While it’s nothing akin to a death knell, last Friday’s preliminary ruling by the International Trade Commission (ITC) against HTC in yet another patent infringement case brought by Apple, is having serious reverberations in the tech industry. The ITC ruled last Friday that HTC has infringed on two Apple patents. READ MORE
Jail-breakers of the world unite! Well, not so fast. Engadget’s Brad Molen reports that HTC will begin rolling out bootloaders in August to the global HTC Sensation, with the Sensation 4G on T-Mobile and EVO 3D on Sprint to follow. The release is a two-step process that involves first a “maintenance release” to the phones, then the release of the unlocking tool in early September. READ MORE
In a move that indicates that there could be trouble in the house of Samsung, the company’s CTO, Omar Khan, is leaving for Citibank. Khan, who was responsible for the Galaxy Tab, will now head up Citi’s global digital banking initiatives. READ MORE
Ever since the first iPad shipped 15 months ago, computer makers of all sorts have been scrambling to get into the tablet game, writes Harry McCracken for Technologizer who says tablet makers need to figure out 13 things before they can expect to compete with Apple. READ MORE
For business owners, it’s important to know the tech trends, gadget frenzies, and overarching themes from the show in order to plan your tech buying strategies. Here are six findings directly from the showfloor to help you stay in tune. 1. 4G is finally hereFrom the very first press conference, the main theme from the show emerged: your next smartphone will likely connect to a 4G network. In a private demo with T-Mobile, we tested the new Dell Streak 7 tablet, which connected to a 4G signal at a mouth-watering 6Mbps – faster than many DSL connections. With that speed, video chats with colleagues stayed smooth and it took only 8 minutes to download an entire Hollywood movie. For business use, 4G on your smartphone or tablet means easier Internet back-ups, smooth video chats, and snappier Web viewing. 2. Smartphones: the new notebooks?The rumors about the death of the notebook still persist. Granted, we still use these 6-pound behemoths for productivity work, but Motorola revealed a new strategy that might just put the notebook on notice. The Astrix 4G smartphone, which will be available first quarter, can be used with a docking station that connects to a desktop monitor and keyboard. The phone uses a custom interface that lets you use Web sites like Google Docs for writing, say, a business plan. There’s also a full-size QWERTY keyboard for Astrix. The idea is to use your phone for all of your productivity work, including e-mail, word processing, slideshows, and online accounting, and then dock at the office to keep working. 3. Tablets will be ubiquitousApple has sold 7.5 million iPads since its original debut. Yet, instead of just admitting defeat in the tablet market, several companies – including HTC, Motorola, and Samsung – announced new models, some that connect to 4G service. At CES last year, many companies announced or released an e-reader, but it was more of a groundswell uprising against the Amazon Kindle. This year, the industry switched to tablets and it seems as though every other booth had one on display. One interesting model to watch: Illuminus (www.illuminus.com) will release their T9 tablet this quarter that connects to an HDTV over a Wi-Fi signal in just a few steps. 4. 3D goes independentBig-budget 3D movies like Avatar are great the first few viewings but wear thin eventually. Consumer electronics giants like Sony really want you to buy a 3DTV, even if you already own an HDTV, but the content is slim. The answer: the company announced a consumer camcorder called the 3D HandyCam HDR-TD10, available this April, that shoots video in 3D and costs only about $1500. (The viewfinder displays a simulated 3D image that, in our tests, looked too blurry.) For business users, 3D could provide a way to liven up a sales demonstration. 5. The car industry is serious about electric carsAnother interesting trend from CES is that major automakers like Ford are very serious about electric cars. The company chose the CES convention to announce the new Ford Focus electric. A few weeks ago, the Chevy Volt started rolling out to dealers. What does this means for small business? For some entrepreneurs, it means a new business opportunity – e.g., helping build the infrastructure. For others, it could mean investing in a fleet of electrics for delivery as a way to lower start-up costs for fuel. 6. The economy is starting to reboundAnother important trend from CES: it appears the economy is starting to make a rebound. Attendance was up from last year, hitting about 140,000 attendees over a four day period, according to NewsFactor.com. There was also a renewed optimism – several electronics giants made splashy announcements. Panasonic had one of the biggest booths ever, and there were exhibits in just about every open space. For small business owners, a gadget boon can fuel many other industry segments.
