by Ian S. Hayes
Browse any trade magazine, business journal or high technology
publication, and you will find plenty of coverage of the wireless scene.
By far, most of these articles tend to treat wireless as a futuristic
technology, focusing on how good things will be in the future.
Undoubtedly, the future will bring great advances to the wireless
landscape. As wireless carriers converge on a single network standard,
coverage will improve nationally and globally. Broadband, high-speed
transmission will permit massive volumes of data to be transported to and
from mobile sites. Cheaper and more powerful wireless devices will spawn
ever more sophisticated and robust applications. Internet connectivity
will become ubiquitous, whether in a remote village in India or in the
Rocky Mountains.
Like so many technological advances in recent years, wireless
technology is subject to an almost overbearing level of hype and
confusion. Conflicting standards and promises that exceed current delivery
capabilities are leading people to site on the sidelines until the future
brings some measure of clarity. Adopting a "wait and see"
posture is tempting because it reduces the risk of making mistakes. But
waiting can also be costly. As shown by the Internet, first mover
advantage is extremely valuable. Right now, leading edge corporations and
vendors are harnessing wireless technologies and using them successfully
to gain competitive advantages over their more timid peers. As the
wireless market advances, these players will have the self-confidence and
expertise to further exploit the new technologies to their profit.
The wireless market is clearly in flux, but it would be foolhardy to
characterize wireless technology as primarily futuristic. Successful
wireless strategies and applications are real, and they exist today.
Companies are using wireless applications to improve the mobility of their
employees, to offer instantaneous access to important data, to improve the
safety of workers, to enhance the accuracy of field-collected data, to
generate new revenues and to administer more personal and effective
customer service. As a result, companies are streamlining processes,
eliminating redundant steps and making their workers more productive. From
financial services, to sales and field support, to healthcare services,
wireless applications have delivered a host of tangible benefits.
To be successful, a wireless strategy must exploit three components --
networks, devices and applications. This article focuses on the last piece
of the equation -- the wireless applications in place and used today by
businesses and consumers. Rather than being predictive of what the future
holds, this article is meant to be descriptive of those wireless
applications currently implemented and operating across a range of
industries, market segments and users.
The Advantages of Going Wireless
It may sound obvious, but the primary purpose of going wireless is to
empower existing mobile workers, consumers and processes, and to reach a
new generation of users by lowering the barriers to mobility. While there
has always been a place and a need for mobility, mobile workers have
generally been hampered by a lack of timely access to information and
other decision-making resources enjoyed by their office-bound
counterparts. Mobile workers have historically been remote, figuratively
and literally, from the data and tools that could help them perform their
jobs better. Other processes and functions that might have benefited from
going mobile were stuck in-house because of "informational glue"
-- the need to keep workers, processes and functions in close physical
proximity to effectively share necessary data and information.
Wireless applications are dissolving this "informational
glue" and allowing workers to roam far afield from corporate offices
and still perform their jobs effectively. Through access to corporate
intranets, emails and alerts, mobile workers can summon the information
they need on demand to perform their work. Further, by enhancing the
ability to collect and transmit data from the field to a central location,
wireless technologies permit businesses to monitor the status and safety
of mobile workers and assets, aggregate disparate sources of data and
streamline internal processes.
Although the specific advantages offered by wireless applications vary
on a case-by-case basis, a number of common advantages emerge. These
advantages include the ability to:
- Perform almost any function or task, from sending and retrieving
emails to accessing patient data, at any location no matter how
geographically remote from a central office.
- Immediately access needed information while away from home or
office.
- Collect data remotely at point-of-contact and forward that data to a
centralized location.
- Retrieve up-to-the-minute information on demand, in real time, from
any location.
To put it succinctly, wireless applications offer the most value when
there is a need for immediate, current information, and the producer and
user of the information either cannot be co-located, or are better off
being physically separated.
