B2B Integration : A Practical Guide to Collaborative E-commerce

374 B2B Integration — A Practical Guide to Collaborative E-commerce
a clear idea of what is offered through the smokescreen of competing
vendor claims is not an easy task. Putting sensitive, mission-critical
data into devices that are designed to go anywhere creates management
challenges that include security, software distribution, data flow issues
between a mobile device and a PC or directly with a server, automating
enforcement of company policies, centralized backup and restoration,
remote troubleshooting and the prevention of viruses from passing into
the corporate network. This will require a comprehensive set of security,
data synchronization and systems management functions to overcome
potential problems.
12.8.2. Formulation of technology strategy
Once the specific goals for mobilization have been identified, it is then
recommended to conduct a high-level technical analysis of how the
solution will be realized. The mobile environment is so complex and
evolves so quickly, that a diverse array of options demands a careful,
strategic approach. Some of the primary choices to be made in developing
mobile applications include how users' devices will send and receive
data, the identification of those devices and what applications they will
run. Because early choices impact other options, it is important to view
the choices made as an interdependent system of options, rather than a
series of isolated decisions. For example, the need to gather and transmit
large batches of non-time sensitive data may easily lead to choosing
PDAs that synchronize to a central database. Conversely, a decision that
global wireless coverage is absolutely required will mandate the selection
of particular devices running certain types of applications.
Build or buy applications
Mobile applications can range from simple SMS-based alerts, to complex,
locally stored programs. As with other, non-mobile applications, they
can all be obtained via vendor offerings, or through custom development.
There is a wide array of vendors that offer mobile 'point solution'
applications or suites of applications that perform particular functions,
such as sales force automation or scheduling. The benefits of choosing