ARC STRATEGIES
By Greg Gorbach
AUGUST 2010
Enterprise Mobility Strategies
for Industrial Companies
Executive Overview .................................................................... 3
Emerging Mobile Platform for Workers: Smart Mobile Devices ........... 4
Convergence.............................................................................. 5
The Internet of Things and Mobile Internet Computing ..................... 6
Mobile Internet Computing Architecture ........................................10
Mobility and Enterprise Systems ..................................................12
Security Considerations for Mobility..............................................14
Mobile Technologies and the Supply Chain ....................................16
Mobile Technologies and Maintenance...........................................16
Mobile Technologies and Industrial Operations ...............................17
Mobile Technologies and Smart Grid .............................................18
Recommendations .....................................................................19
VISION, EXPERIENCE, ANSWERS FOR INDUSTRY
ARC Strategies • August 2010
We are Entering the Era of Mobile Internet Computing
Mobile Internet Computing Extends Business Processes
and the Reach of IT for Industrial Companies
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Executive Overview
We are entering the era of Mobile Internet Computing. Changes in computing and communications technology that will have a profound impact on
industrial companies are already underway. These changes aren’t happening in secret R&D labs, but in plain sight. SmartMobility solutions can extend and
phones are becoming ever more capable. Wireless
improve business processes from
networks are becoming faster and more wide-
applications now accessed via the
desktop. They can also provide key
operating information to decision
makers at all levels throughout the
enterprise. OEE, Six Sigma, KPI, and
compliance data can be made available
spread.
Electronic
devices
are
providing
combinations of features and functions formerly
found in multiple separate devices. With a small
transponder on the windshield, cars pass through
tollbooths without stopping.
Increasingly, those
on demand, in real time, to drive
same cars are connected to networks, and have
performance throughout the enterprise.
built-in computing and communications capabilities. The same is happening for trucks, machines,
containers, meters, thermostats, and security cameras. All kinds of things
are becoming “smart,” communicating with people, systems, and other objects. The “Internet of Things” is already here, and it is growing fast.
The individual changes may be unremarkable or incremental, but taken
together, at a certain point they offer incredible opportunities for innovation — in a host of different areas. No one advancement is a game changer;
but the combined effect will be dramatic. It will change business performance expectations, how workers do their jobs, and how business
processes are executed across every department and facility. In the coming
years, the shift from desktop/internet computing to mobile internet computing will transform the way we work and conduct business.
First, a reality check. Will this really be a game-changing transformation?
Will manufacturers and utilities embrace radical new technologies and
business processes? We believe the answer to both questions is “yes.” Will
it happen overnight? No — but it is already happening. Certain mobile
technologies are commonplace within the sales force or field operations.
It’s difficult to predict how fast and the exact direction, but clearly, more
changes are coming. Think for a moment about the changes wrought by
the introduction of the desktop computer, and then by the Internet. Major
disruptive business changes occurred within a period of roughly a decade
or so. Things have not slowed down, and if anything, the pace of change is
accelerating, hampered only slightly by recent economic problems.
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This report has four objectives: 1. provide context for the reader to consider
the impact of certain technology trends (mobile internet computing); 2.
identify key infrastructure components that may need attention in order to
take advantage of smarter mobile devices and smart physical objects; 3.
introduce some architectural concepts and models for enterprise mobile
internet computing, including the mobile enterprise application platform
(MEAP); and, 4. briefly discuss select areas where mobility solutions already
have
a
significant
impact
(supply
chain,
enterprise
asset
management, operations intelligence/HMI, and smart grid).
Emerging Mobile Platform for Workers:
Smart Mobile Devices
Smartphone, iPad, netbook, Kindle, Cius. We are in the midst of an explosion of smart mobile devices. Undoubtedly influenced by the success of
Apple’s iPhone in capturing the public imagination (“There’s an app for
that”), these devices are proliferating at a rapid pace. More and more
people use them in their day-to-day lives for banking, shopping, reading
books, watching movies, getting directions, and a host of other purposes.
As more people embrace the devices and begin to glimpse the new possibilities enabled by the technology, pressure increases
“The smartphone is the new computer,"
may be a bit of an exaggeration, but
there is no doubt that new mobility
solutions are beginning to make a big
impact in industrial companies.
on corporate IT to bring these platforms into the
enterprise.
