New Technology Reviews!.: Businesses

In recent times, mobile devices have become quite powerful and feature rich and are getting attention from consumers and businesses alike. Faster processors, larger RAM and flash memories along with multiple communication technologies have made mobile devices suitable to deploy and run business applications. Such advancements are helping businesses embrace mobility to improve their processes thereby increasing revenues and efficiency while lowering operational costs. Mobile device is an important component of any mobile solution. There are wide-varieties of mobile devices to choose from. Most commonly used enterprise mobile devices are based on Windows Mobile operating system from Microsoft and it has become a preferred platform used by companies around the world.ProblemWindows Mobile is a feature packed and versatile operating system. There is a lot an enterprise can exploit out of this platform. But most of the enterprises don't need all of the available features. Giving a powerful mobile device to mobile workforce can sometimes actually become a serious concern as workers might use the device for personal use rather than for the business. Besides, companies spend lots of money and effort in developing and deploying business applications. They want to ensure that the workers use the solution to its full potential in favor of the business. Following are some of the challenges that should be addressed to maximize the benefits of a solution that involve mobile devices:* Entertainment on the jobAll Windows Mobile devices contain built-in applications like browsers, games, phone etc. all of which can easily distract a mobile worker. A game of Solitaire can waste crucial working hours. This kind of mobile device usage is certainly not favorable to the businesses* Maintenance ProblemsAn employee who is not very knowledgeable about Windows Mobile can easily change the important device settings (e.g. Network, system files etc.). Such intentional or unintentional manipulation of device settings can cause the business critical application to fail. Imagine a user turns off the WiFi radio on the device, while the application is transferring critical data to the server. Results can be costly in terms of money and time. Too much manipulation can "corrupt" the device, which has to be returned to the IT department, again causing loss of productivity and wastage of IT resources. While the device is with IT, the mobile worker might be sitting idle, waiting for the device to return. Loss! Loss! Loss!* Installation of Third-party applicationsThere are thousands of third-party applications (for personal and gaming purposes) available on the internet these days. These applications can be easily installed on a Windows Mobile device. Installation of unauthorized third-party applications for personal use surely waste the time but can also disrupt the device operation by consuming memory and processor resources. Besides, those applications can contain malware and viruses which might pose a security risk to the organization.* Physical Data SecurityBusiness applications are designed to work online or offline. If connectivity is not available the application goes back to offline mode. This makes it possible for mobile worker to continue working, until the connectivity is achieved again. In offline mode the application stores the data locally. If the data is sensitive, it is mostly encrypted. This saves the data from misuse in case the device is lost or stolen. But once a device is stolen the thief can connect the device with a PC via ActiveSync and copy the data files out. Desktop based hacking tools can be used to decipher/decrypt the data. There should be way to block the user from copying the data from a device.SolutionsLocking down general purpose Windows Mobile devices into kiosk mode can solve the above problems. By locking down the devices, the enterprise can restrict the user to launch and use only "approved" applications and functionality. e.g., a company can provision the mobile devices so that the workers cannot install third-party applications on their own. Another example would be to enable Data Only connection over the phone network, while blocking the voice calls.There are two alternative methods to lock down mobile devices:Method 1: Building Custom Kiosk devicesThis approach requires an enterprise to build custom kiosk devices that do just what enterprise needs. Windows CE operating system is most commonly used to develop custom devices. This solution has the following advantages and disadvantages.Advantages:* Since requirements are tied to the hardware, the enterprise can precisely control features of the device.Disadvantages:* It is very costly to develop a hardware device from scratch. This might not be possible at all for small and medium sized companies as it requires huge upfront investments. * It does not make business sense to build your own hardware if the required volumes are low, say if only a few hundred devices are needed. * Custom device will need custom application development. Number of software developers for a custom platform will be very low if any. * Once custom hardware is designed and built, it is very costly to modify or upgrade it. This is a very common problem with this approach.Method 2: Lockdown mobile devices with tools like SureLock StudioSureLock Studio gives enterprises the power to easily lock down off-the-shelf or ruggedized Windows Mobile devices. An administrator can lock down the devices with kiosk configuration generated by SureLock Studio. A kiosk configuration contains which features and applications are "approved" for use by the mobile worker. These configurations are generated in the form of CAB files that makes it very easy to deploy them on large number of devices. Kiosk CAB installation works in the same way as any other application CAB. There are advantages of locking down the devices with SureLock Studio:Advantages:* Save costs: Enterprises can buy off-the-shelf (HTC/ASUS/iPaq etc) or Ruggedized Windows Mobile devices (Symbol/Motorola/Intermec) and deploy the enterprise business applications on them. SureLock will make sure that the worker is restricted to only use "approved" functionality of the device. * Choice of devices: Since all Windows Mobile devices are based on the same core operating system, companies have the choice to select a device model based on the specific features that the model may have. The business application will work on any device model with a little or no modifications. * In future enterprises can modify the kiosk configuration to allow or disallow new features or applications. For e.g. the company might decide later on to allow mobile workers to use the devices for making phone calls. A new SureLock kiosk configuration can be deployed with the phone feature enabled.Disadvantages:* As SureLock does software lock down of the device, hard-resetting the device to factory defaults (clean boot) will cause the loss of kiosk settings. There are a couple of workarounds. Kiosk cab can be kept in the storage card along with an Autorun.exe. After a reboot, the kiosk configuration can be installed which will again lock down the device. Besides some ruggedized mobile device vendors (like Symbol/Motorola) have support for companies to build their own Writable ROM images. Kiosk configuration can be stored on in the ROM and can be installed automatically after a clean boot.ConclusionUsing a tool like SureLock Studio makes the process of locking down Windows Mobile devices easy and painless. Enterprises can control the usage of their mobile devices and allow them to be used by the mobile workers only for the benefit of company.	 	 		 			 				 					 						Author is the founder of <a href="http://www.42gears.com" target="_new">42Gears</a>, developers of <a href="http://www.42gears.com/surelock/" target="_new">SureLock Studio</a>, a tool for locking down Windows Mobile devices into Kiosk mode.

