IT Management help on: mobile phones

IntroductionUp gradation amongst the information system used in the mobile phones play one of the most important role. In order to satisfy the needs of the customers, the mobile phones have been successfully enriched with the newer technologies. The success of the mobile industry could be very well seen with the help of the technologies used. In order to locate the various types of success opportunities of the mobile technology, the major impact on the performance of the users could be seen.

The mobile technology would help in order to shape the overall environment of the professionals. Use of smart phones, laptops, pocket PC’s use various types of information system which helps in order to provide one of the best application to its users.

This report majorly take into consideration, the key technologies which are being used in the mobile industry, a brief overview of the current state of art in the development of the mobile application, identification of the key business issues which might have an adverse impact over the application design as well as the user requirements which, might impact the application design of the mobile phones.

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Key technologies in Mobile TechnologyImproved Data Networks.  I am referring to breadth of coverage, reliability and, of course, bandwidth. This is one of the most important areas when dealing with adoption. Although mobile growth numbers are staggering, there is still room for significant expansion with greater coverage. With an increase in the customer base,  it is important to service these customers in line with their expectations. For an industry built on delivering data instantaneously, there is little that halts progress more than poor user experience due to unreliable networks. The final, and probably most important factor for adoption is bandwidth. This is the main driver in creating a more rich and intimate experience for the users which will further embed mobile devices into their day to day life.

Enterprise Software. As with any new, sexy industry, there are a lot of players trying out many different things. We are still in the experimental phase of the mobile industry. As we figure out what works and what doesn’t, the market will go through a natural cycle of attrition and acquisition. It will be quite some time though before this ecosystem gets any less complex and fragmented.  One side

effect from this market is that it creates a barrier of entry for businesses. Mobile is still seen as cutting edge and for early adopters. As we saw in the early days of the web, progress is accelerated when businesses start to adopt the technology. This is the gap that we at Hubba and others are trying to bridge. By providing businesses with enterprise grade platforms, we try to make it easy for businesses to make sense of the mobile world and take advantage of opportunities that they may not have identified before.

Trigger Mechanisms.  I promise that I will come back and rename this section when I can think of something better (or somebody suggests something better in the comments).  My point though is that Mobile Marketing has gone from an invasive push culture with annoying SMS messages to a pull culture where, as a user, you trigger the information that you want.  This can be done by searching online, scanning a bar/QR code or many other options. That simple act of ‘having to act’ seems to be a high barrier in these early days. As we evolve, we are moving towards an even less invasive pull. Newer technologies like NFC, Short range ultrasonics, local positioning systems and others reduce this barrier.

Mobile Devices.  Over the next 1-2 years, the definition of mobile will change.  We are the ones who are mobile, not our phones. To that extent, the mobile industry will be about getting us the information that we want, when we want it, wherever we are. That means that new devices will continuously be developed to seamlessly integrate into our everyday lives whether it is in your house, your office, your car or any other place that you may be.

Overview Mobile application developmentMobile Application Development – Current Status, Opportunities and Skills Required – Interview with Professor Mark DuBois

Today’s Web Professional Minute is an interview with Professor Mark DuBois, Illinois Central College and WOW’s Director of Education. In this seven minute podcast, Mark covers the current status of Mobile Application Development, his research into the landscape of providers and devices, the opportunities for monetization, jobs and the skills required and the training resources available.

According to Wikipedia, Mobile application development is the process by which applications are developed for small low-power hand held devices such as personal digital assistants, enterprise digital assistants or mobile phones. These applications are either pre-installed on phones during manufacture, or downloaded by customers from app stores and other mobile software distribution platforms.

Mobile software development is the process of creating software which can be used on a mobile device. It also refers to the creation of special web and applications for mobile devices. This is often done using a mobile simulator on a personal computer.

Mobile software is developed by using different platforms and programming languages based on the target mobile device. There are many different hardware components found in mobile devices so their applications are developed using different software architectures. It is also made more difficult because users of mobile applications have diverse preferences so extensive improvements to traditional system development methodologies are required in order to keep up with this demand.

Most of the methodologies in use are based on the model-driven approach which has three different views of the application development process: the application itself and its structure, the business logic and (3) the graphical user interface of the application.

Platforms for multi-vendor devices

The following software platforms will run on hardware platforms from a number of different manufacturers:

* Java ME This platform generally produces portable applications, although sometimes device-specific libraries exist (commonly used for games), making them non-portable. It is often used to provide simple applications on feature phones. Applications (including their data) cannot be larger than around 1 MB if they are to run on most phones. They must also be cryptographically signed in order to use APIs such as the file system access API. This is relatively expensive and is rarely done, even for commercial applications. Java ME runs atop a Virtual Machine (called the KVM) which allows reasonable, but not complete, access to the functionality of the underlying phone. The JSR process serves to incrementally increase the functionality that can be made available to Java ME, while also providing Carriers and OEMs the ability to prevent access, or limit access to provisioned software.

