By Tony Hallett, 16 November 2004 18:00
NEWS Traditional PDAs and devices such as the Blackberry from RIM are dominating many organisations' mobile data device strategies because of the lack of control smart phones and PDAs with wireless voice and data capability can lead to.
According to the latest end-user mobile devices research from IDC, 50 per cent of respondents count the PDA as their preferred mobile device. It is something that is bound to please many IT managers who have in many cases come to grips with issues surrounding synchronising devices with PCs and LANs.
"It is about control, from the IT decision-maker's standpoint," said Andy Brown, EMEA mobile devices programme manager at IDC.
Whereas a smart phone can be based on one of several operating systems, run different software for applications such as email and then have all manner of other software loaded onto them by an end user, a device such as a Blackberry is pretty locked down.
Brown added: "The 7100 Blackberry range is more phone than pager [in look] so it should be more attractive but RIM have been careful to leave off anything that gives a headache to the IT manager, such as a camera or Bluetooth for anything other than hands-free or a headset."
Smart phones, such as a number of Microsoft- or Symbian-based handsets or the Treo 600 and 650 from PalmOne, are selling in increasing numbers, mainly as replacement phones, but their complexity is a fear for IT departments and sometimes a drawback for some end users.
Separate research out today commissioned by Wacom Components finds around three-quarters of those with advanced handsets are finding features too complex to access and operate.
IDC's Brown, along with some others in the analyst community, says it may just be a case of more time being needed until organisations invest in mobile infrastructure and proper usage. He said that while the general mood towards IT spending is once again picking up, approaching mobile and wireless technologies to get their full benefit may take another year.
Comments
There are 2 comments. Join the discussion
1. Mark Butterworth
This is all well and good in the short term but it won't be long before the traditional PDA and Blackberry devices start to acquire these additions.
As soon as the popularity of this application enters the consumer market then the makers of the hardware that supports the RIM environment will start to add on additional hardware and software to the device to make it more 'interesting' to this new market.
The RIM software is already being offered on some of the latest Nokia handsets. Look at what happened to the mainstream corporate handset, the 6310i. After being one of the highest selling corporate mobile devices Nokia pull the plug. Why? Because it was of no interest to the consumer market, the people who bring in the money.
In the main, the only corporate devices on offer from Nokia now include cameras and all the things a typical IT manager would not want.
The corporate market contributes fewer than 10% of the revenue for these guys and I think it will only be a matter of time before the 'kids on the street' start to control the direction these devices take. Its also becoming apparent that more and more third party software companies are starting to develop software for the blackberry devices so it looks like a change is immanent; whether we like it or not.
2. Julian R.M.Wheel
I can appreciate Mr. Butterworth's concerns about both IT security and workload, especially in an increasingly onerous regulatory environment, having been in banking for over 30 years. But I also recognise that the industry has been slow to adopt the benfits of such devices for commercial purposes, lending officers could send images of state of premises, physical inventories and other information directly from client visits and the immediacy and the value potential is being overlooked. Recording of information whilst with clients is another valubale use and properly validated might protect the orgainisation from poor practices. After all most call centres record information, why not embrace this opportunity too?
JR Max Wheel
Risk Strategy Solutions Ltd.