact remains that data services delivered to a smart phone through a web browser have a long way to go before offering a consistently positive user experience. The problem lies in the ability of organizations to extend the reach of their internal business and customer-facing applications to mobile devices.

PDA phones first made their appearance in the Indian market in 2004. The entry of PDAs has changed the business of data collection in various industry segments such as FMCG, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, and mining.

A swift fall is predicted in PDA sales and the number of new PDA models, although GPS popularity will prevent a very sharp fall.

New devices continue to come out from the market leaders, aimed at different user types and offered at different price points. With the addition of GPS solutions, multimedia capability, and Wi-Fi connectivity, handheld offer additional value beyond just PIM for the enterprise.

Smart phones are increasingly becoming a large part of the mobile phone market. Advanced handset features are already common in Japan and South Korea, and they are starting to appear in Europe and America. These advanced handsets can be appropriately termed as pocket computers emerging from the consumer-electronics.

In India, the market for mobile devices is growing rapidly. By 2008, analysts predict there will be over 100 mn converged devices and 2 bn cell phone subscribers.

Phones that include operating systems and popular software applications made mobile computing easier and more convenient for business professionals, who no longer needed to carry around a full-featured laptop to be productive. The arrival of a variety of third-generation phones boasting high-speed data downloads is raising the expectation today's consumers have of wireless handsets. Many cell phones have portable entertainment centers that include multimedia messaging, music downloads, mobile TV, gaming, and much more.

Gartner has predicted that the milestone of one billion mobile phones sold per year will be reached in 2009. China and India alone will account for nearly 200 mn units in 2007, with the Indian market surpassing China in 2009 to reach 139 mn units. It also states that there will be 2.6 bn mobile phones in use by 2009-end. Ernst&Young predicts that about 6 mn new additions a month in 2006. The mobile base would double in 2006 to 130–140 mn.

Cities such as Delhi and Mumbai boast phone penetration rates of about 40%, similar to East Asian levels, and by the end of 2006, analysts expect India to be the world's third-largest mobile market by number of users, behind China and the US. The magical one-billion-figure is likely to become a reality in 2007. Thus, the smart phones are all set to become the lifeline of the future and mobility will become second nature to the corporate world.

APPLICATIONS ENABLING MOBILITY
The business world is a fast-changing place. Information and communication technology is continually setting the pace. New advances in technology are changing the way everyone works. Not only at the desk, where more can be done in a day, in less time than ever before, but also on the road and away from the office. Globalization has led to spread of business geographically. To keep up with the competition the enterprise needs a reliable, fast and secure communication. There are industry specific tailored products and solutions to fit into business process. CDMA operators are offering solutions enabling authorized access to an enterprise's private network in a secure way. Vehicle tracking solutions, sales price automation and insurance claim management are some more services, which are being offered in the market.

An enterprise needs to asses device will add to the business and use mobile applications letting users, browse the Internet in color, make voice calls, send text messages and e-mail messages. They can also work as digital cameras allowing users to take and send photos with voice messages attached.

The initial developments in mobile applications were on SMS, using SIM Tool Kit, WIB, WAP, IVR, J2ME Applications, and MMS, which will allow the user to send and receive messaging, sharing content containing pictures, images, sound and text, and lot more.

3rd-generation mobile phones transfer data 100 times faster and allow it to be shared in real time between multiple users. They also provide video conferencing and enable access to documents; databases and work schedules stored on company intranets and secure websites.

In addition, there are powerful handheld computer devices now available, including PDAs, Smartphones, and Tablet PCs.)

Mobile phones have certainly broadened their appeal in the communication network. Companies are adopting mobile applications faster than planned because of advances in technology and increased competitive pressure line-of-business (LOB) applications, such as logistics and field service.

At present mobile application is used to connect a mobile or fixed system with a mobile device for voice or data connection. Mobile applications are currently being used more as VAS in enterprises and have not been able to address their business issues. But the industry today is unquestionably focusing on the applications that help it solve its unique business issues. The developers and the telecommunication industry is floating mobile field service applications, and the industry be it public sector; media, entertainment, and leisure want more mobile applications to complement their businesses. Stronger security, faster wireless networks and more powerful development tools will contribute to the steady mobilization of back-office enterprise applications in the future.

An increasing number of businesses are recognizing the need for mobile data solutions. Typically, there are two options, a hosted exchange solution where everything is managed for you and your people. All you see are the messages, e-mail messages, data, reports, and content that are delivered to your PC or mobile online device as part of your hosting agreement. Second option is a mobile information server, which is a full solution, managed inside your business or by a hosted supplier.

