All posts in Pragmatic Mobility

The More the Merrier – The Mobile Cloud: Forever Changing Business

by admin on May 11, 2012 in Pragmatic Mobility with No comments

I think everyone knows the potential impact of access provided by mobile technologies. As mobile computing continues to expand the implications are mind boggling, and the potential impacts on your business are critical. In thinking about mobile technologies; most people focus on the app on the device, and if you’ve read my blogs before you know I strong believe that the user experience will be a critical component in its success or failure.

As mobile accelerates, the speed and agility of the deployment are also critical – so consider how you’re going to manage this. Poor back-end deployment strategies can have as negative an impact on the user as any poorly designed UI, and an arduous infrastructure deployment can add significant precious time to a deployment project.

John Stratton, the President of Verizon Enterprise Solutions recently provided his views on the topic in a discussion with a group of industry analysts. He stated that we have already entered the next major era of computing that is based on cloud and mobility. He went on to comment on the dire consequences for those companies which do not embrace this era. He said that companies must reinvent themselves with this technology shift or risk destruction. A bit of hyperbole maybe, but business executives should not underestimate the rapid pace at which an enterprise mobile platform deployed through a cloud based service architecture can quickly provide positive business impacts.

I believe that the business impact of this technology shift will far exceed prior technology shifts. Stratton said he believes that with each wave of new computing technology there is a growth of 10x of users over the prior generation. In my opinion that may have been true prior to the internet era, but it far underestimates this wave.

It’s also important to not just to measure the impact of mobile in terms of users – but also in terms of engagement. In the world of PC-based internet access, users were tethered to their desktops. So while the number of users was a dramatic increase from prior generations, the impact of user engagement started and stopped with the time that user was logged into the workstation.

With mobile the access is ubiquitous, the user expectations are high, and many users are tethered to their mobile devices for all of their waking hours. Getting quick directions,checking email, checking the price on a purchase, researching a company, answering virtually any question… just pull your device out of your pocket.

In the child game ‘Where’s Waldo?’ the objective is to search out the single character in a huge crowd. When it comes to having high expectations for accessing mobile apps which are connecting cloud based services – we’re all Waldo – and it’s changing the ways that businesses interact with customer, partners, and prospects forever.

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Mobility Should be Fun!

by Matt Torgersen on March 16, 2012 in Pragmatic Mobility with No comments

March 2 was Dr. Seuess’s birthday. Well, actually it’s the birthday of Ted Geisel who wrote children’s books under the famous pen name. The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, Hop on Pop, Horton Hears a Who, How the Grinch Stole Christmas… you could go on and on with the familiar writings from his career. His writings were fanciful, fun and as kids taught many of us that reading can be really fun. My 7-year-old daughter Anna dressed up as the famous Cat to celebrate in school that day. She was so excited – the kind of excitement and joy that we all wish we could take to every corner of our lives.

When we look at our businesses and how to make improvements we so often get bogged down in spreadsheets, best practice analysis, ideation sessions (a term that particularly gets under my skin), procedural analysis, meta processes, etc. We go on and on with the analytic jargon of an MBA class. So often we try to analyze each and every aspect of a decision. I recently heard a speaker dissecting how mobile can positively impact an organization. It was a cold analysis of organizational process, resource allocation, and effectiveness measurement.

I’m not discounting the harsh realities that drive business. I was an accountant in my former life, so I understand the ultimate importance of revenue/expense and all the financial considerations of how the resources are allocated.

But determining how mobile can impact your business should be a ‘Cat in the Hat’ process. The Cat in the Hat was all about fun, excitement, and ultimately effectiveness. He came into the house to entertain the kids, had what seemed to be a totally out of control, impetuous approach to fun, and a cast of characters (remember Thing 1 and Thing 2) and tools which aided in this fun. But he had a plan – after all the fun was done he came in with his clean up machine to put the house back in order before mother arrived home.

The Cat’s approach is fun, memorable, engaging, entertaining – and in the end – effective. These are some of the key characteristics that you want from a mobile strategy. The app world is crowded these days, what will you do with mobile to stand out? How will your app be more than a data driven business process? Do you want your app to look like it’s driven by ROI analysis or a completely end-user focused approach?

As the Cat in the Hat famously stated – “It’s fun to have fun…but you have to know how.” Keep that in mind as you’re reviewing your next strategic mobile initiative.