This presents many challenges for IT. The explosion of smart mobile devices means that companies
have more devices to support. Today, more and
more employees carry their own smartphones. It may make sense for companies to take advantage of this and rely on a plethora of employee devices,
instead of supporting only specific models — but only if it can be done securely and cost-effectively. There seems to be a trend away from dedicated
mobile devices, or company-issued handsets, to employee-owned devices
powered by Apple, Google, Microsoft, or others. On the other hand, the
case can be made to provide employees a specific smartphone or tablet
(such as the Cisco Cius) that docks at the desktop for enhanced connectivity
and functionality.
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Mobile devices exist in a complex ecosystem. Wireless network
carriers provide voice and data network connectivity. Hardware
suppliers combine electronics, display screens, and plastic and
metal cases into sleek handheld or tablet form factors. Other
companies may supply operating systems.
And, increasingly,
third parties provide applications. While this marketplace complexity may hinder growth as consumers navigate the byzantine
carrier service offerings and wait for newer, faster, better devices
and functionality, the ecosystem also clearly offers many potential
opportunities for innovation.
The trend in mobile phone usage is away from basic telephony to
Smart Mobile Device
Architecture (Simplified)
increased data communication via the Internet. This requires and
is limited by the availability of high-speed mobile communica-
tions networks and accessible wireless LANs. With fast broadband communication networks, mobile devices will be able to support rich content,
such as streaming video, as well as download large amounts of data at high
speed. As the infrastructure is built out, expectations for conducting business via mobile devices will continue to increase. But technologies such as
cloud-based systems, video streaming, VoIP, real-time collaboration, and
business process execution from mobile devices will certainly impact corporate networks, security, and management of user access and devices.
Convergence
Technology convergence provides a powerful enabler for mobility solutions.
Consider, for example, the Enterprise Digital Assistant from
Motorola. This device incorporates functionality and technology formerly
found in at least five separate devices — cell phone, PDA, handheld computer, scanner, and camera.
We have become used to this kind of
functional convergence in handheld devices, as cell phones get smarter,
more powerful, and more connected. But that trend may eventually open
up new solution possibilities for industrial companies. In this case, there
are many good reasons to utilize a device such as the Enterprise Digital Assistant instead of a consumer-grade device. But since barcode scanning
applications are now available for the iPhone (which already has all the
other functionalities), some will -- at least briefly -- consider a smartphonebased solution. The point here isn’t to recommend one or the other solu-
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ARC Strategies • August 2010
tion, but merely to point out that technology convergence creates powerful
new mobile solutions that may help improve performance. Convergence
examples can be found throughout the mobile internet computing domain,
not just in the user devices.
An Example of Convergence: Five Technologies in One Device
The Internet of Things and Mobile
Internet Computing
The Internet is changing in some significant ways. One aspect is the expansion of wireless technologies that underpins the Internet’s ongoing evolution
to an always-available, ubiquitous infrastructure. This enables more people
to connect and exchange data and information in various forms, from wherever they find themselves. However, another dimension of change may
have an even bigger impact: the integration of legions of physical objects into
information networks.
The same technologies that support mobility of
people (with their mobile devices) also make up part of the overall infrastructure of hardware, software, and services that connects physical objects using
the Internet. These objects will become ”smart” to varying degrees, and will
play an active role in business processes. Objects will not only communicate
information about their identities, environment, status, maintenance history,
and the like, but many will proactively interact with their “friends,” their
manufacturer, users, maintenance team, and others.
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The technologies enabling the so-called Internet of Things include identification technologies, like RFID, that allow objects to be tagged and then
uniquely identified; and wireless sensor technologies to enable objects to
provide information about their environment. Embeddable or attachable
smart cards or tags will enable everyday objects to have a presence on the
Internet. Over time, the environment will become smarter and the network
of things will operate invisibly all around us. Of course, it’s not yet clear
how “things” will be organized into “systems,” and how the information
management, control, and decision-making capabilities will evolve. Nevertheless, these technologies and trends are not a far-off dream; they are
already being deployed. The number of connected devices is increasing
fivefold every two years.
These two technology changes — expansion of wireless technologies and
increasing connectivity of physical objects — are fundamentally changing
the Internet, as well as the way we all think about using it. Distinctions between human-based and machine-based systems are disappearing.
Paradigm Shift: Entering the Era of Mobile Internet Computing
In the era of mobile internet computing, people, things, and companies will
become much more interconnected and in constant communication. New
opportunities, collaborations, communications, and business processes will
spring up. Vast quantities of data - sensor data, machine status, video
streams, text or voice conversations, and more - will be available via omnipresent networks.