* Symbian platform Designed from the start for mobile devices, the Symbian platform is a real time, multi-tasking OS specifically architected to run well on resource-constrained systems, maximising performance and battery life whilst minimising memory usage. The Symbian Foundation maintains the code for the open source software platform based on Symbian OS and software assets contributed by Nokia, NTT DOCOMO, and Sony Ericsson, including the S60 and MOAP(S) user interfaces. The platform is fully open source, mostly supplied under the Eclipse Public License. Over 300 million Symbian OS-based units have been shipped and Symbian holds more than a 50% market share globally.

* Android Android is a Linux-based platform from the Open Handset Alliance, whose 34 members include Google, HTC, Motorola, Qualcomm, and T-Mobile. It is supported by over 34 major software, hardware and telecoms companies. The Linux kernel is used as a hardware abstraction layer (HAL). Application programming is primarily done in Java. The Android specific Java SDK is required for development although any Java IDE may be used. Performance critical code can be written in C, C++ or other native code languages using the Android Native Development Kit (NDK).

* Windows Mobile is a variant of Windows CE for mobile phones. Windows CE was originally developed for palmtop computers and Pocket PC PDAs with stylus-touch screens, and later adapted for use with keyboard-equipped smartphones. Phones have become the largest installed base for CE, though market share has fallen since the introduction of Android and IPhone. Windows Mobile supports a subset of the win32 programming interface, and a simplified GUI with one window on the screen at a time. Applications can use the .NET Compact Framework Devices are compatible with applications on Pocket PC/Windows Mobile devices. Windows Mobile 6.5 introduced IPhone-like finger-based touch interfaces, while Windows Phone 7 is a substantial redesign that uses Silverlight and XNA for rich user interfaces.

* Qt (framework) Qt uses standard C++ but makes extensive use of a special pre-processor (called the Meta Object Compiler, or moc) to enrich the language. Qt can also be used in several other programming languages via language bindings. It runs on all major platforms and has extensive internationalization support. Non-GUI features include SQL database access, XML parsing, thread management, network support, and a unified cross-platform API for file handling.

* BREW Used for deploying applications on CDMA devices (but also supports GPRS/GSM models). Distributed via a Brew Content Platform. Little penetration in Europe. BREW can provide complete control of the handset and access to all its functionality. However the power provided by native code with direct access to the handset APIs, has caused the BREW development process to be tailored largely towards recognized software vendors. While the BREW SDK (Software Development Kit) is freely available, running software on real mobile hardware (as opposed to the provided emulator) requires a digital signature which can only be generated with tools issued by a handful of parties, namely mobile content providers and Qualcomm themselves. Even then, the software will only work on test enabled devices. To be downloadable on regular phones the software must be checked, tested and given approval by Qualcomm via their TRUE BREW Testing program.

* Palm OS formerly had a strong enterprise following in the important US market, based on Palm PDAs

o Palm webOS is Palm’s follow-on proprietary mobile operating system running on a Linux kernel which supports multitasking. Launched with Palm Pre and Pixi, now owned by Hewlett Packard.

* Flash Lite Used for devices that support the Flash Lite player.

* Microbrowser based. Lightweight functionality provided via a web-interface

Key issues in application design

Some of the key issues which might arise in the application design could be enumerated as follows. They are as follows:

Þ    Size does matter:

The first issue which might arise while designing the application for the mobile industry would be in regards to the size. Screen resolution leads to one of the major issues in case of designing the overall application for the same. The real dimensions of the screen should be kept in mind while designing an application for the mobile industry. Size of the web screen would lead to one of the biggest issues & the sites should be maintained in such a manner which would be viewed on the normal sized desktop. The page layout should be maintained in such a manner which might assume the larger pages at one go. In order to showcase the smaller pages, the system must be designed in such a manner which would not lead to any type of interference amongst the functionality of the pages as well as the usage of comprehension. The result is that, sufficient amount of time would be wasted in scrolling up, down, left & right.

Þ    Content is king:

The second main issue which might lead to an issue while designing the application for the mobile industry would be in regards to the content published on the internet. While designing the content for the mobile device, the developers should keep in mind the various tips which would help them in order to make a successful operating system for the same.

Þ    Limit Graphics:

The third main issue which might arise while designing the system for mobile industry would be in regards to the graphics. Graphics refers to one of the main or crucial aspects which would help in order to excite the entire website. While designing for a mobile device, the graphics would appear in very small font & there would be lack of color, the displays would be lost, etc. The information should be in such a manner that it should take up the center stage. In order to highlight the information, effectively as well as efficiently each & every pixel of the graphic should be kept in mind. The pointless information should not be taken into consideration. Fair advantage of all the tags should be done which would help in order to convey the images & the images would not be displayed.