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Mobile Worker – It’s not the definition that matters…

by Matt Torgersen on March 1, 2012 in Pragmatic Mobility with No comments

If you’re reading this post – thank you. I struggled with the title, as I feel that I can’t look at email or some tech sites without reading some glaring headline about ‘the mobile worker.’ The reality for those who followed mobile in the pre iPhone world is that mobile worker is not new to business. Let’s look at the business perspective on what really matters.

There are a confluence of points which have raised the profile of the mobile worker, making this a trendy topic.

First is the sheer numbers. According to a recent survey by IDC, by 2015 it’s estimated that there will be 1.3 billion mobile workers globally. Now that’s a headline. Reading further into the details, they define mobile worker as “covering those who work 100 percent remotely and those who use mobile technologies on a part time basis.” This is the challenge – defining the mobile worker. No offense to IDC, but I would venture to guess that using that definition the number could be even higher – how many of us may be sitting at a desk, but still using smartphone or a tablet to do our jobs? Does that count?

Take those impressive numbers of mobile workers and combine it with the explosion of consumer interest in mobile devices and you have all the makings for endless hours of headline-grabbing stories. We all know that we’re more interested in reading about something that involves us personally, and anyone carrying an iPhone and accessing email, apps and/or enterprise systems feel that we are the mobile workforce.

There is no question that more workers are becoming more mobile than ever before. It’s a cultural phenomenon – we are all more connected by technology than we have ever been. It wasn’t that long ago, that ‘mobility’ meant a pager. While pagers or beepers enjoyed a high profile as the device of choice for physicians – I would venture an opinion that even more were carried by field service workers. These were the workers who were dispatched to execute maintenance and repairs on everything from copiers to elevators and medical equipment. At the time, these were the mobile workers – it was easy for companies to identify them.

In today’s world the mobile worker does not fit so neatly into an easily defined category. Many companies may not even be able to define a mobile worker. Sales teams are doing product demonstrations on tablets, accessing email and CRM systems on smartphones and tapping into other business services emanating from the cloud. Executives, finance, product, customer care, design… all these areas of your organization are likely have employees on the move.

What does this mean to the pragmatic business leader?  You must ensure that you’re prepared to support the mobile worker, on virtually any device, from anywhere they may be at the moment. Access to enterprise systems, cloud service and corporate data sources from mobile devices make workers more productive, responsive and agile. And after all, those are core drives to your organizations competitiveness.

While the definition of mobile workers might be evolving, the need to properly support and enable them is as important as ever.

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Innovate, Survive, Prosper…

by Matt Torgersen on January 4, 2012 in Pragmatic Mobility with No comments

Innovation is sometimes an 0ver-used word.

Mention innovation and most people will immediately think of high-tech companies. In today’s mobile environment I’m sure many immediately think of Apple; it’s so common its almost cliche’. I would argue that all successful companies in all industries innovate in some fashion in order to survive.

Most businesses have been innovative at some point in their existence… Most industries do not allow companies to survive in perpetuity by following status quo. I’m sure someone will point out examples which refute this point, but I would say those are few and far between.

Think of your own organization. Are you interacting with your customers and prospects in the same manner as you did 2 or 3 years ago? I would guess not, and if you are I would assume you have customers,prospective customers and employees asking why.

The funny thing about expectations is that they rarely go down. Your customers are always expecting more. They want to work with companies that are innovating, always striving to better themselves.

For example, consider Cushman & Wakefield, the world’s largest privately-held commercial real estate services firm; operating 235 offices in 60 countries with more than 14,000 employees Cushman thrives in highly competitive real estate markets such as New York City, London & Tokyo. Their customers have high expectations and little patience for dealing with poorly equipped brokers.

As a leader in their space, Cushman is always striving to better its approach, improve service and differentiate its customer experience. The company’s cross-functional team quickly identified mobility as a key component to their strategies.

Cushman engaged Antenna Software and AT&T to brainstorm a comprehensive mobility strategy for changing the way its brokers interact with customers at the most crucial points of the selling cycle, including on-site tours of commercial properties. 

The result is CWMobile, a mobile application which provides the brokers direct access to in house proprietary systems. The app enables brokers to share various data, images and video with the prospective tenant while they tour various properties. This could be on any Cushman issued or personal device that the broker may choose – iPad, iPhone, Android, Blackberry, etc.

The end result is a greatly improved customer experience, brokers who are more knowledgable about the properties they present and what should culminate in faster closing of sales.

Think about what Cushman has done and then ask yourself: What can my company be doing to rethink customer interactions?

