The Business-Technology Weave » mobile access

Small Business: Time for an App?

David Scott — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 19:39:58 +0000

Small businesses manage their budgets and overhead very carefully – they have to. Investments must represent true investment – with direct payoffs in the form of strong ROI; a carefully managed Total-Cost-of-Overhead (TCO); and it helps to have an efficient Time-to-Value (TtV) – that is, the sooner something can start contributing and delivering to the bottom line, the better.

We want quick returns on our investments, and we want to maximize profit by keeping overhead low even as we invest in, and implement, those things that drive revenue. And so, in the face of an ongoing mobile revolution, any business has to ask itself: Should we have an app?

Regardless whether any small business sees the need for an app now, or later, it is wise to have a mobile strategy. Stay current with what is available and what it may do for you now, or in time. A good start is to simply optimize your website for mobile.

“Mobilizing” your website

Engaging a provider to build a mobile-friendly website is quite inexpensive. Most sites today utilize a Cascading Style Sheet-based design (CSS). If you’re not on a CSS protocol, you need to get there in order to be positioned effectively for the future anyway, and that is going to cost a bit. Assuming you’re utilizing CSS, optimizing your site for mobile isn’t difficult, or expensive. Many web hosts will even provide a free basic mobile site. However, for a polished look, best operations, and best certainty, you’ll want to partner with a strong mobile solutions provider. It’s a good relationship to get underway in any case.

Advantage of Mobile Site over App and Vice-Versa

In terms of compatibility, mobile sites work universally, independent of device, and generally independent of browser. Score an advantage for the mobile site. However, recognize that a mobile user must open the browser, and negotiate to the URL, or to the Favorite, or Bookmark…

Apps, on the other hand, can be anchored right on the device’s desktop. And, apps can be customized to do anything, whereas mobile sites are merely replications of regular site, or even slightly diminished versions. Apps can provider reminders, can notify of new products and services, can be customized to tie into other apps, and so forth. It’s important to recognize that each app will need to be created for each platform you intend it for, whether Android, iPhone, or Blackberry.

Apps can also be “inside-facing” – that is, they are not customer-oriented, but rather they help your inside people and processes. Inventorying, for example. Dispatching, as another.

Cost?

An app for your organization can cost anywhere from thousands, to tens of thousand, to hundreds of thousands of dollars – depending on the size and scope of your business and related desires. A good place to start is with an initial, high-level, conversation with a mobile applications solutions provider – that much is free. They can help you to decide where the advantages lie: site vs. app, and the robustness of each, and where the paybacks are.

I’d like to wish all readers of this blog and all staff at TechTarget: Happy Holidays!

The Mobile Revolution: Don’t get caught flat-footed

David Scott — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 19:36:22 +0000

Is your organization secure? I don’t mean from a content or access perspective: I mean, is it well-positioned for the future? Do the organization and visionaries make effective plans for secure transitions to new business models, allied enablements, products, services, and deliveries?

Anyone can stumble. Let’s consider a high-profile example: Kodak filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on January 19^th. This, in spite of anticipating and trying to make adjustment from film to digital imaging. One has to ask: If a company like Kodak, with its deep financial and personnel resources, can stumble and go bankrupt, can the future impact my organization in a similar way? What is it that we need to be anticipating and doing… right now… in holding a “Kodak outcome” at bay?

Innovation expert Scott Anthony, author of The Little Black Book of Innovation says, “Even an insightful company can go wrong if it doesn’t push far enough, fast enough, into uncomfortable territory.”

And it’s with that realization that we come to the mobile revolution. The mobile revolution is any organization’s – yours – “film to digital” moment. Mobile devices, with ever more robust operating systems, increased processing capabilities, and higher storage capacities – are now able to run more applications and do ever-more sophisticated things. More applications are being developed, and delivering more productivity, all the time. And, custom apps can be fitted to your exact business models and methodologies. Think about it: The organization’s overall productivity enjoys an enormous boost when folks can access, process, and deliver from virtually anywhere - worldwide.

But it’s more than that…

Total Cost of Overhead (TCO) and Time to Value (TtV) are key components in any successful business. TCO needs to be driven down, in service to keeping expense under control, which serves profit. TtV needs to be speedy: Faster development and implementations aid TCO, and quick business enablements also begin serving faster returns on investments (ROI), again in service to profit. Even non-profit environments and government agencies need lower cost, efficient implementations, and best returns.

