If you’re eagerly awaiting your next Xbox or Playstation upgrade, you could be waiting longer than you might have thought—eight or nine years, even. Microsoft and Sony are in no rush to release anything new to customers, according to The New York Times. The reason? Cost. READ MORE
Earlier this week Sony reassured customers that although there was a major security breach, their credit card information was not compromised. But according to The New York Times, underground Internet forums indicate that the hackers who infiltrated the Sony PlayStation Network last week may have made off with the credit card numbers of Sony customers. READ MORE
YouTube has offered movies for rent for more than a year now, which is great news for fans of obscure independent flicks, the Jesse Ventura vehicle Wood Shop, dated Bollywood titles, or Scary Movie 4. And while some recognizable titles from Lionsgate and the Weinstein Company do appear at the YouTube store, those who rent more mainstream fare online are likely using Amazon, Netflix or iTunes—a fact not lost on the video-sharing giant. That may soon change. READ MORE
Credit cards are extremely low tech — they contain simple data to authenticate a transaction. Now, several players, including banks to mobile carriers to financial networks, are looking at a new transaction device: your smartphone. Indeed, financial institutions such as PayPal and MasterCard have issued some customers adhesive chips for their phones. The credit card information is stuck to the phone and can be used at any of the 200,000 contactless readers in stores around the nation. That’s the low-tech version. What’s really a hot topic now, though, is Near Field Communication (NFC), which allows two-way wireless communication between a chip inside a phone and a receiving terminal. This means that soon, if you have a phone that supports NFC, you’ll be able to not only pay for a purchase by waving your phone near a contactless reader, but you can also get instant loyalty points, coupons and rewards. While the idea is intriguing for consumers and merchants alike, the question is whether NFC will work for US merchants — and work well. “Technology is usually only one small component that leads to the success or failure of ventures like this,” said Charles Golvin, principal analyst with Forrester Research, explaining that the technical infrastructure, customer adoption, and low fees must all line up as well. Smarter smartphonesEven though countries like Japan and South Korea have been using mobile phones for payments for a while, paying with a smartphone is off to a slow start here, mostly for financial reasons. “It’s a business model problem,” said Omar Green, the director of strategic mobile initiatives at Intuit, a company highly interested in using NFC with its millions of small business customers, who explained that there is still uncertainty about how merchants will actually be charged to use mobile payments from smartphones. That said, several indicators point to 2011 being the year when mobile payments and NFC reaches a tipping point. First and foremost: Samsung now offers the Nexus S as the first NFC-enabled Android phone. Nokia says its smartphones will support NFC in 2011. Visa’s head of mobile Bill Gajda says the company has been holding pilots with four of its largest issuers. As part of that, all New York City taxis — a whopping 13,000 — now have a contactless readers in the backseat. Chicago and Boston taxis are also being outfitted with about 3,800 readers so far. In fact, transit is a no-brainer for mobile payments. Most people have their phone in hand all the time anyway so waving it past a reader to get through a turnstile seems beautifully efficient. Mobile commerce expert David Eads of Kony Solutions, writing in his blog, says the iPhone 5 is expected to support NFC when it comes out. In the blog post, he points out that, considering the trillions of dollars run through financial networks annually, Apple stands to increase revenue dramatically by getting involved in processing payments for things out in the real world. Conveniently, iTunes already has payment information for its 160 million customers. That’s a match made in Heaven for Apple. Most impressive, though, is an announcement from Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile. In November, the companies announced that they’re working together with Discover to build a NFC contactless payment network called Isis for the cell phone companies’ 217 million customers. While holding hands with the competition might raise eyebrows, it’s actually a brilliant idea. According to Jaymee Johnson, the director of strategic development at T-Mobile who is also the Isis spokesperson, the joint venture has worked to provide a single unified platform to consumers, merchants, and banks that will streamline adoption of NFC. They realize that mobile payments using NFC aren’t going to work if the merchant is seeing a different interface for every customer that walks through the door, says Johnson. Intuit’s Green says they’re also trying to figure out how to deal with transaction fees. Once they are low enough, a smartphone will be an ideal transaction device. About those fees, Forrester’s Golvin said, “There is a going rate that is established for transaction fees on payment. I would be extremely surprised to see a merchant fee schedule for these payments that was radically different from what currently exists from the existing acquiring banks and payment networks.” Using a smartphone for transactions makes sense, especially for merchants who can capture new information about a customer, such as buying habits and preferences. According to Jeff Miles, the director of mobile transactions at NXP Semiconductors (www.nxp.com), the company that invented NFC with Sony in 2002, NFC tags in stores are another tool that will benefit merchants and their customers. ”Think of a small hardware store,” says Miles. “I