Mobile

Unified Communications? There Is No App for That

OK. To be fair, there are iPhone apps related to unified communications, and even an iPhone app which provides rudimentary integration with Microsoft Office Communicator. The point, however, is that as popular and as functional as the iPhone is it still has some catching up to do in order to be a viable platform for enterprise mobile and unified communications.

I had an iPhone for a few months. I enjoyed it, and I felt like it had a lot of really cool features, but in the end I found the fact that there is ‘an app for that’ for so many things to be more of a distraction and a time-suck than a value. I also missed Office Communicator Mobile and my Office Mobile applications so I eventually traded my iPhone for the AT&T (HTC) Tilt– a Windows Mobile 6.0 device.

New phones are emerging with the potential to challenge the iPhone for rock star status among mobile devices. The HTC Pure isn’t really one of them, but it is the crown jewel of the Windows Mobile 6.5 devices which recently hit the streets. I’m debating holding my breath to see if the HTC HD2 comes to AT&T when Windows Mobile 7 is unleashed, but that seems like a long time to wait for a rumored device on a vaporware OS that may not even be offered through my wireless provider if/when it does arrive.

Back to the iPhone though. The iPhone is the #2 smart phone in America. It is lower on the global totem pole, but as it begins to be offered through multiple providers in China that could quickly change. However, there is a reason that Nokia and RIM have so much of the smart phone market share and it has a lot to do with the ability to integrate with enterprise networks and applications. Until Apple gets an app for that it is going to have a tough time being a serious threat in the enterprise.

The flip side of that point though is that Microsoft could do itself a favor and extend its reach by working with Apple to make that happen. The iPhone is a formidable mobile device and it is hugely popular. Microsoft should develop Office Communicator Mobile and Office Mobile apps for the iPhone to promote the use of Microsoft products no matter what mobile platform is being used.

Secure Your Mobile Devices with DUST

Mobile devices are a critical component of enterprise communications and a core element of unified communications. They used to just be phones, but now they are more like tiny micro-laptops that fit in a pocket. With that increased functionality and ability to store massive amounts of data comes an acutely greater need for security.

An industry analyst firm has developed a model for managing mobile security and compliance. The DUST Model for Managing the Risk to Enterprise Mobility establishes guidelines and provides a framework for end-to-end compliance practices and security controls.

The guidelines have four primary components that make up the DUST:

• Devices
• Users
• Sessions
• Transactions

You can get more details on the DUST Model from this CRG Research Brief.

Windows Mobile 6.5 a Tad Underwhelming To Some

I have used some form of Windows Mobile phone for almost 4 years. During that time, I did flirt briefly with the iPhone- trading my AT&T Tilt with my wife for her iPhone for a few months. The iPhone had a coolness factor and some ‘gee-whiz’ bells and whistles, but I really missed having my mobile phone be an extension of my laptop environment.

I wanted Office Communicator Mobile and the ability to view Presence status of my contacts. I wanted native Office application compatibility (ability to view and work with Word and Excel files). I wanted my email to look and feel like the Outlook I am used to on my computer. So, I eventually reclaimed my AT&T Tilt and returned the iPhone to my wife.

That is not to say that there is not room for improvement. Significant improvement. So, it is with great anticipation that I have been looking forward to the next release- Windows Mobile 6.5. As you can imagine then, I was disappointed to read Joe Schurman’s thoughts on what he saw in Windows Mobile 6.5 while attending the 2009 Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference in New Orleans.

Oh well. It may fall short of what it could be, but it will still be better than what it is now. I guess baby steps are better than no steps at all.

Video Conference Via SmartPhone

Throw away your excuses. You won’t be missing any more meetings. As long as you have your mobile phone, you will only be a click away. CallWave is rolling out the Beta version of FUZE which, according to a Network World article, “delivers high-definition synchronized video, document collaboration and audioconferencing from any Web browser-, 3G- or Wi-Fi-enabled device.”

That sounds pretty impressive. What is more impressive is that CallWave has also integrated this application with Microsoft Office Communications Server (OCS) 2007, enabling expanded unified communications functionality including the ability to invite / add users to a meeting with a simple click of the mouse. FUZE also works with the Cisco Unified Communication Manager (CUCM) IP PBX. In addition, CallWave has announced imminent support for the Apple iPhone, as well as support coming soon for Avaya, Mitel, Nortel, and other IP PBX platforms.