While Google’s much-hyped Android platform debuted in late 2008, the smartphone operating system didn’t hit its stride until the recent launch of the Motorola Droid and Google’s own phone, the Nexus One. But do these new Android devices outshine competitors — including handsets powered by BlackBerry, iPhone OS, or Windows Mobile — when it comes to a mobile device for small and mid-sized businesses? And does the Google phone amount to the reputed “iPhone killer” many had hoped for? The answer, according to industry analysts, seems to be yes and no. Promising future Google’s Nexus One came up short of being the groundbreaking device that would halt the trajectory of the iPhone, but the Android-based smartphone does have its share of benefits. “The ubiquity of Google and its integration across devices — PCs and mobile devices — as well as applications, voice calling and Internet search, as well as its mobile platform, give it a unique position over its competition,” says Tim Doherty, associate research analyst for the small and mid-sized business markets at IDC, a Framingham, Mass.-based market research firm. “However, taking that unique position and applying it to the mobile market will be the true test as it explores the various segments and finds a place where its complete ‘package’ can resonate,” Doherty adds. Doherty says IDC has been looking for Android to emerge as a player in the small business space for some time. “Google has already made a name for itself through Google Apps, its hosted suite of e-mail, messaging, and collaboration solutions,” maintains Doherty. “The hosted nature, scalable and predictable pricing, and lack of need for IT hardware investment make Google Apps a natural fit for small businesses, and so this may have an impact on adoption of Android mobile devices.” Chris Silva, an analyst at the Cambridge, Mass.-based Forrester technology research company, also believes Android has a promising future for businesses. “IT’s constituents are, at the end of the day, consumers and, as consumers, they’re likely going to be exploring how and whether they can use the newest smartphones on the market with their enterprise e-mail and other services,” says Silva. “Statistically speaking, if a user is going after the newest smartphone, it’s very likely to be an Android device, so IT had better have a plan,” Silva adds. Immediate hurdles While Doherty believes the Android platform is beginning to “gain a footing in the small business space,” a few obstacles still exist for Google. “RIM [Research in Motion], Apple, and Palm have an advantage by virtue of controlling both their hardware and proprietary platforms, which can allow for a tighter user experience,” Doherty believes. “Google is exploring new models for deploying mobile devices, as we saw with the Nexus One, but there will be hiccups — in the case of Nexus One, Google was not prepared to handle customer troubleshooting.” “The Nexus One received a great deal of press upon its release, however, the growing pains that Google has had in supporting a hardware platform that it is selling directly are evidence that this is early days for Google playing a major role in the smartphone space,” adds Silva. “We saw Apple getting dinged for this a lot when the iPhone came out — the prospect of IT sending its users to the nearest Apple Store for hardware support has been a hard sell.” Silva says the ownership model in the business space is changing, however, as we’re now seeing companies enter into agreements with users to support personal devices. “Many companies are still paying for the device and service and treating the smartphone as a corporate IT asset, but this model is giving way to others in which IT can satisfy users’ demand for the newest platforms while not having to take on the cost of the device and, in some cases, service, if the user supplies the device and IT supplies the tools to manage it,” explains Silva. Not (yet) for big business But replacing the BlackBerry as the de facto mobile operating system for enterprise-level companies might be more of a challenge. “Certainly, Android devices are being brought unofficially into enterprises by individuals in the same way that the iPhone has been since launch, buy it will be a challenge for any vendor, however, to displace incumbent RIM in the enterprise from a corporate-adoption standpoint, especially with the crucial need for information security,” says Doherty. Silva agrees: “At present, I don’t see the Android OS as better than BlackBerry or iPhone for enterprise users.” One of the reasons is the lack of support for features of ActiveSync, the data synchronization program developed by Microsoft for use the Microsoft Windows operating systems. While Android supports ActiveSync though some smartphone maker’s tools, such as HTC’s work e-mail application, and some third-party applications, such as Nitro Desk’s TouchDown, as a native feature to the operating system, there’s no support for ActiveSync policies, Silva adds Currently, there are nearly 30 policies that IT can choose from natively in the Exchange Server architecture. “For example, limitations of the Android OS make full device encryption tricky to impossible today,” adds Doherty. “These ActiveSync-based security features are table stakes for most enterprise devices and, lacking them, Android is going to have a tough time in the enterprise.”