Winning Wireless Applications
Many people would find it difficult to list even a few examples of
wireless applications, yet they surround us. Although the flashier
applications garner the most press, there are many simple, straightforward
applications that have been providing business and personal value for over
a decade. These wireless applications fall into two major categories:
voice and data. Within the data category, both business and personal
applications abound.
VOICE Applications
Far and away, the number one wireless application is voice. Starting
with first generation, analog cellular networks and continuing with
current second generation, digital networks, mobile telephone use has
grown dramatically. Cell phone usage has penetrated the far reaches of the
globe, with Europe and Japan leading the charge. According to Ovum, an IT
research and consulting company, there will be over 700 million cellular
telephone subscribers by early 2001.
It is easy to see why voice is such a natural fit for a wireless
application. The ability to speak to another human being, no matter where
the calling parties are located, affords people the type of immediate
access to information that is the bedrock of wireless technologies.
Telephones are ubiquitous in the wired world, and our insatiable appetite
for using them is limited only by our ability to conveniently locate an
apparatus and pay for the service. Being able to carry our own telephones
around with us completely eliminates one of the impediments to usage.
Being able to reach other people any time, anywhere, eliminates yet
another obstacle.
All of the major land-based telecommunications carriers offer wireless
telephone services. Market penetration was decent with analog networks but
has skyrocketed with the improved connectivity and voice quality offered
by digital networks. Although no major carrier in the US has a national
footprint, coverage is improving regionally and nationally. Pricing
schemes are still not attractive enough to encourage widespread use among
consumers in the US -- subscribers almost always must pay for incoming
calls and roaming charges can be expensive. But in Europe and Japan, where
the hassles of obtaining wired telephone service are sometimes formidable
and where wireless billing models are more palatable, cell phone use is
pervasive. In developing countries, where physical, wire-based
connectivity is simply not an option, mobile phones have made dramatic
differences. Enterprising individuals in remote areas in India are
starting their own businesses timesharing cellular telephones among
village inhabitants for a small fee.
As handheld devices become more powerful, and as WAP-enabled telephones
become more prevalent, we can still expect wireless voice applications to
dominate these devices. Why? Because voice applications are ideally suited
for small, handheld, limited real estate devices. Voice applications play
to the strength of these devices -- communications -- and avoid their
frustrating limitations -- miniscule display areas and unwieldy, tiny
keypads.
DATA Applications
Although present wireless telecommunications networks are optimized for
carrying voice traffic, they can also transmit data, but at much slower
speeds averaging 9.6 kbps. Next generation (3G) networks promise to boost
data transmission speeds up to 2 mbps. As transmission rates improve, the
number of wireless data applications will explode. Nevertheless,
enterprising companies are not waiting for 3G networks to exploit wireless
data applications. Using a combination of private and public networks,
custom applications and ever more powerful devices, these leading edge
organizations are tapping wireless data applications to improve operations
and productivity, and ensure the safety of employees and working assets.
Business/Enterprise Applications
Wireless data applications are ideally suited for businesses. Although
not nearly as prevalent as voice-based wireless applications, wireless
data applications can provide demonstrable and attractive returns on
investment to their users. The trick to designing valuable and rewarding
wireless data applications is to focus on business processes first, and
applications second. Savvy companies first consider how their existing
mobile processes could benefit from more timely access to information, the
ability to gather and transmit information from its point of origin in the
field, or the ability to perform additional steps at the mobile site. As
these mobile processes become more robust, exploiting and producing data
more efficiently, they often benefit related internal processes by
eliminating redundant steps, reducing the need for paperwork and providing
quicker access to field-generated data.
Using a range of private, public, regional and national networks and a
host of mobile devices from personal data assistants, to WAP-enabled
telephones, pagers and scanners, companies have built an extraordinary
portfolio of wireless data applications. These applications can be grouped
into the following broad categories.