RIM Introduces Blackberry Support for OCS 2007

I give credit to Palm for bringing the concept of the personal digital assistant (PDA) to the masses. Research in Motion (RIM) however introduced the revolution of integrating the PDA functionality with a mobile phone which can almost be said to be the beginning of unified communications. Well, unified communications evolved and moved on, but the Blackberry did not simply fade into the shadows. Many companies and government agencies are heavily invested in Blackberry communications technology, and as they adopt unified communicatons solutions they need their Blackberry infrastructure to integrate with the tools they use. RIM is continuing to support that need by introducing tools to enable Blackberry devices to integrate with Microsoft’s Office Communication Server 2007. The new capabilities allow the Blackberry to take advantage of a variety of the presence and unified communications functions.

Microsoft ‘Echoes’ Aims to Get Rid of Phone Numbers

In a recent post on the ‘All About Microsoft’ blog at ZDNet, Mary-Jo Foley describes an ambitious plan already in the works from Microsoft that seeks to eliminate the need for phone numbers. The project, codenamed ‘Echoes’, is being developed and incubated by Microsoft’s Israeli Strategic Development Center. The short-term plan apparently involves engaging telcom providers to partner up to provide a common network address book, to SMS in/out messaging, simultaneous ringing, click-to-call, single-sign on and more for their mobile phone users. In a nutshell, the goal seems to be a move toward greater convergence of the unified communications components (email, voicemail, instant messaging, presence, etc.) that will result in simplified communications that can be initiated by just knowing a user’s name rather than having to know, or look up their phone number.

Free WiFi Coming to Starbucks

I have never understood why Starbucks charged for their wifi hotspot access. I understood why TMobile wanted to make some money off of the deal, but wifi hotspots are everywhere. I like Starbucks, but Panera has free wifi, other coffee shops, bakeries, and restaurants have free wifi. Heck, I got new tires on my car the other day and the tire store offered free wifi in the waiting room. The Internet is available for free virtually anywhere, so I could never understand why someone would pay $20 or $30 a month, or even worse $10 a day, for the privilege of accessing it at a Starbucks. Well, no more! Almost. AT&T has won the contract for Starbucks from TMobile and they are offering a revamped pricing structure. Subscribers to the AT&T broadband Internet service will be able to access the Starbucks wifi for free. Patrons who use a Starbucks card, will be able to access the Starbucks wifi for free for the first 2 hours per day. Additional time will cost money, but less than patrons are used to paying for the TMobile wifi hotspot access. Now, if McDonald’s would get on the free wifi bandwagon too American caffeine and fast food consumers will be all set.

Microsoft OCS Meets Blackberry

The Palm Pilot started the handheld PIM (Personal Information Manager) trend, but the RIM (Research In Motion) Blackberry handheld is the device that revolutionized information management by merging it with a mobile phone and incorporating enterprise email on the go. Unified communications seeks to bring that type of on-the-go communications to a whole new level, but the Blackberry was left sitting on the bench…until now. WebMessenger has introduced WebMessenger Mobile for Microsoft OCS, an application for Microsoft OCS which delivers some of the unified communications capabilities of OCS to the Blackberry handheld device. This first generation version essentially only provides IM and IM presence. WebMessenger is working with telecommunications switch vendors to incorporate presence on the phone side as well.

Avaya Adds Speech Recognition to One-X

Avaya’s flagship unified communications platform, One-X Communicator, now has speech recognition as well. One-X offers a flexible and versatile interface for unified communications, providing access to telephony, desktop video, email, instant messaging, presence information, contacts, and more. Mobile users can now use speech recognition to give verbal commands to the One-X Communicator, enabling them to look up contacts and communicate efficiently while keeping their eyes on the road. This speech functionality is now included from Avaya with no additional licensing costs.

Unifying Phone Communications

Over the past ten years or so, the variety of ways available to connect with an individual has exploded. I mentioned a few posts back how technology has evolved so that you can call, email, instant message, text message, voicemail, etc. to communicate. But, the problem is that there are too many now. When you want to reach somebody, you may have to pick between 3 or 4 phone numbers. As a function of unified communications, a key piece of the puzzle is to try and reduce the options down to a single phone number, which then intelligently routes to the user. Vendors are making strides toward that goal with varying strategies for how to simultaneously ring the desk and cell phone, or methods to leverage wireless network capabilities in the office, but route to cellular when the phone is out of range. I think we’re getting there. Check out Two Options for Cellular Mobile Unified Communications for more analysis of the emerging and evolving solutions for this communications dilemma.