Guest Written by Greg Henry – VP of Product Management

Prior generations of computing solutions remained stationary and where typically clustered into a few locations such as office buildings and warehouses.  This clustering simplified the support requirements since technicians could “touch” a large number of devices in a short time period.  Mobile computing has complicated the support model not only due to the devices being able to change locations on a moment’s notice but they are also no longer deployed in clusters.  As a result, new technologies and processes need to be considered when supporting a deployment of mobile devices.  Items to consider include:

• When, where and how to  deploy software updates
• Remote diagnosis of mobile application issues
• Updating of security credentials
• Location of mobile assets
• Bandwidth utilization
• Remote user training
• Identification of hardware failures

Like the enterprise class support tools of the past and today, we also have a set of mobile device management tools (MDM).  These tools are designed to specifically meet the unique demands and requirements of mobile devices.  These requirements include; least cost routing (being able to choose the communication network depending on application function), the ability to push application updates on demand or schedule for at a specific time, the ability to take remote control of the device to resolve issues or for user training purposes as well as many other.  DecisionPoint has been installing and supporting MDM tools since their beginning and has the deep industry knowledge to provide you with best practice consulting in the configuration of your MDM tool or provide you with a completely managed MDM offering (MobileCare EMM).

Guest written by Greg Henry, VP of Product Management

“According to Forrester Research, 78% of the enterprises are instituting BYOD programs, with 60% including smartphones, while 47% include tablets and laptops. 70% said that improved worker productivity is the key reason for BYOD”.  Motorola, Secure Access Partner Brief.  With the growing number of BYOD participants questions related to the corporation’s access of personal information continue to be asked.  Questions like:

• Is my employer tracking my movements during work hours or after?
• If my employer “wipes” my device what happens to my personal information (pictures, music, address book, etc.)?
• Can my employer view my browsing history?
• Can my employer seize my device to discover or preserve evidence related to a legal action?

The key to answering many of these questions is directly related to the capabilities of your MDM tool and the policies that are created to support your company’s BYOD program.  In order to gain the greatest benefits from a BYOD program it is advised to thoroughly examine the purpose of the program and define a set of policies that ensure the business objectives while preserving each participant’s personal information.  This discussion is too broad to cover in a blog posting; however, the good news is that MDM (mobile device management) tools are rapidly releasing new features to address these types of concerns.  As a final thought, once you have defined your BYOD policies it is recommended that you publish a Mobility Users Policy Guide and make this available to all program participants.  Think of this guide in the same manner as your Human Resource (HR) Manual in that it is the first document that an employee will reference for information related to the company’s implementation and support of mobile devices.

Guest Written by Greg Henry, VP of Product Management

As mobile devices continue to enter the corporate enterprise, IT professionals are implementing new strategies to manage these highly mobile and varying devices.  Smartphones and tablet computers have created a new niche among computing devices.  Like the desktop and laptop computers that preceded them, these devices increase user productivity by providing access to corporate resources.  However, unique to these devices is the fact that they are highly mobile, often function for both work and personal use and come in many variations with differing operating systems, form factors, connectivity options, application capabilities and if that is not enough they have a relatively short life cycle with most devices being replaced with newer models in less than 2 years.

Mobile Device Management (MDM) tools were created to manage the unique needs of mobile devices.  These tools include the following capabilities:

Device Management Capabilities: 

• Removal of applications and data from lost or stolen devices
• Remote control capabilities to remote repair software related issues
• Device lock down  to prevent undesired user access to system level functions
• Configuration control
  • Wi-Fi setup
  • VPN setup
  • Power management and other system setting
  • Asset / inventory management

Application Management Capabilities:

• Silent application installation
• Push of application updates
• Creation of application stores
• Support for operating system updates
• Control timing and delivery of new and updated applications
• Push and control documents

User Management Capabilities:

• Support for role-based application access and device configuration
• User authentication
• Usage reporting

Security Capabilities:

• Data encryption
• Application and data wipe
• User authentication (Active Directory, LDAP)
• VPN support
• Advanced device restrictions
• Certificate management
• SD card encryption

As you can see, MDM provides a comprehensive set of capabilities to support the deployment of any mobile solution.  The next question is how?

MDM Deployment Options

The majority of MDM tools are cloud-based solutions and as such they provide a number of deployment options.  Most MDM solutions are comprised of two major application components, the mobile agent that resides on the mobile device and the administration which resides on a server.  The administration server provides an administration console which is used to create groups, profiles, and policies as well as control user access, device remote control and application updates.

