7.1 Overview of Mobile Computing and Commerce
Mobile computing and commerce is growing rapidly with the explosive growth of mobile devices and networks. This section provides an overview of the field. Specifically we cover the content (landscape) of the field, its terminology, attributes, drivers, and benefits, We also describe some of the supporting technologies and provide an overview of mobile commerce.
THE MOBILE COMPUTING LANDSCAPE
In the traditional computing environment it was necessary to come to the computer to do some work on it. All computers were connected to each other, to networks, servers, and so on via wires. This situation limited the use of computers and created hardship for people and workers on the move. In particular, salespeople, repair people, service employees, students, law enforcement agents, and utility worker can be more effective if they can use information technology while at their jobs in the field or in transit. There are also mobile vacationers, people on holiday who wish to be connected with the Internet from any place at any time.
The first solution was to make computers small enough that they can be easily carried around. First, the laptop computer was invented, and later on smaller and smaller computers, such as the PDAs and other handhelds, appeared. These mobile devices have become lighter and more powerful as far as processing speed and storage. At the end of the day, mobile workers were able to download (or upload) information from (or to) a regular desktop computer in a process known as synchronization, To speed up the “sync,” special connecting cradles (docking stations) were created (see Online Minicase 7.1 in this chapter (Washington Township) and the Maybelline Online Minicase in Chapter 2).
The second solution to the need for mobile computing was to replace wires with wireless communication media. Wireless systems have been in use in radio, TV, and telephones for a long time, so it was natural to adapt them to the computing environment.
The third solution was a combination of the first two, namely, to use mobile devices in a wireless environment. Referred to as wireless mobile computing, this combination enables a real-time connection between a mobile device and other computing environments, such as the Internet or an intranet. This innovation changed the way people use computers. It is used in education, healthcare, entertainment, security, and much more. This computing model is basically leading to ubiquity-meaning that computing is available anywhere at any time. (Note: Since many mobile applications now go wireless, the term mobile computing today is often used generally to describe wireless mobile computing; (see Taylor, 2007, and Taniar, 2007.)
Using wireline portable computers, salespeople can make proposals at customers’offices, or while traveling, a traveler could read and answer all of the day’s e-mails at the hotel room as long as there is wireless or wireline Internet access.
For example, National Distributing Company (NDC), one of the three top alcoholic beverage distributors in the United States, needed a point-of-service (POS) tool for its 1,000-person sales team to perform order entry and CRM applications while at the customer location. The company chose Fujitsu’s pen Tablet PCs (Stylistic 3500) and a cellular phone. NDC’s sales representatives now dial up the company’s mainframe computer directly and access its CRM applications and Web-enabled order entry. The pen Tablet PCs provide NDC’s sales representatives with real-time data on order status, product availability, customer account status, and other information, while they meet face-to-face with the customer. It has a wireless option, too (Fujitsu Computer Systems, 2008).
Due to some current technical limitations, we cannot (yet) do with mobile computing all of the things that we do with regular computing. On the other hand, we can do things in mobile computing that we cannot do in the regular computing environment. We explore the advantages of mobile computing later in the chapter.
Mobile Computing Basic Terminology. Now that we have a sense of how mobile computing works, we need to learn the basic technology. Table 7.1 lists and defines some common mobile computing terms. Please study this table carefully because we will be referring to these terms throughout the chapter. Note that some of these terms are covered in Chapter 4 and in Technology Guide 4.
With these terms in mind, we can now look more deeply at the attributes and drivers of mobile computing.
THE MOBILE COMPUTING LANDSCAPE
In the traditional computing environment it was necessary to come to the computer to do some work on it. All computers were connected to each other, to networks, servers, and so on via wires. This situation limited the use of computers and created hardship for people and workers on the move. In particular, salespeople, repair people, service employees, students, law enforcement agents, and utility worker can be more effective if they can use information technology while at their jobs in the field or in transit. There are also mobile vacationers, people on holiday who wish to be connected with the Internet from any place at any time.
The first solution was to make computers small enough that they can be easily carried around. First, the laptop computer was invented, and later on smaller and smaller computers, such as the PDAs and other handhelds, appeared. These mobile devices have become lighter and more powerful as far as processing speed and storage. At the end of the day, mobile workers were able to download (or upload) information from (or to) a regular desktop computer in a process known as synchronization, To speed up the “sync,” special connecting cradles (docking stations) were created (see Online Minicase 7.1 in this chapter (Washington Township) and the Maybelline Online Minicase in Chapter 2).
The second solution to the need for mobile computing was to replace wires with wireless communication media. Wireless systems have been in use in radio, TV, and telephones for a long time, so it was natural to adapt them to the computing environment.
The third solution was a combination of the first two, namely, to use mobile devices in a wireless environment. Referred to as wireless mobile computing, this combination enables a real-time connection between a mobile device and other computing environments, such as the Internet or an intranet. This innovation changed the way people use computers. It is used in education, healthcare, entertainment, security, and much more. This computing model is basically leading to ubiquity-meaning that computing is available anywhere at any time. (Note: Since many mobile applications now go wireless, the term mobile computing today is often used generally to describe wireless mobile computing; (see Taylor, 2007, and Taniar, 2007.)
Using wireline portable computers, salespeople can make proposals at customers’offices, or while traveling, a traveler could read and answer all of the day’s e-mails at the hotel room as long as there is wireless or wireline Internet access.
For example, National Distributing Company (NDC), one of the three top alcoholic beverage distributors in the United States, needed a point-of-service (POS) tool for its 1,000-person sales team to perform order entry and CRM applications while at the customer location. The company chose Fujitsu’s pen Tablet PCs (Stylistic 3500) and a cellular phone. NDC’s sales representatives now dial up the company’s mainframe computer directly and access its CRM applications and Web-enabled order entry. The pen Tablet PCs provide NDC’s sales representatives with real-time data on order status, product availability, customer account status, and other information, while they meet face-to-face with the customer. It has a wireless option, too (Fujitsu Computer Systems, 2008).
Due to some current technical limitations, we cannot (yet) do with mobile computing all of the things that we do with regular computing. On the other hand, we can do things in mobile computing that we cannot do in the regular computing environment. We explore the advantages of mobile computing later in the chapter.
Mobile Computing Basic Terminology. Now that we have a sense of how mobile computing works, we need to learn the basic technology. Table 7.1 lists and defines some common mobile computing terms. Please study this table carefully because we will be referring to these terms throughout the chapter. Note that some of these terms are covered in Chapter 4 and in Technology Guide 4.
With these terms in mind, we can now look more deeply at the attributes and drivers of mobile computing.
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