While Google’s much-hyped Android platform debuted in late 2008, the smartphone operating system didn’t hit its stride until the recent launch of the Motorola Droid and Google’s own phone, the Nexus One. But do these new Android devices outshine competitors — including handsets powered by BlackBerry, iPhone OS, or Windows Mobile — when it comes to a mobile device for small and mid-sized businesses? And does the Google phone amount to the reputed “iPhone killer” many had hoped for? The answer, according to industry analysts, seems to be yes and no. Promising future Google’s Nexus One came up short of being the groundbreaking device that would halt the trajectory of the iPhone, but the Android-based smartphone does have its share of benefits. “The ubiquity of Google and its integration across devices — PCs and mobile devices — as well as applications, voice calling and Internet search, as well as its mobile platform, give it a unique position over its competition,” says Tim Doherty, associate research analyst for the small and mid-sized business markets at IDC, a Framingham, Mass.-based market research firm. “However, taking that unique position and applying it to the mobile market will be the true test as it explores the various segments and finds a place where its complete ‘package’ can resonate,” Doherty adds. Doherty says IDC has been looking for Android to emerge as a player in the small business space for some time. “Google has already made a name for itself through Google Apps, its hosted suite of e-mail, messaging, and collaboration solutions,” maintains Doherty. “The hosted nature, scalable and predictable pricing, and lack of need for IT hardware investment make Google Apps a natural fit for small businesses, and so this may have an impact on adoption of Android mobile devices.” Chris Silva, an analyst at the Cambridge, Mass.-based Forrester technology research company, also believes Android has a promising future for businesses. “IT’s constituents are, at the end of the day, consumers and, as consumers, they’re likely going to be exploring how and whether they can use the newest smartphones on the market with their enterprise e-mail and other services,” says Silva. “Statistically speaking, if a user is going after the newest smartphone, it’s very likely to be an Android device, so IT had better have a plan,” Silva adds. Immediate hurdles While Doherty believes the Android platform is beginning to “gain a footing in the small business space,” a few obstacles still exist for Google. “RIM [Research in Motion], Apple, and Palm have an advantage by virtue of controlling both their hardware and proprietary platforms, which can allow for a tighter user experience,” Doherty believes. “Google is exploring new models for deploying mobile devices, as we saw with the Nexus One, but there will be hiccups — in the case of Nexus One, Google was not prepared to handle customer troubleshooting.” “The Nexus One received a great deal of press upon its release, however, the growing pains that Google has had in supporting a hardware platform that it is selling directly are evidence that this is early days for Google playing a major role in the smartphone space,” adds Silva. “We saw Apple getting dinged for this a lot when the iPhone came out — the prospect of IT sending its users to the nearest Apple Store for hardware support has been a hard sell.” Silva says the ownership model in the business space is changing, however, as we’re now seeing companies enter into agreements with users to support personal devices. “Many companies are still paying for the device and service and treating the smartphone as a corporate IT asset, but this model is giving way to others in which IT can satisfy users’ demand for the newest platforms while not having to take on the cost of the device and, in some cases, service, if the user supplies the device and IT supplies the tools to manage it,” explains Silva. Not (yet) for big business But replacing the BlackBerry as the de facto mobile operating system for enterprise-level companies might be more of a challenge. “Certainly, Android devices are being brought unofficially into enterprises by individuals in the same way that the iPhone has been since launch, buy it will be a challenge for any vendor, however, to displace incumbent RIM in the enterprise from a corporate-adoption standpoint, especially with the crucial need for information security,” says Doherty. Silva agrees: “At present, I don’t see the Android OS as better than BlackBerry or iPhone for enterprise users.” One of the reasons is the lack of support for features of ActiveSync, the data synchronization program developed by Microsoft for use the Microsoft Windows operating systems. While Android supports ActiveSync though some smartphone maker’s tools, such as HTC’s work e-mail application, and some third-party applications, such as Nitro Desk’s TouchDown, as a native feature to the operating system, there’s no support for ActiveSync policies, Silva adds Currently, there are nearly 30 policies that IT can choose from natively in the Exchange Server architecture. “For example, limitations of the Android OS make full device encryption tricky to impossible today,” adds Doherty. “These ActiveSync-based security features are table stakes for most enterprise devices and, lacking them, Android is going to have a tough time in the enterprise.”