walk in and I’m looking at a new drill and Bosch has a promotion, so they put a smart tag in the store. I tap the tag and it gives me some product information and potentially could give me a coupon.” Consumer concernsThere are concerns with using a phone to pay for goods. For example, some wonder: what if your phone is stolen? “[It would be] probably no worse than someone stealing a credit card and perhaps somewhat better because you can password protect a phone,” said Rob Enderle, principal analyst with Enderle Group, adding that the Web service a consumer would be using with a NFC-enabled phone would likely contain financial information and it would not be on the phone itself. Whether people will be eager to adopt NFC is another question. “Consumers are used to using existing methods of payment and as a race we are not very fond of change,” Enderle said. Golvin agrees. “The engrained behavior that people have for paying is pretty deep and it takes a lot to change that,” he said. The coupons and loyalty rewards that would come along with NFC phone payments will help, he said. “Those things do make a big difference. If you can do all of that in the transaction, now you’ve given the customer a real incentive to change their behavior and use this alternate payment method.” Experts aren’t sure at what point the average consumer will be paying for things with a wave of a smartphone. Regardless of when, it stands to chance that while today our phones rule much of our lives, tomorrow they just might control our money as well.
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.
Touted, talked about, and speculated about for years, e-readers are finally white hot. The market is expected to explode in 2010, with the offerings expanding far beyond Amazon’s Kindle, long the dominant player. Suddenly, an e-reader looks like the next consumer gadget must-have. “By far and away, e-readers are going to be one of the most popular consumer electronic categories in 2010,’’ says author and analyst Scott Steinberg, who publishes the gadget/tech website DigitalTrends.com. “E-readers are going to hog the lion’s share of the media attention.” Joining Kindle on the market are Sony’s well-advertised Digital Reader and Barnes &Noble’s Nook. Plastic Logic is taking aim at business professionals with its QUE proReader. Why your business should care With the exception of Plastic Logic’s e-reader, most of these devices are targeted at consumers. And in 2009, even consumer usage was limited, says Ned May, director and lead analyst for Outsell, Inc., a research and advisory firm for the publishing and information industries. However, take note of the comparison May draws between e-readers and another device that has been adapted for business use. “There’s a parallel to the early days of mobile phones,’’ he says. “In the beginning, mobile phones were primarily the realm of real estate agents who could justify that usage.” As e-reader use skyrockets, smart businesses will innovate, figuring out ways the devices can help propel business. Where e-readers fit in You might find a number of potential business applications for e-readers, depending in some instances on the type of business you run, Steinberg says. Among the potential benefits: Telling your story. Perhaps your best bet in these early stages is using the e-reader as a business marketing tool. Think of it as the next evolution of blogging. Producing short e-books on subjects related to your business or re-purposing white papers or case studies could be useful, Steinberg says. “It’s an excellent way to establish yourself as an expert in the space,’’ he says. There’s a hunger for content right now, and simply offering your content for free and providing that expert voice gets you in on the ground floor of this new communications vehicle. As the market develops, it could be you’ll find a way to monetize your content. But right now, think about materials you can produce simply and quickly, hitting the market at this early stage. Best of all, taking a chance on the e-reader market in this way requires no outlay of cash for the device itself. Going green/saving the green stuff. If your business prints multiple copies of white papers, reports, and documents, you’re likely to see both financial and environmental savings by using e-readers for business documents. Sometime in the near future “you will no longer bear the cost of paper and ink,” says Jim Gaines, editor-in-chief of online publication FLYPmedia and a long-time top-level editor for Time, Inc. publications. “The migration from print to digital is manifest destiny.” E-readers cost a few hundred dollars (The Kindle sells for $259, the Kindle DX is $489, and the Sony E Reader starts at $199), an investment quickly recouped when you consider the cost of printing and binding reports and other documents. Having a library in your pocket. For attorneys and business professionals who must wade through endless documentation, e-readers offer instant access to libraries’ worth of information on devices the size of modest notebooks. “This is going to appeal to the personality that has a voracious appetite for information,’’ Steinberg says. Reading comfortably. Certainly, it’s possible to download documents on other devices. You likely do soon a daily basis. Book applications abound on the iTunes store. However, there’s a comfort factor involved when it comes to reading long stretches of text on computer or smartphone screens. E-readers utilizing E Ink technology provide a more pleasant reading experience that more closely simulates reading a book, and the device screen sizes are significantly larger than a smartphone screen. “A smartphone is still not particularly ergonomic for reading anything large scale,’’ Steinberg says. The downside to e-readers E-readers remain a rather gray world amid the Technicolor, gee-whiz offerings we’re accustomed to seeing in digital devices. For the most part, they also have limited functionality compared to other devices. Gaines thinks the eagerly awaited, much-rumored Apple tablet will offer convergence, allowing for the addition of multimedia storytelling and providing the sort of multi-purpose experience to which we’ve grown accustomed. “What this next generation of devices will do is replace the netbook,’’ Gaines says. He foresees a business person needing little besides a notebook-sized device and a smartphone. May, the publishing analyst, agrees convergence is coming and says, “I’m not sure there is a tremendous case for a business to go out and buy a department full of Kindles.’’ A technology you can’t ignore Still, says Steinberg, you should carefully evaluate how e-readers might fit your business plan and monitor trends as they unfold. “The reality is, for a small business, it’s not necessarily a must-have purchase at this point, but it’s definitely one that is recommendable and can be advantageous,’’ he says. “We’re at the early adoption phase. At this point, you can’t ignore the e-reader market. It would be foolish.”
It’s a word every small business IT manager wants to hear: free. But does this popular F-word — especially given today’s ailing economy — also apply to computer security, too? While there are a number of paid products and services designed to protect data while employees are on the go, there are also solutions and tips to guarding your sensitive business data — and in some cases, customer information, too — that won’t cost you anything to implement. “There are thousands of cases of security breaches on laptops that have hurt the owners of those laptops and compromised the privacy of customers, citizens, and others,” explains David Daoud, an analyst with IDC’s personal computing for PC trackers and green IT programs. Examples include the recent announcement from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services about a laptop security breach involving an estimated 85,000 citizens. “Travelling can be an important source of theft and the consequences can be devastating from a legal and personal standpoint,” adds Daoud, whose offices are based in Framingham, Mass. If budgets are tight, the following are some free ways to help protect your data. Encryption The most obvious way to deal with laptop security is using existing encryption technologies and passwords, says Daoud. “BIOS-level passwords help in that they add more security at the operating system level,” along with setting up a password to launch Windows, too, he says. “For added security, you could use password protection at the folder or directory level.” Many mobile executives use Windows Vista’s built-in BitLocker encryption technology that can protect the data on the laptop should it fall into the wrong hands. Available in Windows Vista Enterprise and Windows Vista Ultimate, this data protection tool encrypts the entire Windows operating system volume on the hard disk (including user files and system files) so that the data is inaccessible unless the user provides the right password or biometric identification. Others prefer free third-party encryption options, such as PKWare’s SecureZip or TrueCrypt’s software. Biometrics Many laptops now — from the likes of HP, Lenovo, Sony, and Dell — offer an integrated fingerprint reader, so only the user can access files. Usually this finger scanner is located near the keyboard or just underneath the laptop’s LCD screen. Daoud says common sense also comes into play. “These biometrics security features are efficient on a certain level, but savvy hackers can certainly find ways to break into the system if they really need to,” he says. “So during travel make sure you keep your laptop with you all the time.” Another tip is to avoid unfamiliar Wi-Fi networks — even if they seem tempting because they’re unlocked — because these could be rogue connections by malicious types out to steal your data. On a related note, wherever possible, users should log into their company’s secured network to send messages or files rather than relying on free Web-based e-mail programs. Try to avoid using a public PC, such as at an airport lounge, but if you must, be sure to delete Internet history, cookies and clear cache before you’re done. Virtual desktops Some business owners prefer their employees not carry around any company files with them. Instead, mobile workers must log into the company’s secure network “in the cloud” and access files remotely. This technology is sometimes referred to as a “thin client” or “virtual desktop” solution. “The hosted virtual desktop concept is good for data security, in that data is not attached to a hard drive. The industry is still relatively immature, however, and users should balance the need for data security with other needs such as information accessibility,” advises Adam Hils, an Atlanta-based principal research analyst with Gartner’s security, privacy, and risk division. “It is true that users should limit the information on their laptops to what they need for the trip.” Daoud agrees: “The best advice is to have some centralized storage system at home or in the office where all the critical data is stored and secured… that can be securely accessed via Web browsers when someone needs to access the data.” Back-up Finally, there are free ways to back-up important data, in case a laptop is stolen, lost, or damaged. For example, Microsoft offers up to 5 gigabytes (GB) of free storage per month with its Windows Live SkyDrive service. Not only is this password-protected online file storage solution easy to use but you can access your files from any Internet-connected computer in the world, which can prove very handy while traveling. “And because remote laptops are outside the protection of the corporate firewall, every laptop should also have a personal firewall installed,” adds Hils. “These are available with Windows, and with most anti-virus products, for free.”