In order to succeed, an enterprise must assemble systems and business processes that help it meet organizational goals and objectives while maximizing security. What this means is that mobile devices need to deliver on the promised benefits of business mobility to the stakeholders. For the top management, mobile devices form a part of the overall business mobility strategy.  Financial considerations in terms of return on investments play an important part in defining the mobility strategy. For others, mobile devices need to be able to be easy to mass deploy, offer device management capabilities so that the right technical infrastructure can be built and the right security tools can be put in place

As part of mobile strategy it is imperative for enterprises to excel in the fundamentals by mobilizing the right applications. It is necessary to optimize productivity, choose the best technology, negotiate winning contracts with operators and service providers, pick the right partners, and ensure your mobile solutions are secure and effective.

An enterprise is required to look beyond mobile email and workforce enablement to find new ways in which wireless can revolutionize processes and customer relationships, derive profit from mobility, align mobile initiatives with business goals and generate provable RoI.

Mobile GIS is the expansion of a geographic information system (GIS) from the office into the field. A mobile GIS enables field-based personnel to capture, store, update, manipulate, analyze, and display geographic information.

GIS is now being taken into the field as digital maps on compact, mobile computers, providing field access to enterprise geographic information. This enables organizations to add real-time information to their database and applications, speeding up analysis, display, and decision making by using up-to-date, more accurate spatial data.

There is a plethora of avenues where mobile applications can be used they range from mlultilevel query processing to critical message delivery for network engineers to mobile employees, flexible work schedules for BPO, IT companies etc. Point of sales applications such as m-Commerce applications where phone can be used as credit card and even m-Governance are also picking up pace as avenues for mobile enterprise applications

Mobile e-mail is on the verge of mass adoption, according to industry analysts Datamonitor. According to the report there are roughly 650 mn corporate e-mail inboxes worldwide today, at least 35% of which could be mobilized.

As per the estimates the global addressable market for enterprise mobile e-mail would be around 260 mn subscriptions, while global mobile operator revenues from mobile e-mail and personal information management are expected to surpass $600 mn by 2009, over three times those of 2005.

The market is set to show rapid growth over the next five years, and provide significant opportunities for mobile operators and mobile infrastructure providers.

From innocuous beginnings in the early 90's SMS has proved to become 'the killer app' for mobile operators for data services. Even today, most mobile operators earn a substantial portion of their data revenues via a plethora of consumer and business applications SMS messaging applications.

India's mobile industry is witnessing the highest growth in the world. As a consequence SMS based mobile messaging is being increasingly adopted by Indian business as a new channel of communication. SMS is instant, personal and leaves an impact on the recipient In a business organization SMS helps in extending client reach and improve customer loyalty, lower customer service costs and improve information channel for stakeholders.

Push based broadcasting can be used for marketing promotion and pull based information access can be used by the end user to get the desired information economically, location based services, m-commerce and content sharing application are all mobile applications that can add value to a business

Mobile applications are being rapidly accepted as an important business communication medium all over the world. They provide enterprises speed, freedom, flexibility, and the resources to work anywhere, at any time and in any way. These technologies enable them to increase corporate productivity as it facilitates reduced turn around time, increased efficiency and enhanced transparency. They also help to strategize future operations as they can economically interact with each other and customers to get prompt feedback.

There are applications that can be installed on top of ERPs etc that connect with back-end databases on the one hand and mobile devices on the other using popular protocols such as GSM, CDMA or even 802.11 or Bluetooth. Application like Sales force automation with existing SCM and ERP, Inventory Tracking on mobile infotainment services such as chat messenger etc are the avenues that holds lot of potential for mobile applications

Seamless integration of mobile applications with desktop applications is an idea which is rapidly picking up pace. There are various standards and protocols, which drive the integration of mobile applications with desktop applications such.

Mobile technologies have the potential to catalyze changes ranging from incremental productivity improvements to radical redefinition of business processes. Some specific coverage areas include laptops and notebook computers, mobile adaptation, mobile application architecture, mobile operating systems, mobile synchronization, PDAs, and wireless voice and data services.

This next phase in the evolution of mobile applications will be the most significant to date. By enabling clients to deliver applications that 'work' to their customers, we will be providing them with a competitive advantage. So irrespective of which device is used new innovations that are knocking the door of mobile communication will change the way enterprises work.

Sonia Sharma
sonias@cybermedia.co.in