Þ    Limit download times:

Travel back in time to the initial days of the Web where dial-up connections with a 9,600 baud modem was cutting edge, and you will understand the bandwidth limitations for wireless devices. So, you should develop scaled-down pages that eliminate the bells and whistles and deliver only what is necessary to mobile clients.

Carefully select content: Tailor the content specifically to the target user group by displaying only the most essential data.

Minimize page length and size: Scrolling on handheld devices is often limited, awkward, and hard for users to keep track of their place with scroll keys and other pen input devices. With that in mind, you should limit the amount of scrolling required in a Web application. This may involve splitting normal pages into multiple pages for handhelds. Architecting the site for handheld devices demands information that is effectively organized to maximize user experience.

Utilize standard HTML: Stick with standard HTML tags to ensure proper functioning of an application.

When developing applications for mobile or handheldbrowsers, your main focus is on the content. The reduced screen size relegatesthe extra items to the scrap heap. This includes needless graphics, as well asall other nonessential page elements. It forces the design team to clearlydefine or pinpoint what is most important to the target user group.

Þ    Dealing with user input

Another issue which might arise while designing the application for the mobile devices would be in regards in dealing the user input. The user might use various buttons to scroll up & down or use a pencil like device also known as the Palm Device. It would not be convenient to add all the various input buttons as the user would not have a key board to outperform & use the various buttons.

Þ    Testing:

Testing refers to one of the most important aspect while designing application for the mobile industry. There are many devices available in the market whose testing could not be done. It is quite a rigorous as well as an impossible task to check each & every application designed for the same.

Þ    Development options:

A few years ago, there was a lot of hype around Wireless Markup Language (WML), but it has dissipated as devices now support HTMLand CSS. While most mobile devices can easily handle regular HTML pages, thereare other options available.

You may opt to develop a mobile application as opposed to aWeb application. Mobile applications are actually installed on the device. Theyrun inside the mobile device and use its memory and disk space. The differencebetween mobile and Web applications is they can run without Internetconnectivity.

The .NETCompact Framework and JavaME are two examples of mobile development platforms. They allow you toutilize programming languages to deliver mobile functionality. While they may includeWeb functionality, they most often do not rely on it.

Þ    New set of users

The mobile industry has been referred to as one of the most dynamic market in case of the development of the various mobile devices. In order to develop one of the best as well as most effective & efficient application, different types of web applications should be utilized. The main focus of this would be to develop content as well as take into consideration the size of the targeted mobile devices.

Key user requirements & its impact on mobile application design

The key user requirements & its impact on the mobile application design could be seen with the help of the two main points such as:

Þ    Requirements Engineering:

Requirements engineering refers to one of the most important & crucial aspects in case of software design. This aspect helps in the overall development of the mobile application design keeping in the mind the varied specifications. The requirement engineers would be able to make a clear distinction between the functional as well as non functional requirements. The first aspect in the requirements engineering would refer to the way with which the entire software would be able to perform in the mobile phone. This system in the requirement engineering would help not only to see what the software or the system is all about but also take into consideration the various tasks which could be supported by it. On the other hand, the non functional aspects would take into consideration how the entire operation system of the mobile phone would take into place. The hardcore non functional aspects of the engineering requirement would act more reliable, scalable, usable as well as system which would help in order to measure the performance & decrease the levels of cost involved in the same. Different types of restrictions would be kept which would help in order to as one of the major constraints in developing as well as designing the application for mobile system. With the help of the international standards, the six main features of the non functional requirements would be kept in mind while designing the application for mobile phones. The six features would be reliability, usability, efficiency, effectiveness, profitability & maintenance which would help in order to evaluate the software being used in the same.

Main focus of the requirements engineering would be to use one of the best technologies which would help in order to satisfy the need of the requirement. This would help in order to practice highly efficient as well as effective results in the entire operating system.

Þ    Usability Research

Usability research refers to one of the major tools which would help the customers or the consumers to use the mobile application in one of the best manner. The usability research would help in order to focus upon the interaction amongst the customers. This aspect would also keep in mind, the way with which the product could be used in the best of the manner. This research mainly take into consideration one of the best ways with which the individual goal of the consumers. The usability research would help in order to cover various customer centric approaches which would help in order to read the psychology of the customers as well as meet their expectations. This research would also help in order to create a cordial link between the user as well as the application designed for the mobile phone.

The term usability could be defined by International Organization for Standardization (ISO) as “degree or level with which the product designed could be used by the selected parties so as to achieve the goals & achieve effectiveness as well as efficiency to the specified parties”.

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