Businesses! Are Your Mobile Devices Working For You?

In recent times, mobile devices have become quite powerful and feature rich and are getting attention from consumers and businesses alike...

Without a doubt, the technological advances in recent decades have been the most potent catalysts for our culture's return to working at home, because since the advent of the internet, the entire face of home based business has changed. There is now plenty of freedom in many industries to work from home because a person can do so while staying in touch with business associates, regardless of where in the world they are. In fact, the internet has made it possible for businesspeople to not only keep contact with existing clients and coworkers but also to find new ones, which means that business owners no longer even need to concern themselves with finding office space if they so choose. If working on your computer from the comfort of your own home sounds like an appealing business concept, browse the following list of some of the hottest computer & internet franchises available today and see if one of them is right for you. Vehicle Tracking SolutionsThis is one business that is all about technology and remote communication. Marketing without physical borders, franchisees with this home business sell GPS vehicle tracking systems to businesses with vehicle fleets that they have to manage and track. Whether the client is a large corporation that provides executives with company cars that must be kept track of or a shipping company with delivery truck drivers that need to be kept to task, Vehicle Tracking Solutions provides what client companies need: the hardware and software that can chart the location of vehicles anywhere. One of the only businesses that sells this kind of merchandise and the associated service, Vehicle Tracking Solutions franchisees have access to all the necessary avenues of marketing and sales in an almost entirely untapped market, making this a great franchise opportunity. Virtuoso MusicNo matter how far we travel into the virtual world of the internet, mankind will never be able to leave the wood and brass of real musical instruments behind, and as long as there is music, Virtuoso Music franchisees will have clients. Whether clients find the company via the internet or another advertising touch point, the primary work of the Virtuoso Music work at home franchisee is to link music instructors with students in his local community, serving as a liaison between people who otherwise may not ever cross paths. Similarly, franchisees also serve as the go-to person for local musical events ranging from bar mitzvahs to recitals and concerts. Given a proven business model designed to get the business moving from the get-go, franchisees are also provided with ongoing check-ins from the franchisor to continually refine all aspects of the business. L&W InvestigationsHaving just expanded from an independent operation to a franchise business, L&W Investigations is a one-of-a-kind internet-based business that specializes in the investigation of insurance fraud claims. Equipped with expert training, ongoing support, and professional-grade investigation systems, franchisees have no need to come to the table with past investigation experience; they only have to come with the desire to provide their clients with fast, efficient, unrivaled service and results. To date, there are 30 locations established in 23 states, so the timing is still perfect to get in on this opportunity at the ground floor. WSI InternetNow in its 11th year of business, Wsi Internet has spent the last 7 of those years at the top of Entrepreneur Magazine's top computer & internet franchises, proving that this 1500-franchisee-strong business is one of the most dominant names in internet marketing consultation. Whether franchisees decide to run their franchises from home or an office, by themselves or with others, the franchisor's system for finding and serving the needs of small and mid-sized business clients is always a successful one. Because the business model has been proven so many times for so many different businesses, the only thing that a franchisee must bring to the table is the drive to succeed and the diligence to follow the franchisor's directions and methods. Air AdvantageOf all the things to come along and make the internet even more convenient and helpful than it already was, one of the greatest additions has been wireless connectivity, but to date, not everyone has access to it. Actually, one of the least internet-connected populations in the United States is rural America, because lines simply haven't reached that far, but Air Advantage is trying to change that. Acclaimed by the US Chamber of Commerce, this company has developed a way to extend wireless internet technology into the farthest reaches of unconnected American rural areas. Having just gained a lot of ground in Michigan, the technology and business structure have been adapted to make national expansion possible for franchisees who are ready to be the forerunners of what is likely to be a nationwide success. Not all home business opportunities fully capitalize on the business possibilities of the internet, but these certainly do. If using the technology currently available to you to its utmost as you gain financial independence is of value to you, any one of these fine franchises is a wonderful way to accomplish that. So sit down, pull up a laptop, and get to work. 	 	 		 			 				 					 						Find more <a href="http://www.homebasedbusinessopp.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_new">home based businesses</a> including computer franchises and internet small businesses at <a href="http://www.homebasedbusinessopp.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_new">Home Based Business Opportunities</a>

Today's Hottest Computer & Internet Home Based Businesses

Without a doubt, the technological advances in recent decades have been the most potent catalysts for our culture's return to workin...