- Location, tracking and monitoring
Wireless data applications are often used to track the whereabouts
and well being of employees and physical assets. Where employees
perform work remotely under hazardous conditions, companies rely on
wireless applications to ensure their safety. Nynex (now Verizon), a
telecommunications carrier in the northeastern US, equipped its fleet
of repair trucks with GPS locators and wireless devices so that it
could easily locate and dispatch aid to workers at risk in sparsely
populated areas. In a similar vein, many non-profit organizations are
using embedded chips, transmitters and wireless technologies to track
the migratory patterns of endangered species.
Monitoring the location and status of valuable physical assets or
inventory is a burgeoning wireless application area. Many of these
applications rely on telemetry -- one machine speaking to another --
to perform their functions, and are used where it would be impossible
or inconvenient to locate a person to perform the monitoring task. For
example, oil rigs located in hostile environments such as the North
Sea are equipped with wireless monitoring devices and applications
that allow land-based operators to check their status from the safety
of shore. Non-profit organizations use similar applications to monitor
the health of fragile coral reefs.
Companies also use wireless applications to monitor the location
and movement of valuable, tangible assets, both large and small.
Companies track these assets to guard against damage and theft, or
simply to ascertain the whereabouts and anticipated arrival of assets
in transit. Delivery firms like FedEx, United Parcel Service of
America Inc. and Airborne Freight Corp. are investing in wireless
technologies to provide customers with real-time, in-transit tracking
and delivery information. Importers and exporters use wireless
technology to track shipping containers holding costly cargo as they
make their way from port, to freighter, to destination warehouse. Many
high technology, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies monitor
the custody of valuable and/or highly regulated commodities such as
computer equipment, controlled substances and drugs using a
combination of wireless applications and locator devices.
Many individuals including doctors on rounds, repair people, health
service workers and sales people, regularly perform their work
"on the go" from field locations. Many of these workers use
custom-designed wireless applications to help them perform their work
more effectively and efficiently. Generally, these wireless
applications serve to strengthen customer service, boost productivity,
enhance revenue generation and collection opportunities, and produce
more accurate data and streamlined processes. Listed below are some
compelling examples of wireless systems applied to field work.
The medical profession has been an early adopter of wireless
applications. Doctors on rounds in teaching hospitals like the Albert
Florens Storm Eye Institute at the Medical University of South
Carolina now carry wireless devices to input data directly into
patient records. Previously, these doctors would have scribbled
hand-written notes to be deciphered and electronically transcribed by
data entry clerks. These wireless applications not only save tedious
data entry steps, they also ensure that patient records are more
reliable and quickly accessible to others. Doctors similarly use
wireless applications to transmit prescriptions straight to
pharmacies, sparing pharmacists from the error-prone task of
interpreting often-illegible handwriting. American Medical Response, a
nationwide ambulance company, outfits its paramedics responding to 911
medical emergency calls with wireless devices and applications to
capture critical patient data while en route to hospitals. This
information is linked with patient data from the hospital, and also
any patient data collected by fire departments, to improve the quality
of emergency medical treatment and also to save money by streamlining
the consolidation and manual re-keying of data.
The United States Postal Service (USPS) has equipped field
personnel located at international airlines with handheld devices and
wireless applications to help monitor the condition of mail
receptacles. USPS employees create "incident" reports right
on the tarmac to catalog damage to mail receptacles, rather than
generate hand written reports that previously took weeks to process.
Airlines can now take immediate corrective action since they are more
quickly notified of performance problems, and the USPS can better
track vendor performance and enforce penalties.
Similarly, Michelin North America, a leading tire manufacturer,
developed a wireless application to enable its mobile tire inspectors
to capture inspection data such as mileage, make, model and tire wear
directly into handheld devices for electronic submission to
headquarters. The inspectors had relied on a paper-based system in the
past to record inspection data, with forms forwarded to headquarters
for manual re-keying into a database. The new wireless applications
make the inspectors and data entry clerks more productive and enable
the capture of more accurate performance data that feeds into the
product design process.