While Google’s much-hyped Android platform debuted in late 2008, the smartphone operating system didn’t hit its stride until the recent launch of the Motorola Droid and Google’s own phone, the Nexus One. But do these new Android devices outshine competitors — including handsets powered by BlackBerry, iPhone OS, or Windows Mobile — when it comes to a mobile device for small and mid-sized businesses? And does the Google phone amount to the reputed “iPhone killer” many had hoped for? The answer, according to industry analysts, seems to be yes and no. Promising future Google’s Nexus One came up short of being the groundbreaking device that would halt the trajectory of the iPhone, but the Android-based smartphone does have its share of benefits. “The ubiquity of Google and its integration across devices — PCs and mobile devices — as well as applications, voice calling and Internet search, as well as its mobile platform, give it a unique position over its competition,” says Tim Doherty, associate research analyst for the small and mid-sized business markets at IDC, a Framingham, Mass.-based market research firm. “However, taking that unique position and applying it to the mobile market will be the true test as it explores the various segments and finds a place where its complete ‘package’ can resonate,” Doherty adds. Doherty says IDC has been looking for Android to emerge as a player in the small business space for some time. “Google has already made a name for itself through Google Apps, its hosted suite of e-mail, messaging, and collaboration solutions,” maintains Doherty. “The hosted nature, scalable and predictable pricing, and lack of need for IT hardware investment make Google Apps a natural fit for small businesses, and so this may have an impact on adoption of Android mobile devices.” Chris Silva, an analyst at the Cambridge, Mass.-based Forrester technology research company, also believes Android has a promising future for businesses. “IT’s constituents are, at the end of the day, consumers and, as consumers, they’re likely going to be exploring how and whether they can use the newest smartphones on the market with their enterprise e-mail and other services,” says Silva. “Statistically speaking, if a user is going after the newest smartphone, it’s very likely to be an Android device, so IT had better have a plan,” Silva adds. Immediate hurdles While Doherty believes the Android platform is beginning to “gain a footing in the small business space,” a few obstacles still exist for Google. “RIM [Research in Motion], Apple, and Palm have an advantage by virtue of controlling both their hardware and proprietary platforms, which can allow for a tighter user experience,” Doherty believes. “Google is exploring new models for deploying mobile devices, as we saw with the Nexus One, but there will be hiccups — in the case of Nexus One, Google was not prepared to handle customer troubleshooting.” “The Nexus One received a great deal of press upon its release, however, the growing pains that Google has had in supporting a hardware platform that it is selling directly are evidence that this is early days for Google playing a major role in the smartphone space,” adds Silva. “We saw Apple getting dinged for this a lot when the iPhone came out — the prospect of IT sending its users to the nearest Apple Store for hardware support has been a hard sell.” Silva says the ownership model in the business space is changing, however, as we’re now seeing companies enter into agreements with users to support personal devices. “Many companies are still paying for the device and service and treating the smartphone as a corporate IT asset, but this model is giving way to others in which IT can satisfy users’ demand for the newest platforms while not having to take on the cost of the device and, in some cases, service, if the user supplies the device and IT supplies the tools to manage it,” explains Silva. Not (yet) for big business But replacing the BlackBerry as the de facto mobile operating system for enterprise-level companies might be more of a challenge. “Certainly, Android devices are being brought unofficially into enterprises by individuals in the same way that the iPhone has been since launch, buy it will be a challenge for any vendor, however, to displace incumbent RIM in the enterprise from a corporate-adoption standpoint, especially with the crucial need for information security,” says Doherty. Silva agrees: “At present, I don’t see the Android OS as better than BlackBerry or iPhone for enterprise users.” One of the reasons is the lack of support for features of ActiveSync, the data synchronization program developed by Microsoft for use the Microsoft Windows operating systems. While Android supports ActiveSync though some smartphone maker’s tools, such as HTC’s work e-mail application, and some third-party applications, such as Nitro Desk’s TouchDown, as a native feature to the operating system, there’s no support for ActiveSync policies, Silva adds Currently, there are nearly 30 policies that IT can choose from natively in the Exchange Server architecture. “For example, limitations of the Android OS make full device encryption tricky to impossible today,” adds Doherty. “These ActiveSync-based security features are table stakes for most enterprise devices and, lacking them, Android is going to have a tough time in the enterprise.”
