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June 10, 1998 Event
Mobile Computing: Anytime, Anywhere Information Access Mutually reinforcing technological and social developments are creating a world in which the promise of mobile access to information is becoming a reality. Social phenomena, such as telecommuting and the blending of work and leisure, coupled with technology advances, such as wireless communication and Internet-enabled mobile devices, have created a world where information access is possible at all times - in the car, on a sales call, or even at the beach. As this industry continues to blossom, several players are locked in a fierce battle to capture marketshare and mindshare in this increasingly valuable space. Mobile computing today is defined largely by the devices that enable it. Hardware vendors such as Metricom, 3Com, Nokia, and numerous PC manufacturers are the leaders in supplying the tools - modems, palmtops, pagers, phones, laptops, and others - used to stay connected. In addition, with the introduction of Windows CE, consumer electronics firms such as Casio, Philips, and Uniden are partnering with Microsoft to sell palmtop and handheld units to their respective customer bases. Yet while the devices are important, perhaps ultimately, applications will drive the user adoption curve. Numerous impressive mobile computing applications have already surfaced. AvantGo, for example, has introduced software that enables synchronization of information between PCs and palmtop devices. Content publishers already taking advantage of this new delivery channel include The New York Times, Wired, C|Net, and Excite. In addition, a horde of application-specific mobile computing solutions (by industry, by job) looms on the horizon. True hyperbolic growth, however, may be limited by platform struggles such as the one between Microsoft's Windows CE and 3Com's Palm OS. As in industry wars of the past, it is likely that standards will emerge in the mobile computing arena. While these outcomes remain in doubt, the value of mobile devices and applications increasingly is becoming clear. It no longer seems sufficient to confine information access and computing to the office and other traditional locations. A select group of information dropouts may protest the intrusion of these devices into everyday life, but for the vast majority, mobile computing is empowering, as it provides anytime, anywhere information access.
Palm Pilot Reading
The Real Bandwidth Issue for Handhelds
Major Move toward Wireless Standard
Key Learnings
OVERVIEW
Mobile computing's growth will be driven by corporate utilization (business solutions) in the short term and by generational cycles (acclimation and acceptance) in the long term. Its evolution will consist of two phases: 1. mobile computing (device-centric); 2. computing mobile (solution-centric).
KEYS TO USER ADOPTION
In order to succeed, mobile computing devices must enable transparent usage. Simplicity and ubiquity are essential for true mass consumption. The key features that determine a device's value to the user are battery-life, price, ease-of-use, and most importantly, utility.
MULTIPLE DEVICES NECESSARY
Don't expect one device to do everything. In fact, different devices succeed precisely because they fulfill a range of functions that satisfy user needs. The specific modality of a device defines its value. Not understanding the intended context of use and the role that information plays within that context is a sure formula for failure.
STANDARDS ACROSS PLATFORMS
Mobile devices will flourish in multiple niches. Success in vertical markets is crucial to achieving horizontal, broadscale breakthroughs. Infrastructure standards are indispensable to supporting a wide variety of platforms and uses. A wide range of devices that provide ubiquitous access is a likely future.
CONCLUSION
Mobile computing is better defined as mobile communication. Mobile devices have to be able to communicate, collect, and distribute information without human intervention. The key is being able to capture information digitally at the point of its creation rather than needing to re-enter or synchronize it later.
QUOTE OF THE NIGHT
"What it is about the mediation experience of reaching out via a wireless medium that reduces our feeling of comfort while increasing the level of disquiet?" -- John Kao