Industrial companies face significant transformations in customer service,
engineering, manufacturing, and overall productivity. More real-time in-
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formation will be available to drive better performance and more transactions. Products will evolve to incorporate services such as condition and
status monitoring, cycle count tracking, consumables replenishment, and
automated diagnosis and replacement parts ordering.
There will be some challenges along the way to achieving this vision of mobile internet computing: new business models can be risky; investments
need to be justified; and new business relationships and ecosystems take
time to develop, and will be challenged by rapid technological change as
well as rapid business process innovation.
It is important to distinguish between “mobility” and “mobile internet
computing.” “Enterprise mobility” is often used to mean extending enterprise applications to mobile devices. “Mobile internet computing” refers to
a broader technology shift, and also encompasses the idea that the Internet
will change as vast numbers of devices begin to communicate online. In
this context, “mobile” in mobile internet computing signifies a paradigm
shift in internet computing. Companies may choose to first focus on enterprise mobility solutions, but should recognize that
the transition to a mobile internet computing paradigm is under way, with significant implications
for IT.
Can we rely on an object’s ability to physically
move from place to place to determine whether it
should fall under the mobile Internet computing
umbrella? Not necessarily. Take the case of finding the location of a fixed asset connected to a
Machine-to-Machine (M2M) Connectivity:
Smart Objects Communicate Autonomously
local Wi-Fi network.
Because the asset (e.g., a
pump) doesn’t move, this represents a simple case
that doesn’t need location-based, or other mobile functionality. But we can
anticipate that the more general case, where assets can be mobile, may become normal over time. In that case, one could imagine using locationbased capabilities in, say, a smart meter or a pipeline sensor (even though
they never move), because that became the standard way to establish a device’s location. Since the devices are fixed in this example, one could use
other means — such as looking in a database — to establish the location.
But why use multiple techniques?
Now consider an example from the perspective of infrastructure: so-called
dual-mode devices use the carrier’s broadband when outside the plant, but
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use the cheaper, high-bandwidth local wireless network within the plant.
In this case, the local wireless network serves both fixed and mobile devices.
•
It is part of the mobile solution, and also part of the fixed solution.
Machine-to-machine (M2M) connectivity refers to the ability of mobile
and fixed assets alike to exchange data with each other, with people, or
with applications that need the information. Key elements of a typical
M2M infrastructure system may include:
•
a field-deployed device or group of devices capable of exchanging
data autonomously
•
access to a wireless network carrier in order to connect the device or
group of devices to a computer server or to another device
•
a software agent, process, or interface by which the data can be analyzed, reported, or acted upon; and
•
a set of server based end-user applications enabling remote access
to the related asset or group of assets
Industrial companies will find it useful to consider five categories of
“things”: mobile information devices, fixed information devices, mobile
assets, fixed assets, and automation devices.
•
Mobile information devices include smartphones, notebooks, netbooks, handheld computers, tablets, and the like. These devices are the
primary means by which people participate in business processes when
not physically connected to the Internet.
•
Fixed information devices include devices such as servers and desktop
computers; network components such as routers, switches, and printers; and other devices such as projectors, and displays. These devices
are familiar to IT departments.
•
Mobile assets include vehicles, containers, railcars, heavy equipment, forklifts, and other assets
that move about in the environment.
•
Fixed assets include production equipment and
industrial
machinery,
power
distribution
equipment, HVAC, and other stationary equipment.
Both fixed and mobile assets are
becoming more intelligent and aware, and both
The Internet of Things
types may connect (M2M) to other objects (as-
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ARC Strategies • August 2010
sets). For example, an arriving truck may communicate with a receiving dock.
•
Automation devices include sensors, controllers, meters, instruments,
actuators, and the like.
These devices may constitute the primary
means by which fixed or mobile assets participate in the Internet of
Things, but many will also communicate as independent objects in their
own right.
Mobile Internet Computing Architecture
E-mail solutions from companies like Research in Motion (RIM), with its
Blackberry architecture, pioneered the fundamental model for extending
business processes to mobile workers. Here, an enterprise server connects
to the corporate e-mail server, and through a firewall, to the Internet. Wireless broadband also connects to Blackberry mobile devices.
In today’s
evolving generalized model, a mobile enterprise application platform connects to other enterprise applications or systems in addition to e-mail, often
via an enterprise service bus or enterprise application integration middleware. With this platform, business processes can be extended from ERP,
CRM, or other applications out to mobile devices. In some cases, enterprise
voice communications (PBX or VoIP) or web-based applications may also
be provided to mobile workers.