In view of all that, consider that many organizations are capturing the ready population of existing personal mobile devices that employees already own – they’re a free capital resource. Why buy expensive laptops, tablets, smartphones, iPads, etc., if there’s an existing mobile population already in hand in the form of personally owned assets? All that’s required is a strong Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Policy, and associated Security Policy and training.

All that’s really left is to engage a mobile solutions provider that understands change, innovation, and the streaming present/future environment. A steady partnership with a mobile innovator will be in every organization’s future.

Today, any business has to ask itself: “What is my organization’s standing in the mobile revolution?”

Am I a “Kodak,” or am I innovating appropriately?

Mobile Access: Make it selective and effective

David Scott — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 17:26:57 +0000

Security is always a delicate balance: You need to provide efficient access, but only to those that are allowed that access.

Because there are a growing number of mobile devices, and more people utilizing them, there is more potential for breach – it’s just a numbers game, really. Your networks require ever more attention: In matters of security solutions and updates; watchfulness for any day-to-day breach; and investigation of any suspect activity. At the same time, access has to be readily available to those authentic users, sustaining their productivity – and they must be be productive within a fully educated posture, based on well-communicated security policies.

First, before a user even authenticates, remember to have the device authenticate. The network must recognize the device, allow it, and further – have your network survey it for currency in updates, patches and policy. Now you’re swingin’.

Also, mobile devices use mobile-broadband, the same networks as mobile phones. Here, it is basically essential to employ a virtual-private-network (VPN) – and also for any access coming through the public internet. Generally, you want to encrypt any data/communications between devices which transmit through public broadband or internet.

The addition of firewalls is another layer of security. They can be comprised of software, hardware, or both – and essentially emplace filters and authenticating standards before letting devices and/or data through.

Remember that any security procedures and policies are only effective so long as the organization enforces them. The organization must invest in security, in more ways than one. More than monetary, it is the organization’s acknowledgement that security is paramount, and that people will be held accountable to security standards. Regularized training and awareness sessions must be adhered to, and all modern and effective security measures must be undertaken in match to the accelerative nature of outside demands and threats.

Get on a schedule of regularized updates in all regards: Organization, people, process, systems, data, communications, education… Also, be certain to weave Business and IT leaders’ understandings and sanctions in creating and adhering to mutually defined and understood goals.

NP: I Can’t Get Started, Cannonball Adderely, jazz24.org

SMB: Mobile Ready?

David Scott — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 16:30:17 +0000

Small and Medium Business (SMB) can really benefit from mobile readiness. Beyond the obvious reasons (the idea of “readiness” and a paired security posture hardly needs to be sold), the SMB market can capture and leverage a whole population of assets that essentially have no overhead. No TCO, no appreciable Time to Value (TtV); they’re here now, in that they’re often owned and maintained by people as personal assets: Things such as smartphones and laptops.

Of course, often enough these devices are provided by SMB too, as tools of any particular job; but there does exist a ready population that can be exploited – and that must be protected.

Whatever devices (and associated users) desire to access your data, systems, and tools – you must take inventory and qualify access before you greenlight it. Assess whether a particular user really needs remote access – is it going to be an efficient enhancement to work? Will it be productive? Does supervision agree that access is desirable? Is a strong case being made?

Then the risks can be weighed against the benefits – and there are always risks. Mobile devices will harbor sensitive data – and that data can easily be lost. Also, mobile devices transmit updated data back into your central repositories – on your network: filestores that represent the content feeding your mission critical applications. Things such as the organization’s sensitive financial information; customer databases and records, sensitive correspondence – you name it. You must ensure sourced mobile data is healthy, accurate, and whole.

Mobile devices also represent a portal through which malware may enter the organization. Therefore, an entire regime of recurring user education is necessary, and a standard schedule for review of devices for compliances and updated protections for malware, etc., is absolutely essential.

When devices are lost, it is imperative that users alert IT – lost devices can allow unauthorized access to the network; IT must immediately bar a device’s ability to access upon loss. And while on that subject, beware devices that have unsecured remote access – that is, no password or stored password, allowing the “greased entry” upon a simple switch-on of the device.

Let’s keep rolling on this…

NP: The “In” Crowd – The Ramsey Lewis Trio, jazz24.org.