Pondering Mobile Platforms? Read These Tips
By Sarah Nicastro, publisher/editor in chief, Field Technologies
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Determining which mobile platform is the best fit for your use case is no easy feat. The reality is, there’s no perfect answer. It becomes a matter of really understanding the pros and cons of each and deciding which fits best with your specific objectives, processes, and business model. Here, experts we interviewed for a recent article in Field Technologies magazine, share with you some wise words on mobile platform selection.
Andrew Lichey, IFS Mobile Solutions Manager: Many companies, especially small to mid-sized ones, can struggle initially to justify involving the right group of people in the evaluation process. Everyone’s got their “day job”, and it can be painful to pull them away from that in the short-term for something that doesn’t have an immediate and obvious ROI. However, the middle and long-term benefits of making sure you make the right choice will quickly pay for themselves, especially as you see efficiency gains achieved by your users in their daily responsibilities.
Jeffrey Wartgow, vice president of TOA Technologies: It’s always challenging to predict what applications you will need tomorrow versus today, or what devices will be available. But, by understanding that the technology you use is going to inevitably change, and focusing on flexibility in your mobile platform, you can develop a more successful, long-term mobility strategy for your business.
Jim Wenninger, CEO of WennSoft: I think the biggest challenge is neglecting to let the field provide input when it comes to selecting a new platform. Executives are often surprised to hear things from the field that they hadn’t thought to consider in evaluating a new platform or device.
Steve Higgins, CTO, ServicePower: One of the biggest challenges for a field service organizations is deciding to deploy a single platform or multiple/restricted BYOD. If a multi-platform decision is made, then the next major challenge is the decision of building native applications for each platform versus a cross-platform strategy, which is a significant and complex decision.