Sample Architecture for Extending Business Processes to Mobile Workers
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A mobile enterprise application platform consists of five functional components: mobile middleware, applications, and services; mobile application
clients or web clients; enterprise integration capability; mobile device and
server management and security; and application development tools.
Main Components of Mobile Enterprise Application Platform
•
Mobile middleware, applications, and services provide secure access
into the enterprise, push-data synchronization, and mobile application
server/mobile web server capability. Provides support for multiple
device types in conjunction with mobile clients, as well as the capability
to deploy interactive mobile web applications. Depending on the application, a cradle/sync-and-go or an always-wireless-connected
approach may be employed.
•
Mobile application clients or web clients are the thick- or thin-client
mobile applications. Typically, multiple versions are made available
for different device operating systems.
•
Enterprise integration capability provides for connectivity and business process management to back end systems such as ERP, CRM,
EAM, or other applications.
•
Mobile device and server management and security provides the capability to manage a variety of mobile devices such as smartphones,
handhelds, laptops, netbooks, and iPads. It creates and enforces security policies, manages a “sandbox” for enterprise applications and data,
executes automated business process, and may provide data and content management and connection time optimization.
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ARC Strategies • August 2010
•
Application development tools are used to create and maintain applications at both the mobile client and server levels.
Mobility and Enterprise Systems
Among the difficulties for companies seeking a comprehensive strategy for
enterprise mobility solutions is that the wave of interest in mobility hits so
many departments.
Business managers will have different needs than
maintenance technicians, salespeople, operators, or engineers, but each of
these roles could potentially benefit from having mobile access to tools that
improve their own business processes. Some departments already have
specialized mobility solutions in place, so questions of extensibility, capability, integration, and migration will need to be dealt with. For example, a
company may have a rugged handheld system in the warehouse, and
BlackBerrys for the sales force. Should these solutions be maintained as
separate systems? Should one or the other — or both — be migrated to a
new solution that also provides functionality for the maintenance depart-
Mobility and Enterprise Systems in Industrial Companies
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ment? As mobile internet computing grows, companies will
need to deal with these and other questions.
Another difficulty arises from the number of infrastructure issues that must also be considered. These fall into three areas:
•
Third-party technology suppliers for required technology
services - This includes maintaining relationships with
wireless carriers and internet services providers (ISPs).
These providers may also play a role in device provisioning
and management, enterprise networking, M2M, and other
communications.
Third Parties May Play a Key
Role in Enterprise Mobility
•
Enterprise networks - creating, supporting, and expanding
existing corporate wireless and other networks. Also in-
cluded in this area are RFID/AutoID, land mobile radio integration,
wireless sensor networks, and the like.
•
Enterprise applications and IT - extending business processes from
applications to mobile devices and objects. This includes EAI/ESB,
MEAP, connectivity to enterprise applications, and communications
with other smart IT devices.
Different Radio Technologies, Different Properties
Each of these areas may be involved in mobile device connectivity, or physical object connectivity, or both. A corporate mobility strategy can help
guide and prioritize investments in the infrastructure and help eliminate
duplication and waste.
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We have already touched upon the growth and popularity of mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, and the coming Internet of Things.
The former requires attention, but is manageable today. As an industry, we
are only beginning to glimpse the changes to come from the latter. But that
glimpse already points to areas where the technology could significantly
improve business performance, with supply chain leading the way.
Some Key Players in the Mobility Ecosystem
Security Considerations for Mobility
Mobility presents some new security concerns in addition to many of the
familiar ones. An array of different operating systems and application
sources raises the possibility of new and different threats. The devices may
transit into and out of your secured areas. As the power and popularity of
mobile devices grows, they are increasingly becoming targets of opportunity for hackers. Anti-virus suppliers now target the mobile device market —
a testament to the need. There are many reasons to address security directly when developing mobility strategies and architectures:
•
Access management and control are fundamental requirements for any
remote access and common techniques and technologies can be easily
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applied. But mobility raises special concerns because sensitive information may persist on mobile devices and the devices are easily lost and
stolen.
•
Users of mobile devices are typically accustomed to fast and convenient
operations and are likely to resist and even disable security measures
that make them less productive. This is especially true for devices that
are owned by the employee and used for business purposes.
•
Mobile application platforms are very diverse and complex from
an architectural perspective. This means they are difficult to secure and likely to have more vulnerabilities of all types.
•
Mobile application platforms steadily grow in capabilities that not
only enable more advanced mobile applications, but also provide
hackers with more tools.