“Never listen to the guy in the pickup who says he’ll take your old equipment away for free,” says Gina Chiarella, COO of e-waste disposal company We Recycle!, Inc. “That’s the quickest way for your data to end up on a flea market table.” Getting rid of old technology can be hazardous, since there’s very likely sensitive data still on it. Even if you’ve erased and reformatted, computer hard drives contain loads of data you don’t want to let outside of your firewall – e-mails, contracts, planning documents, employees’ personal information, credit cards, and much more reside on these hard drives. Besides identity theft, data loss may leave you or your company liable under federal laws such as HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley, Graham-Leach-Bliley or under state laws. Criminal penalties include fines and prison terms up to 20 years. Not to mention the civil suits that can result. As many as 150 million computers are trashed each year, often without having their hard drives erased. According to the U.S. Department of Defense standards, secure deletion requires three complete rewrites on the drive before it’s considered clean. But some of the newer forensic data mining technologies could potentially retrieve material that’s been treated to even higher levels of erasure. If the wrong people were to gain access to it, they could hurt a business very seriously. The best way to eliminate data “Software that overwrites the whole drive, as the DoD recommends, is the best way to eliminate any data left on it,” said Chiarella. “If companies want to dispose of equipment that contains highly sensitive data and they don’t trust simply erasing, even when that erasure is considered secure, then they can go all the way and take it to a disposal company that uses a mechanical shredder and have the drives destroyed completely.” If you intend to reuse or recycle the drive yourself, there is excellent software that will do data erasure securely. Any program used for erasing a hard drive should follow the DoD’s clearing and sanitizing standard. A couple of the best are Darik’s Boot and Nuke, a free open source application, or Eraser, also free, from Irish software maker Heidi, Ltd. Beginning with Mac OS 10.3, Apple enhanced its security by introducing the Secure Empty Trash feature, which follows the DoD standards, and overwrites data seven times. If that’s not secure enough for you, then download the free program Permanent Eraser from Edenwaith Software, which overwrites your data 35 times. Disposing of hardware The problems of e-waste are even more complicated than just data security – the EPA estimates that over 220 million tons of old computers and other tech hardware are trashed yearly in the United States. E-waste contains high amounts of dangerous chemicals like mercury, cadmium, lead, and other toxins and carcinogens, and is often illegally exported to other countries where the material may not be disposed of properly. With too little oversight and regulation, much of this toxic waste ends up in places like Nigeria and China, where local populations now have high incidences of birth defects, infant death, cancer, and other illnesses. So what can a small or mid-sized business do when it needs to eliminate old equipment responsibly? “We recommend organizations deal with a licensed vendor to dispose of their technology,” said Robert Johnson, executive director of the National Association for Information Destruction (NAID), an international trade association for companies providing information destruction services. “A company interested in the quality and security of its data destruction needs to personally inspect the facilities of any disposal firm before dealing with them. Ask about how they manage their own business, and most importantly find out specifically how they dispose of the e-waste.” “When getting rid of tech equipment,” said Chiarella, small and mid-sized businesses “should also look at the website of the manufacturers of their equipment to see if they offer a ‘take back’ program for old equipment. OEMs do very good due-diligence to carefully and completely dispose these dangerous materials.” Sony, Apple, HP, Dell, and Lenovo, as well some other companies, all have programs to take back their products and recycle the materials — but just for safety, make sure you pull the hard drive for secure erasing or destruction. Check the company websites to find out if this is an option for your equipment. Also check with the Electronics Take Back Coalition for more information on companies offering this service. But while doing the right thing ecologically, make sure it’s done securely and carefully. Dealing securely with the disposal of your equipment and data destruction is something you can’t afford to scrimp on. “Cutting corners,” said Chiarella, “is never a good idea with data security. The fee that is associated with managing data destruction is far less than your cost of exposure of that data.”
