Spring 2006

As Vodafone's ground-breaking business-orientated mobile applications service goes live, Sharon Clancy finds out what's in it for the end user

Integration has become the new mantra in the wireless working sector. Many potential customers don't have the time or expertise to make separate decisions about hardware, applications and airtime - all essential elements of mobile working.

So there has been a new wave of integration. Hardware manufacturers will offer specific vertical market applications, while application sellers might recommend a preferred hardware partner, for example. One software company will team up with another offering a complementary product.

Managed service providers such as Cognito take the concept a step further by including a portfolio of applications and other services. Cognito's Activus, for example, adds Forms Plus software, vehicle tracking, satnav and device support applications to its core push-pull communications management.

 

Now a new category of integration specialist is emerging - the mobile phone network operators themselves - and it looks as though Vodafone UK is so far making the most conspicuous moves in this market. Indeed, the company has just appointed Cognito as one of its first "preferred partners" in a ground-breaking scheme it has launched.

In a nutshell, Vodafone will sell applications among the range of services it offers to business. "We are trying to put in a structure that provides a service chain for our customers," explains John Lillistone, head of Vodafone's UK's partner development programme.

"In the past not all the elements in the service chain have been in our control, but we are trying to remedy that. Technology advances make it easier to deploy mobile devices, but companies still need installation and roll-out support, as well as aftersales support should things go wrong."

His starting point is what Vodafone calls the user profile. "To deliver the best mobile experience, we have to understand how businesses connect to our network. Is the prime requirement for voice or data communications or a mix of both? The answer to that question determines not only the communications package we would recommend for a particular company, but also the type of device that would suit them most."

The choice of device - be it a BlackBerry, PDA, smartphone, ruggedised handheld or notebook - affects how people connect to the network, says Lillistone.

He quickly runs through some of the obvious options. "Smartphones combine a neat package of bigger memory and screen in a small handset, and the Microsoft Windows Mobile OS allows you to run email and some applications on them, although data entry can be time-consuming.

"The next step up is a PDA, which has a bigger screen and so is better able to display graphics such as a work schedule. It is a touch-screen product, although some devices such as the QTEC90/100 have a slide-under QWERTY keyboard. For high-level data interaction there is the D1640, which has a half-size VGA screen."

Vodafone has always been user-friendly to notebook users, and was the first in its field to launch a plug-in wireless data connection card. "Manufacturers are now beginning to build these cards directly into their notebooks," says Lillistone. He says the increased bandwidth available on the 3G network this summer (up to 1 megabyte/second) will be especially useful to mobile workers needing to download large files.

Lillistone makes no apologies for Vodafone entering the device management market. "The latest generation of mobile devices enable us to offer over-the-air management to help managers when devices get lost of stolen, and to update applications remotely. Any security package has to be low-cost and easy to implement."

With the Vodafone Device Management service, a single command will lock the device and display the message "Your device is locked; phone this number to unlock it." The user will only be able to phone 999 or the given number, Lillistone explains, and it will not be possible to erase the message even if the SIM card is changed.

The "wipe" command permanently removes data from the device OTA, to render it inert.

Vodafone will be adding anti-virus and firewall protection in the summer (it already virus-checks every email sent on the network).

Applications

Most of the network operators including Vodafone are exploiting the latest Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 in order to launch push-type email services to business.

Vodafone's third-party mobile applications programme is far more ambitious. "Our aim is to provide Vodafone UK's customers with help and support in choosing the most suitable product and application provider for their business needs. We wanted to build a structure that ensures a reliable experience for end users and works for our partners."

Vodafone UK will evaluate and endorse new applications following a rigorous assessment by an independent expert of their technical integrity, as well as study relevant customer demand and vertical sector suitability. These initiatives will be supported by a structured evaluation and implementation process for the roll-out of mobile services, offering customers the quality assurance required when purchasing applications from third parties to help streamline their businesses.

There are three tiers: Branded, Preferred and Certified. Branded applications will have appeal across multiple markets and be billed for and supported by Vodafone. AppSwing, for example, enables companies to mobilise their existing Windows-based line of business applications on to BlackBerry, Symbian or Microsoft Windows Mobile-enabled devices.

Applications from preferred partners have been approved by an independent technical expert, and Vodafone will have conducted a due diligence check on the company supplying them as a further guarantee of the company's trustworthiness. Preferred applications will be sold by Vodafone's UK business sales teams.

Vodafone certified applications have been tested by an independent technical expert to confirm they work reliably and correctly on the Vodafone network, and are capable of being integrated with existing Vodafone UK solutions such as the managed services and device management programmes. So far, around ten have been certified, including applications from Aeromark, Sona, Ubisys and TBS. The appeal for independent software vendors is that they gain access to Vodafone UK's technical expertise and testing programme.

What next?

On the face of it, Vodafone may have won a head's start on its network rivals with this integrated approach. The kind of one-stop shopping it offers will no doubt win it business. Small and medium businesses simply want a mobile application that will work reliably, and where if something does go wrong there will be no buck-passing between network operator or application provider.

Specialised applications: the name of the mobile game

As demand for wireless working grows, mobile application software suppliers are finding their sales resources are being stretched. Logistics and field service, after all, represent just two of many sectors keen to benefit from the efficiencies and cost savings deploying mobile applications can bring.

Many other white- and blue-collar business sectors are also looking for benefits from mobile computing - for instance, the UK's mobile sales teams. Other sectors where mobile solutions are experiencing huge growth include the health and emergency services sectors, for instance, and local authorities, who need mobility solutions for everything from housing management and parking enforcement to street cleansing, waste collection and local housing authorities.

Because demands tend to vary among such a diverse range of potential users, application providers have tended to specialise in just a few select vertical-market sectors. Apart from anything else, this approach helps them focus their resources. And it is also reassuring for customers to know they are dealing a supplier with a full grasp of their specific needs.