While Google’s much-hyped Android platform debuted in late 2008, the smartphone operating system didn’t hit its stride until the recent launch of the Motorola Droid and Google’s own phone, the Nexus One. But do these new Android devices outshine competitors — including handsets powered by BlackBerry, iPhone OS, or Windows Mobile — when it comes to a mobile device for small and mid-sized businesses? And does the Google phone amount to the reputed “iPhone killer” many had hoped for? The answer, according to industry analysts, seems to be yes and no. Promising future Google’s Nexus One came up short of being the groundbreaking device that would halt the trajectory of the iPhone, but the Android-based smartphone does have its share of benefits. “The ubiquity of Google and its integration across devices — PCs and mobile devices — as well as applications, voice calling and Internet search, as well as its mobile platform, give it a unique position over its competition,” says Tim Doherty, associate research analyst for the small and mid-sized business markets at IDC, a Framingham, Mass.-based market research firm. “However, taking that unique position and applying it to the mobile market will be the true test as it explores the various segments and finds a place where its complete ‘package’ can resonate,” Doherty adds. Doherty says IDC has been looking for Android to emerge as a player in the small business space for some time. “Google has already made a name for itself through Google Apps, its hosted suite of e-mail, messaging, and collaboration solutions,” maintains Doherty. “The hosted nature, scalable and predictable pricing, and lack of need for IT hardware investment make Google Apps a natural fit for small businesses, and so this may have an impact on adoption of Android mobile devices.” Chris Silva, an analyst at the Cambridge, Mass.-based Forrester technology research company, also believes Android has a promising future for businesses. “IT’s constituents are, at the end of the day, consumers and, as consumers, they’re likely going to be exploring how and whether they can use the newest smartphones on the market with their enterprise e-mail and other services,” says Silva. “Statistically speaking, if a user is going after the newest smartphone, it’s very likely to be an Android device, so IT had better have a plan,” Silva adds. Immediate hurdles While Doherty believes the Android platform is beginning to “gain a footing in the small business space,” a few obstacles still exist for Google. “RIM [Research in Motion], Apple, and Palm have an advantage by virtue of controlling both their hardware and proprietary platforms, which can allow for a tighter user experience,” Doherty believes. “Google is exploring new models for deploying mobile devices, as we saw with the Nexus One, but there will be hiccups — in the case of Nexus One, Google was not prepared to handle customer troubleshooting.” “The Nexus One received a great deal of press upon its release, however, the growing pains that Google has had in supporting a hardware platform that it is selling directly are evidence that this is early days for Google playing a major role in the smartphone space,” adds Silva. “We saw Apple getting dinged for this a lot when the iPhone came out — the prospect of IT sending its users to the nearest Apple Store for hardware support has been a hard sell.” Silva says the ownership model in the business space is changing, however, as we’re now seeing companies enter into agreements with users to support personal devices. “Many companies are still paying for the device and service and treating the smartphone as a corporate IT asset, but this model is giving way to others in which IT can satisfy users’ demand for the newest platforms while not having to take on the cost of the device and, in some cases, service, if the user supplies the device and IT supplies the tools to manage it,” explains Silva. Not (yet) for big business But replacing the BlackBerry as the de facto mobile operating system for enterprise-level companies might be more of a challenge. “Certainly, Android devices are being brought unofficially into enterprises by individuals in the same way that the iPhone has been since launch, buy it will be a challenge for any vendor, however, to displace incumbent RIM in the enterprise from a corporate-adoption standpoint, especially with the crucial need for information security,” says Doherty. Silva agrees: “At present, I don’t see the Android OS as better than BlackBerry or iPhone for enterprise users.” One of the reasons is the lack of support for features of ActiveSync, the data synchronization program developed by Microsoft for use the Microsoft Windows operating systems. While Android supports ActiveSync though some smartphone maker’s tools, such as HTC’s work e-mail application, and some third-party applications, such as Nitro Desk’s TouchDown, as a native feature to the operating system, there’s no support for ActiveSync policies, Silva adds Currently, there are nearly 30 policies that IT can choose from natively in the Exchange Server architecture. “For example, limitations of the Android OS make full device encryption tricky to impossible today,” adds Doherty. “These ActiveSync-based security features are table stakes for most enterprise devices and, lacking them, Android is going to have a tough time in the enterprise.”