Administration Server Options:

• The administration server can be installed in one of two options:
  • On-premise (installed on customer equipment within their enterprise network)
  • Cloud (hosted in a network operation center NOC accessible via the Internet)

Mobile Agent Options:

• The mobile agent can be installed on the mobile device using one of the following methods.
  • Install AirWatch Agent
    • Preloaded on an SD Card
    • Build a custom device image and side load via cradle
    • Browse to hosted website
    • Download from the Google Play Store
    • Once the agent has been installed, the next step is to execute and enroll the device with the administration server.
      • Execute the Agent and Enroll
        • Enter MDM Host URL
        • Enter Group ID
          • Enter User/Password
• Device configuration profiles are automatically provisioned to the device
• User is prompted to install internal (Enterprise) applications
• Configuration that is not possible within MDM must be performed manually

Guest Written By – Greg Henry, VP of Product Management

With the proliferation of smartphones and tablet computers the mobile computing industry is going through another transition.  Unlike the previous major technology refresh we experienced when the industry transitioned from DOS devices to Windows CE and then Windows Mobile, this transition is more complex.  This complexity is the result of multiple operating systems such as Android, iOS, Windows 8 and others, competing device manufacturers with multiple form factors and feature sets, not to mention mobile peripherals that bring additional functionality and durability to consumer class devices.  While having greater choices is generally a good thing, these choices have a cascading effect on the other elements of the mobile solution such as device selection, application selection, product life cycle, and support requirements.  Let’s look at each of these in a little more detail.

Device Selection:

Mobile devices are generally grouped based on operating system (OS), durability, and unique feature sets such as barcode scanning or wireless communication capability.  Ideally, you select a device based on the mobile user’s requirements.  However, what if the ideal device does not support the OS that your organization has selected as a standard?

Application Selection

There are plenty of mobile application providers today, however, due to the development and support costs associated with building industry specific or highly custom applications, many providers must select a subset of mobile device platforms to support.  Finding the best mobile application provider for your specific mobile need may reduce the number of mobile devices available to you.

Product Life Cycle

The cross over and success of consumer smartphones and tablets can have a dramatic impact on your long-term mobile solution.  Rugged mobile computer manufactures have traditionally manufactured and supported their products for 5 years or more.  However, consumer devices are often replaced every 12 months with a new device.  The new device often requires different peripherals, has modifications to the OS and is generally a different device.  When a company is looking at the life of a mobile project, you must weigh the cost benefits of a consumer device against the long-term training, support and replacement costs of a device with a relatively short product life.

Support Requirements

Another factor to consider is the support requirements of your mobile deployment.  The more options you present to your user community, the larger the support requirements and cost.  Be mindful to understand the user and project requirements at the beginning of the project and consider the support costs at each selection phase.

Conclusion

While choice brings complexity, it has also enabled entirely new industries and market segments to benefit from the advantages of empowering the mobile worker.  Understanding your needs, doing the homework and working with experienced mobile professionals will ensure that your mobility projects and solutions meet the user, business and financial requirements that you set out to achieve.

Every day you read or hear about how someone is using mobile technologies to empower their mobile workforce.  Whether it is your local service technician, retail clerk at the grocery store or home delivery driver, we see mobile computers being used all around us to collect information, process payments and more.  While the popularity of mobile computing is growing, it is not new.  In fact, Fortune 1000 companies have received the accuracy and productivity benefits of mobile computers for over 25 years.  However, recent technology advancements and cost reductions now allow smaller organizations to implement this powerful technology to empower their mobile workers.  The one thing many of these companies lack is knowledge, if only you could reach out to those larger organizations with years of experience.  Think about how much time and money they could save you relating to device and application selection, deployment and training strategies as well as long term support and maintenance.  If you happen to know someone that has been down the mobile implementation road before, consider yourself lucky.  For those less fortunate there is an alternative to scouring the web, talking to partners and trial and error.  DecisionPoint Systems has stood beside many of these Fortune 1000 companies over the last 25 years and we can do the same for you.  If you are interested in learning more about how mobile computing can empower your mobile workforce please give us a call at 949.465.0065.

The adoption of BYOD is occurring in every market segment by small and large organizations alike. This is the result of businesses having concluded that their employees are more productive and accessible when they can use their own mobile device to perform work related activities.  However, this productivity and access may lead to undesired security challenges.  Exposing your network, servers and business applications to the outside world invites hackers, competitors and others to wreak havoc.  The most logical approach is to extend your existing security policies to this new mobile end point.  But how?  Fortunately there is an expanding industry of software tools that are designed to specifically address the security issues related to mobile devices.  These tools are continually evolving in functionality and address the majority if not all of your security challenges including:

• Device lock down
• Data encryption
• Secure user access
• Wireless network policies
• Internet access
• Application installation
• Device wipe
• And many others

DecisionPoint has partnered with AirWatch, the leader in MDM technology.  We not only provide consulting services to provide our customers with best practice implementation strategies but we also offer a completely managed MDM service (MobileCare EMM).