Mobility Presents
Unique Security
Concerns
•
Device capabilities also steadily evolve, offering powerful sensors
(such as cameras for collecting sensitive information).
•
As mobile applications and certain devices move into more critical
business processes and workflows, they become more attractive targets
for attackers. Attack tools have become very sophisticated in PC environments and will easily transform to more powerful mobile platforms.
Suppliers and users need to develop specific strategies for security:
•
Protecting sensitive information — Establish good access management,
avoid leaving sensitive information in unsecured devices
•
Protecting a wide variety of access points — secure wireless and other
networks, encrypting communications
•
Building security into mobile application platforms — identity management, user rights managements, system password management
•
Deploying good (if still evolving) antivirus and intrusion protection
security tools for mobile devices.
•
Establishing good security practices for mobile devices — design security into application with minimum disruption to normal work and
enforce good practices.
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Mobile Technologies and the Supply
Chain
Supply chain and logistics operations are fertile ground for mobility solutions for obvious reasons:
mobile workers use mobile assets to move
things. Opportunities for mobile technologies abound, and uptake of mobility solutions of all kinds continues to be quite strong.
Warehouse
workers use mobile technologies to track, communicate, and execute transactions.
Truck and trailer location and status are tracked.
Backend
enterprise applications such as ERP or CRM are accessed. Transactions
with suppliers, customers, and partners are tracked and executed. Inventory is tracked and managed by lot number, expiration date, and the like.
Containers are tracked. Mobile assets are tracked. The list goes on and on.
Companies can marshal an array of mobile technologies to support these
functions. Smartphones, cellular networks, handheld computers, global
positioning systems (GPS), mobile bar code scanners, telemetric (engine
and vehicle sensor data), environmental sensors, RFID tags, and other technologies are employed to enhance and improve business processes,
performance, speed, and outcomes. The substantial benefits that can be
realized can more than offset the costs, while enhancing competiveness.
Benefits include increased productivity of mobile workers such as drivers
or technicians, reduced lead times due to enhanced visibility, better utilization of trucks, and better safety performance because speed or other data is
monitored. Other benefits include faster resolution of exceptions, faster
payment cycle, better security of goods in transit, increased on-shelf availability of products, and many others.
Mobile Technologies and Maintenance
Paper-based data collection and manual entry are still common for the tasks
performed by many maintenance and instrument technicians. Manual data
entry has several problems — accuracy, delay, and compliance issues. With
mobility, the data entry function becomes part of the technician’s workflow,
which improves compliance. Also, more information becomes available to
the technician, reducing time to completion. Mobile devices and software
commonly improve maintenance workforce productivity by 20 percent or
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more. This can translate into a significant reduction in maintenance labor,
with lower operating costs and quick payback.
RFID growth in EAM is also quite strong. With limited durability, bar code
labels for automated data entry have been problematic for assets. RFID
technology offers new opportunities for automating the maintenance technician’s workflow and lowering maintenance labor costs. Additional uses
for RFID include asset location tracking, condition monitoring data acquisition, recording asset history, and spare parts inventory management. (For
more information, see ARC Insight, “RFID Enables Improvement for Mobility and Enterprise Asset Management” published April 29, 2010.)
Mobile Technologies and Industrial
Operations
Plant managers, production supervisors, and certain operators need immediate access to production alerts and alarms, whether at their desk or some
other location. Mobile human-machine-interface (HMI) solutions provide
this capability via cell phone, smartphone, or other mobile devices.
Mobile HMI solutions may connect to a variety of data sources such
as PLCs, DCSs, OPC servers, or others. They are typically rolebased and password-protected, and may also provide access to databases, spreadsheets, and web pages. Often, when alerts or alarms
occur, users must access other information to make timely, appropriate decisions. This may require drilling down through various
Mobile Access to Operating
Information Can Improve
Decision Making and
Enterprise Performance
levels of data. Ideally, any information or tools available via a user’s desktop/notebook computer should be available via a mobile
device.
Mobility solutions can provide key operating information to decision makers at all enterprise levels. OEE, Six Sigma, KPI, and compliance data can
be made available on demand, in real time. Available mobile HMI solutions support newer mobile device models such as Windows Mobile,
BlackBerry, iPhone, and Android. Some solutions provide graphical visual
displays of information, not just simple SMS text messages or e-mail notifications.