To learn more about the CWMobile Project, check it out on YouTube:

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Consumer Whims: Will They “Flush” your Enterprise Mobile Strategy This Holiday Season?

by Matt Torgersen on November 22, 2011 in Pragmatic Mobility with No comments

Technology is great because it’s constantly moving. By the time most of us have our arms around some “new” technology, those that are imagining the future gadgets are well on their way to the next frontier. It seems that technologies which are imagined are often a mixed bag in user engagement, utility and practical application. Some of these never see any widespread adoption and often this is because users are either not ready for it, don’t see value in itor the price is well beyond that of the most budgets for the category of product.

The Kohler Numi does things no other toilet does, but it'll cost you a pretty penny.

Not to mix enterprise mobility with, well an activity which by it’s nature is usually very sedentary – but the best example I’ve seen lately of adding technology where it’s not really needed is the Kohler Numi. The Numi is a high tech toilet, complete with a touch-screen remote advanced flush technology. The Numi boasts a personalized “experience” for users, including features such as a motion activated lid and seat, feet and seat warming, advanced bidet functionality and music via either a programmable FM radio or MP3 connection. All with a price tag of $6,300.  Let’s just say, I’m not expecting to see this in my home anytime soon.

On the other end of the consumer experience is the Kindle Fire. This combination tablet/e-reader was officially available on November 15th, and some are already claiming the Fire to be the #2 tablet in the market behind of course, the iPad. I’ve purchased two for my kids (sshhhh, they are Christmas presents) and another colleague has bought four. I had predicted in this column a few weeks ago the success of the Fire, but I didn’t think it would be this far ahead of the holiday season.

Of course one of the reasons for this surge is the price point. With a price point of $199, you can buy two Kindle Fires for less than the entry level iPad 2 ($499). I think all will agree that the Fire may not match up point by point to the iPad, but for 40% of the cost, many seem to be considering that it’s close enough.

As more and more companies are moving to a policy which allows employees to bring their own technology into the workplace, known to many as the BYOD movement, the evolving consumer technology market will continue to put pressure on these corporate policies. Are you prepared for dozens or hundreds of employees showing up at the office after the holiday season with shiny new devices asking for access to corporate email and CRM systems? When consumers hit your website from the Kindle Fire they get for Christmas, what will be the quality of their experience – is your mobile website optimized across 9,000 devices to ensure a positive user interaction?

While I think custom flushing options and a heated toilet seat might be nice, my predication is that following this year’s holiday season your enterprise will see many more Kindle Fires entering the enterprise than $6k high-tech toilets.

The question, as always, is will you and your mobile infrastructure be ready?

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Pragmatic Mobility: You Say Potato, I Say iPad… Keeping Our Common Sense

by Matt Torgersen on November 16, 2011 in Pragmatic Mobility with No comments

“People – let’s not lose our common sense here.”  It seems that people are crazy over mobile technology – some in a good way, and some in a not so good way.

Take the recent story about the man in the UK who mistakenly bought a bag of potatoes when he thought he was buying an iPad. A man approached him on the street who said he’d sell him an iPad. The man went to the cash machine, withdrew money and handed it over.   Never opening the package until after the seller was gone with his cash.   Let’s use some common sense around here!

Have you noticed that some people are techno-phobes? Perfectly intelligent people can at times lose all concept of the real world when it comes to technology. People can get a mobile device in their hands and suddenly they can be apprehensive, tentative and sometimes just lost. A friend of mine will say “I didn’t want to break anything” when asking me for help with email on an iPad or some other app. Really?

The lesson here is that mobile apps and technology are still new to some people, depending on your target audience it may be more or less so. Some people are connected 24×7, while some are still intimidated by the world of “apps.”  I’m sure we’ve all seen the transformation of an individual when they are first exposed to mobile apps. A few weeks into the experience they can be heard wondering aloud how they ever lived without access to the apps that have quickly become an integral part of their daily routine.

This is the lesson for companies looking to deploy mobile within their ecosystem. These people are your customers, your business partners and your employees.  Some are trading in their iPhone 4 for a 4S the day it’s released, while some are content with a five-year old BlackBerry, and others still may have not even entered the smartphone or tablet revolution.   Your mobile strategy and app design need to keep all users in mind – too complex and you may scare off the less experienced, while too basic an app will alienate the more advanced audience.  Mobile apps need to balance art, design and function.

So don’t let your mobile initiatives be planned and executed by a team which includes only your most mobile-savvy employees.  Take a cross section of your target audience and plan appropriately. You may not have any users who would confuse an iPad with a potato, but I guarantee you have a diverse user audience, so keep common sense in mind when planning and designing your mobile apps.