Fiat Crédit France, the financial services arm of the Fiat Group
car company, created a wireless application for Fiat showroom sales
teams. Rather than leave the customer's side to look up pricing,
financing options and other offers on a desktop computer, the sales
people can access all the information via a handheld device right on
the showroom floor. Sales people have all the information necessary to
quote a price right at their fingertips, can keep the customer
engaged, and can improve their odds of closing the sale.
Progressive Insurance Company is providing its claims adjusters
with wireless applications so that they can deliver in-person, 24x7
service at claims sites, including writing estimates and checks at
accident scenes. This onsite service helps reduce opportunities for
fraud and keeps customers satisfied and loyal. SureAir, a provider of
maintenance management services for retail chains, commercial
buildings and hotels, is piloting a wireless application that will
allow on-call maintenance workers to issue invoices at the time and
place of service, shortening the accounts receivable cycle for the
company.
Many companies have designed wireless applications specifically for
their mobile customer base. These special purpose applications provide
customers with select information and allow them to perform a variety
of self-service functions similar to those available through the
company's Web sit. The financial services industry has developed some
of the earliest and most publicized examples of customer-facing
wireless applications. Fidelity Investments' InstantBrokersm
and Charles Schwab & Co.'s PocketBrokersm are wireless
applications offering a range of information and capabilities
including price alerts, account balances, order executions, order
status and more. US airlines such as United Air Lines and American
Airlines are building out wireless LANs in airport lounges and gates
to give travelers Internet connectivity and other travel-related
services. Ticket agencies such as TicketMaster, sports teams and other
event organizers have designed wireless applications to deliver event
information and reserve seating. FTD.com, an online florist, offers a
wireless flower-ordering service.
Consumer Applications
Mobile consumers are also enjoying a broad range of wireless
information and capabilities. In areas where mobile, Internet-enabled
telephone usage is high (especially Europe and Japan), the wireless craze
has become something of a cultural phenomenon. Among young devotees,
having a wireless apparatus is not only hip, it is a necessity. When
compared to business applications, however, most current consumer
applications are frivolous. And while some of the predicted m-commerce
consumer applications are exciting, the predicted flood of annoying
advertising and marketing may well sink them.
Drawn from examples around the world, listed below are some of the more
popular consumer wireless applications.
An obvious target for consumers, the ability to send and retrieve
email messages is the second most popular wireless application after
voice calling.
- Short Message Service (SMS)
SMS is a two-way message service for mobile phones similar to the
Internet's "instant message" chat services. People use the
keypads of their devices to dash off short messages to friends or
business associates. Popular in Europe for months now, AT&T
Wireless recently introduced a national SMS service in the US and
Canada.
Although many of the advanced location-based services are not
reality yet, at least in the US, simple versions are used in countries
like Korea, where a user's cell location is used to recommend nearby
restaurants, and in Japan, where parents can verify their children's
location.
Many wireless applications exist purely for fun. Simple games are
available for handhelds. In Finland, teenagers customize their cell
phones by downloading special icons and personalized ring tones.
Horoscope and astrology features are the rage in Japan and Italy.
Karaoke, complete with scrolling lyrics and MIDI music, is appearing
on handhelds in Japan.
A variety of telemetry-based commerce applications are available or
in the works. In Finland and Japan, rather than feed coins into
vending machines and parking meters, people can use their cell phones
to pay, with charges appearing on their telephone statements. Waiters
in restaurants rely on wireless LANs and applications to process
credit card transactions at tableside. Taxicab drivers can accept
credit card payments thanks to wireless authorizations.
Limited Web browsing is available to consumers via their handhelds.
Although 3G networks promise greater data transmission speeds,
Internet experiences on handhelds will still be constrained due to
device limitations (small display sizes, tiny keypads, low battery
life).
As this article demonstrates, useful, successful, lucrative wireless
applications exist right now. Relegating wireless technologies to the
future is a mistake. Smart companies are putting the wireless learning
curve behind them, and are already starting to re-shape the way they
conduct their business, deliver their services and products, and generate
their revenues. Wireless technologies may be in their infancy, but they
cannot be ignored.