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ARC Strategies • August 2010
Mobile Technologies and Smart Grid
Most energy and water companies have long used mobile solutions to support meter data collection and fieldwork crews. Many have moved to RF
meter data collection using handheld automatic meter reading (AMR) or
vehicle-based mobile data collection technology. Field crews may have migrated to IP push-to-talk from land mobile radio solutions.
Now, the Smart Grid is driving another wave of innovation in
the utility industry. This includes wireless solutions for field
service workers, outage detection, and remote monitoring.
In the electric utility industry, the Smart Grid adds monitoring,
control and communications capabilities to the national electriciMobile Technologies Can
Enable Smart Grid and AMI
ty delivery system. This will allow utilities to implement new
pricing and consumption tools, which will improve throughput
and reduce energy consumption. A key growth area is the advanced meter
infrastructure (AMI). A core technology, AMI allows industrial, commercial, and home users to make the most efficient and economical possible use
of electricity, while providing utilities with capabilities such as time-of-use
(TOU) pricing and voluntary energy programs where the utility can manage energy consumption during peak usage periods.
AMI may support two-way, real-time reading of consumption, time of use,
and interval data from the meter. Additional features may include tamper
detection, outage/restoration detection, remote meter configuration, demand
resets, remote disconnect, and more. Many competing technologies available
today transport device data and control messaging. Available communications protocols include RF, power line carrier (PLC), broadband over power
line (BPL), and digital cellular. Smart grid and AMI will require reliable,
ubiquitous communications networks throughout utility service territories.
With extensive existing networks that could enable smart grid and AMI initiatives, cellular technologies have the potential to provide a cost-effective
means of implementing next-generation utility systems.
Many utilities are considering cellular technology for their smart grid AMI
initiatives. Wireless carriers actively support this market segment. These
can not only provide the ubiquitous coverage required for AMI data transmission, but also allow utilities to self-manage deployment of AMI and
smart grid devices through the carriers’ ordering, activation, and management systems for high-volume customers.
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Recommendations
In the coming years, the shift from desktop/internet computing to mobile
internet computing will transform the way work we work and conduct
business. Manufacturers and utilities will embrace radical new technologies and change business processes to take advantage of smart mobile
devices, smart objects, and the Internet of Things. Industrial companies can
do the following to begin to prepare:
•
Recognize that the coming technology shifts have the potential to significantly
impact
the
enterprise
and
change
the
competitive
environment.
•
Evaluate line of business (functional) areas within the enterprise and
prioritize based on potential benefits of extending business processes to
mobile workers.
•
Assess the existing and planned infrastructure (e.g., wireless network
deployment) for its readiness to handle next generation mobility solutions.
•
Investigate potential MEAP solutions. Consider capabilities, scalability,
security, supported devices, development plans, fit with identified LoB
priorities, and supplier strength and business model.
•
Develop a company mobile device strategy, taking into account the rapid evolution of technology, the countervailing trends (letting employees
use their own mobile devices vs. providing a company-supported device), and exceptions for areas with special requirements.
•
Identify the cost/benefit tradeoffs for migrating or integrating existing
mobile solutions based on land mobile radio or other technologies to IP
solutions.
•
For each of the above, ensure that potential security issues are identified
and addressed. Establish policies for using mobile devices, and train
employees in mobile device security best practices.
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Analyst: Greg Gorbach
Editors: Andy Chatha, Harry Forbes, Paul Miller
Distribution: MAS, EAS, and ALM Clients
Acronym Reference: For a complete list of industry acronyms, refer to our
web page at www.arcweb.com/Research/IndustryTerms/
AMI
Advanced Meter Infrastructure
MEAP Mobile Enterprise Application
CRM Customer Relationship
Platform
Management
MOM Manufacturing Operations
DCS
Distributed Control System
EAI
Enterprise Application Integration
Management
OEE
Overall Equipment Effectiveness
EAM Enterprise Asset Management
PLM
Product Lifecycle Management
ERP
Enterprise Resource Planning
PAN
Personal Area Network
ESB
Enterprise Service Bus
PBX
Private Branch Exchange
GPS
Global Positioning System
PDA
Personal Digital Assistant
HMI
Human Machine Interface
PLM
Product Lifecycle Management
HVAC Heating, Venting, Air
RFID Radio Frequency Identification
Conditioning
SaaS Software as a Service
IT
Information Technology
SCM
Supply Chain Management
KPI
Key Performance Indicator
SOA
Service-Oriented Architecture
LAN
Local Area Network
VoIP Voice Over Internet Protocol
M2M Machine to Machine
WAN Wide Area Network
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