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Pragmatic Mobility: iPad. Changing the Way People Think, Halloween Included

by Matt Torgersen on October 31, 2011 in Pragmatic Mobility with No comments

Just a quick note – I saw this article/video today. Check out the creativity of using iPads to make an incredible Halloween costume. It reinforces, once again, that there are endless creative ideas which people have every day regarding new ways to use iPads and other technology. Some are silly and fun. Some are insightful. And some are huge productivity gainers for an enterprise.

This one may be silly. But it’s users like this who are always pushing the envelope and coming up with new ideas to use the technology which is provided. This does not have huge relevancy for business, but the key is that your employees are having new ideas every day – learn to harness it.

Also crucial is the need for IT and business to get together and collaborate. Break down the walls of organizational structure and share ideas which will support your organizational mission. Be creative. Get a competitive edge.

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Pragmatic Mobility: New Amazon Tablet Targets Apple iPad

by Matt Torgersen on September 28, 2011 in Pragmatic Mobility with No comments

It’s hard to keep secrets these days. Amazon is the latest tech company preparing a big announcement this morning – the release of its new tablet. But by the time the announcement is made, the market will have already heard the message. Vendors orchestrate elaborate announcements to trumpet new products and services, but they end up more like the President’s State of the Union address – by the time they happen, there is practically a transcript already available.

Will the iPad meet its match in the new tablet from Amazon?

In the case of Amazon, this could be the first real threat to the iPad. We’ve heard it before: Samsung, Motorola, or others releasing the “iPad killer” tablet. So what’s different here?

Amazon has had the Kindle for quite some time now, and it’s been a nice e-reader. It was a fairly obvious move for Amazon to spur sales of electronic books. The release of the Kindle was not focused on whiz-bang technology, but rather it was focused on distributing content. For early Kindle readers, this content was books, now Amazon is looking to provide movies, music and apps through an Amazon Store. (Sound familiar?)

Most people think of Amazon as a big online retailer, which of course they are. But there’s more to Amazon. If you visit Amazon.com today, you’ll see product headings for Instant Videos, Music Downloads, Cloud Storage, Digital Games/Downloads, and even an Amazon Android App Store.

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Pragmatic Mobility: For Father’s Day, How About an iGrill?

by Matt Torgersen on June 20, 2011 in Pragmatic Mobility with No comments

Fathers Day. A great time to focus on family. And for those lucky enough to still have dad around – time to determine what gift to give. I know that over the years we gave my dad a full complement of ties, books, and anything with the New York Mets logo. My dad has been gone for a few years now and he was not a technology guy. He preferred a typewriter to a PC, and never had a cell phone. My mom on the other hand, recently traded in her flip phone for an iPhone 4 (to go along with her MacBook). I even helped her load the ING Direct banking app yesterday. If my dad were still with us, would he have jumped onto the smart phone bandwagon?

I’ve commented in prior postings about the convergence of consumer and enterprise technologies – specifically around mobility. This is not a new trend, nor do I take credit for identifying it. As I’m in daily conversations with business and IT leaders in major enterprises regarding mobile strategies, I hear the impact on the enterprise technology world. I do believe that following these trends will provide insight regarding employee and consumer expectations for mobility.

Considering what was promoted for Father’s Day 2011, I notice a very interesting and somewhat subtle change. In past years, there was a great amount of focus around purchasing dad a device for Father’s Day. It was all about, “Give dad an iPad, Tablet, Droid, iPhone…. for Father’s Day.” The device was the gift. While the idea of giving dad a device has not disappeared, the vision is expanding.

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Pragmatic Mobility: Do Customers Speak Your Language?

by Matt Torgersen on May 24, 2011 in Pragmatic Mobility with No comments

Think about it – do your customers need a dictionary in their pockets in order to understand your mobile Web site?

There’s a major push for the use of plain language in the world today. The U.S. Federal Government even has a Web site that advocates the use of clear communication in government writing. I love the purpose – but one of the hyperlinks on the home page of their Web site says “OMB Final PL Guidance.” Not quite as clear as they would like. I guess it’s all a work in progress. When you live in a world of acronyms and proprietary language, clear communication takes planning.

I was speaking recently with a group of field representatives from a very large, international company that serves a diverse set of customers and markets. I asked how they navigate through all of the company-specific acronyms which they use in normal conversation. They admitted that in reality, their organization did put together an Acronym Dictionary for new hires to learn the language of their company.

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