“Never listen to the guy in the pickup who says he’ll take your old equipment away for free,” says Gina Chiarella, COO of e-waste disposal company We Recycle!, Inc. “That’s the quickest way for your data to end up on a flea market table.” Getting rid of old technology can be hazardous, since there’s very likely sensitive data still on it. Even if you’ve erased and reformatted, computer hard drives contain loads of data you don’t want to let outside of your firewall – e-mails, contracts, planning documents, employees’ personal information, credit cards, and much more reside on these hard drives. Besides identity theft, data loss may leave you or your company liable under federal laws such as HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley, Graham-Leach-Bliley or under state laws. Criminal penalties include fines and prison terms up to 20 years. Not to mention the civil suits that can result. As many as 150 million computers are trashed each year, often without having their hard drives erased. According to the U.S. Department of Defense standards, secure deletion requires three complete rewrites on the drive before it’s considered clean. But some of the newer forensic data mining technologies could potentially retrieve material that’s been treated to even higher levels of erasure. If the wrong people were to gain access to it, they could hurt a business very seriously. The best way to eliminate data “Software that overwrites the whole drive, as the DoD recommends, is the best way to eliminate any data left on it,” said Chiarella. “If companies want to dispose of equipment that contains highly sensitive data and they don’t trust simply erasing, even when that erasure is considered secure, then they can go all the way and take it to a disposal company that uses a mechanical shredder and have the drives destroyed completely.” If you intend to reuse or recycle the drive yourself, there is excellent software that will do data erasure securely. Any program used for erasing a hard drive should follow the DoD’s clearing and sanitizing standard. A couple of the best are Darik’s Boot and Nuke, a free open source application, or Eraser, also free, from Irish software maker Heidi, Ltd. Beginning with Mac OS 10.3, Apple enhanced its security by introducing the Secure Empty Trash feature, which follows the DoD standards, and overwrites data seven times. If that’s not secure enough for you, then download the free program Permanent Eraser from Edenwaith Software, which overwrites your data 35 times. Disposing of hardware The problems of e-waste are even more complicated than just data security – the EPA estimates that over 220 million tons of old computers and other tech hardware are trashed yearly in the United States. E-waste contains high amounts of dangerous chemicals like mercury, cadmium, lead, and other toxins and carcinogens, and is often illegally exported to other countries where the material may not be disposed of properly. With too little oversight and regulation, much of this toxic waste ends up in places like Nigeria and China, where local populations now have high incidences of birth defects, infant death, cancer, and other illnesses. So what can a small or mid-sized business do when it needs to eliminate old equipment responsibly? “We recommend organizations deal with a licensed vendor to dispose of their technology,” said Robert Johnson, executive director of the National Association for Information Destruction (NAID), an international trade association for companies providing information destruction services. “A company interested in the quality and security of its data destruction needs to personally inspect the facilities of any disposal firm before dealing with them. Ask about how they manage their own business, and most importantly find out specifically how they dispose of the e-waste.” “When getting rid of tech equipment,” said Chiarella, small and mid-sized businesses “should also look at the website of the manufacturers of their equipment to see if they offer a ‘take back’ program for old equipment. OEMs do very good due-diligence to carefully and completely dispose these dangerous materials.” Sony, Apple, HP, Dell, and Lenovo, as well some other companies, all have programs to take back their products and recycle the materials — but just for safety, make sure you pull the hard drive for secure erasing or destruction. Check the company websites to find out if this is an option for your equipment. Also check with the Electronics Take Back Coalition for more information on companies offering this service. But while doing the right thing ecologically, make sure it’s done securely and carefully. Dealing securely with the disposal of your equipment and data destruction is something you can’t afford to scrimp on. “Cutting corners,” said Chiarella, “is never a good idea with data security. The fee that is associated with managing data destruction is far less than your cost of exposure of that data.”