Guest Written by Bob Russell, Senior Solutions Architect

In January 2010, Department of Transportation banned commercial vehicle drivers in the U.S. from text messaging and using handheld cell phones while driving. Later that same year, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced the Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program as a new nationwide system for making the roads safer. More recently, the FMCSA released rules effective January, 2012 restricting use of hand-held mobile phones by drivers of commercial motor vehicles.

Compliance is critical for both your company and your drivers. Drivers who violate the restriction face penalties up to $2,750 for each offense and disqualification from operating a commercial motor vehicle for multiple offenses. Commercial truck companies who violate the restriction face a maximum penalty of $11,000 along with the increased likelihood of accidents and lawsuits. It’s also important for carriers to protect CSA score to avoid higher insurance premiums and attract both shippers and drivers actively searching for a reputable carrier.

For less than 20 cents per driver/day, DecisionPoint can prevent distracted driving with a tamper-proof solution that blocks all unauthorized mobile phone usage when the vehicle is in motion. Key features include:

• Supports wide range of smart phones (Android, Blackberry, iOS and Windows Mobile), tablets and laptops (Android, iOS and Windows)

• Usage policy blocks unauthorized activity while vehicle is moving including phone calls (except 911), texting, e-mail and Web browsing
• With Web-based portal, policies can be set company-wide, by groups or by site and can be limited to work hours only for companies with BYOD policies
• Customers can whitelist applications such as mission-critical business applications, specific phone numbers, or Bluetooth hands-free calling
• Integrates with existing telematics
• Optional entry-level telematics including mileage, speed, idle time, hours of use, hard braking and rapid acceleration and check engine light

Contact DecisionPoint Systems, Inc. to learn more about our distracted driver solution and how it can ensure compliance and reduce your risks.

Guest Written by Greg Henry, VP Product Management

It seems like a new smartphone, tablet or specialized mobile device is announced every week.  When trying to decide which device is right for your organization you should review the options by grouping them into categories that reflect your business requirements.  As an example:  If your business application is only available on the Windows Mobile operating system then grouping the devices by OS will allow you to quickly remove many options from consideration.  Likewise, if you application is supported on multiple operating systems but the user environment is demanding and you need  a ruggedized device then grouping devices by environmental considerations (drop spec, weather proof, etc.) will enable you to quickly zero on a subset of devices.  After separating the first group, repeat the process with additional groups based on additional business needs until you have identified the few specific devices that meet the majority of your business needs.  Now you can focus your final selection criteria on those devices that are best suited for your needs.

Guest Written by Greg Henry, VP of Product Management

With the explosion in the use of smartphones and tablets, IT organizations are being faced with a new set of challenges.  These challenges include: support issues, security issues and procurement issues.  In the early adoption phase of this technology many IT organizations simply turned a blind eye to these devices and made bold statements on the level of support that would be offered, if any.  However, those days are over.  Due to the increasing numbers of mobile users in the enterprise, the productivity gains that mobile connectivity enables and cost savings that BYOD provides IT must embrace this technology. A survey by Harris Interactive (2012) found that 81% of employees use some kind of personally owned device to conduct business. The challenge now is how?  Resent history has taught us that you either provide your mobile users with the access and applications that they need in a controlled and manageable way or they will get what they need by other methods.  For this reason, progressive IT organizations are partnering with operations in order to understand mobile user requirements and developing systems and policies to meet these requirements while supporting the organizations existing security, support and procurement systems.  If you are new to mobile or are looking for assistance on the identification of best practices please give us a call.

Guest Written by Greg Henry, Vice President of Product Management

Computers are more mobile than at any point in history and with each passing day this trend is accelerating.  Both young and old alike can bear witness to the effects that the miniaturization, increasing performance and cost reduction of computing technology has made on our lives.  The recent explosion in smart phones and tablet computers is the most visible sign of this phenomenon. In all regards, these devices have more computing capabilities than much larger and expensive devices of just a couple years ago.

With the reduction in both size and cost, mobile computing technology is becoming an accessory to our everyday wardrobe just like a watch or debit card.  As consumers rely on this technology to support their personal lives (social content exchange, location services, music and video, financial services, etc) it is important for employers to recognize that these devices will influence the behaviors and work preferences of its’ employees.  Mobile computers equipped with wireless networks provide individuals with access to email, internet, games and social content.  These same devices can access corporate resources as well and as such extend the information access and productivity of such equipped employees. As a result, for many employers and employees alike, work is no longer a location but an activity that can be interlaced throughout their day.  Understanding the benefits of leveraging personal mobile computers as well as indentifying the security and operational challenges is paramount to creating an effective Mobile Computing Strategy relating to BYOD.

A few of the topics we will review in upcoming BLOG posts:

• Personal mobile devices – Embrace or Ignore
• So many devices so little time
• Security Challenges
• Personal Privacy
• Supporting BYOD