Decision-makers at small and mid-sized businesses don’t have it easy these days, especially when it comes to deciding what kind of smartphone to deploy among its mobile employees. This is because there are many operating systems to choose from today, such as BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, iPhone, Nokia’s N Series and Palm OS. There are also various handset manufacturers to consider — among them Motorola, Samsung, HTC, Apple, and BlackBerry’s maker, Research in Motion. And of course, then there are the form factors to consider. Do you go for flip, sliders, or candy bar-shaped phones, each with or without QWERTY keyboards and/or touch-screens? Before making all these decisions, it’s best to address which mobile smartphone operating system is best for your business. In the end, that will likely help narrow down your choices for handset maker and form factor, too. And what of Microsoft’s chances in succeeding in this highly competitive and overpopulated space? Read on. It’s all in the apps The first thing you need to do is to research the strengths and applications for each of the smartphone operating systems, says Michael Gartenberg, vice president and research director at New York City-based Jupiter Research. “Perhaps you need the phone to work with Microsoft Exchange, or maybe you need to create or edit e-mail attachments, such as [Microsoft] Office documents,” explains Gartenberg. “Knowing what you’re going to use the smartphone for, and if it works with your company software and services, will help determine which one you’ll invest in.” Speaking of attachments, Windows Mobile-powered devices have an edge over the competition when it comes to file support and smooth PC synchronization, believes Ken Delaney, vice president of mobile computing at the Gartner research and consulting group in Stamford, Conn. “While Research in Motion has done a great job, Microsoft has tremendous back-end services, Windows file support and a host of applications, making it a natural choice for businesses to gravitate to Windows Mobile,” says Delaney. Windows Mobile is also supported by many manufacturers, which gives the consumer more choice in smartphones, adds Delaney: “More vendors mean more hardware options, including ruggedized PDAs for field applications which you won’t find with other OS’s.” BlackBerry and Nokia are also major players in the business space, agrees Delaney, but the iPhone has “a ways to go.” “The iPhone isn’t anywhere yet — it’s the new kid on the block — and while intriguing, it hasn’t made its full statement yet,” says Delaney. E-mail receiving, sending Led by BlackBerry, most of the major smartphone operating systems support the popular “push mail” application, meaning messages arrive on the phone as soon as they’re received in the user’s PC inbox (if not sooner). But a user must also be concerned about writing e-mails when out of the office, therefore Gartenberg says to consider the type of keyboard, as well. “Some swear by a tactile keyboard like a BlackBerry, while others like a soft keyboard a la the iPhone,” Gartenberg says. “The key is to try out the phone first to see if it’s comfortable for you.” While all BlackBerrys offer a button-based keyboard, some models offer a QWERTY layout (including the Curve and Bold), while thinner models (like many Pearl handsets) house a SureType keyboard with two letters per button. Security, too Nathan Dyer, senior analyst for enterprise mobility at Yankee Group, a Boston, Mass.-based research firm, says Windows Mobile is “gaining ground” on BlackBerry, the No. 1 smartphone maker in the U.S., because of more vendor relationships (RIM, Apple, and Nokia make their own handsets), strong brand recognition and familiarity, and more aggressive security measures than it did in the past. “Security had always been lagging in Windows Mobile,” says Dyer. “ActiveSync met most of the minimum requirements for businesses including ‘wiping’ and encryption — especially for [small and mid-sized businesses] that didn’t want expensive middleware — but they’ve only recently stepped up to the plate with new and stronger tools,” explains Dyer. For example, ActiveSyc only met about a dozen security policies, explains Dyer, but now its service System Center Mobile Device Manager (SCMDM) meets more than 125 security policies.