Summer 2008 marks the first anniversary of the iPhone, complete with the release of version 2.0. The iPhone has to be one of the most hyped-up product releases in a generation. Apple fans can tick off the new features by heart. But if you want to stump the band, ask this question: is it a smart phone? “I have never been so flamed, so badly as when I said the iPhone wasn’t a smartphone,” says Bill Hughes, a principal analyst from In-Stat, who says the first version was really more of a feature phone. He’s reserving judgment on version 2.0. The truth is most mobile devices in the United States are so-called feature devices. In a recent In-Stat survey conducted and authored by Hughes, cell phones remain the most popular mobile devices that Americans own and carry around on a regular basis. Smartphones rank below digital cameras. Other high productivity mobile devices, like the mobile Internet device (MID) rank somewhere between AM/FM radios and two-way radios. More people still carry a pager, rather than a MID, according to the survey. The big companies that manufacture and sell carriage plans for this next generation of higher functioning mobile devices are betting the farm this will all change in the next couple of years. So which mobile technologies should business owners plan on adopting for their remote or traveling workers? Hughes separates this next class of mobile devices into four categories, with the advantages and disadvantages therein: Ultra Mobile PCs (UMPCs) are basically little laptops. They’re what used to be referred to as sub-notebooks. UMPCs can do anything a laptop can do. It runs on the same operating systems with the same applications. It’s just smaller, weighing less than two pounds with a maximum seven-inch screen. The whole sub-notebook trend never really took off, but players like Microsoft, HP, Samsung and Sony are hoping for different results this time. UMPCs are currently popular in Asia. U.S offerings range in price from $800 to $1,000. Advantages: For road warriors tired of lugging around a full-size notebook through airports, the advantages are pretty obvious. UMPCs come with a QWERTY keyboard. Still UMPC makers this time around are not selling them as a laptop replacement. “Ultra Mobile PCs are being marketed as more of a companion device. It mirrors what’s on your laptop,” says Hughes. Disadvantages: Though very productive for getting work done in tight places (like the window seat in coach), it’s not an all-in-one device dooming users to carrying multiple devices. A thousand dollars is a lot of money for a secondary device. Battery life is an issue, as well. “Smaller unit, smaller battery,” points out Hughes. Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) typically weigh under a pound and also include a QWERTY keypad. They are designed for the singular use of Wi-Fi access to the Internet. The iPod touch is one of the most popular examples of a MID in the U.S. market. The average cost of a MID runs between $400 to $700. Advantages: Most of what the average worker needs is increasingly Web-based: e-mail, core applications, logging into the company network, even voice over internet protocol (VoIP). This could be a simple solution for most employees. Disadvantages: MIDs are Wi-Fi devices only. It’s much easier to find cellular coverage than a hotspot while traveling. “There’s a lot of free Wi-Fi out there, but you have to find it,” says Hughes. Battery life is limited, as well. Smartphones are probably best described as a combination PDA and cell phone. They also allow third party applications to be downloaded to the device. Additionally, they store and sync up contact databases and calendars. By far, out of this class of mobile devices, smart phones have made the most headway in the U.S. market. It’s hard to put a definitive price range on smart phones. They typically sell at a discounted rate as low $100, perhaps up to $400, bundled with a two year contract. Advantages: Users can access the Web through their cellular connection. It’s an all-in-one device. Among the four options laid out, it’s clearly the most popular choice to date. In-Stat claims 25 to 30 percent of all business users in the United States now have a smartphone. Disadvantages: While great for on the fly communications and light work, the average worker is begging for hand cramps and other ergonomic angst if they take on heavy computing tasks. With more employees spending more of their time out of the office than in the office, this clearly isn’t a silver bullet solution. Battery life is also a major complaint, although better than UMPCs. Smartphones with a mobile companion could be the best of all worlds, according to Hughes. “Traditionally, you start a new job and you’re issued a desk, a desk phone, and a desktop PC. Five years from now, I can see that, instead, you’re issued a smart phone and a docking station. When you travel, you pull out your mobile companion to do your work,” says Hughes. A mobile companion is about the same size as a UMPC and costs about $500. Advantages: The mobile companion offers all the ergonomic features that a smart phone lacks. It’s a fully functioning QWERTY keyboard and a bigger screen all of which syncs up with your smart phone. Even with the cost of the smart phone, it’s still a cheaper option than a UMPC and the user is not married to a harder to find Wi-Fi connection. Plus, users can maximize battery life by ping- ponging between the two devices; recharging one while using the other. Disadvantages: Mobile companions are virtually unheard of in the U.S. market and there are very few offerings available. Using larger keyboards and screens as peripherals for PDAs is nothing new among American mobile users. They are likely to confuse those offerings with mobile companions, as they become available. It’s not the devices that are limited All four of these options are currently available in the United States, but with the exception of the smartphone almost non-existent among mobile users. “Any of these four options could be a good option, making mobile employees more fully productive. But, are companies committed to making them more productive?” asks Hughes. To understand what is holding up widespread adoption, business owners and mobile users need to recognize it’s time to update their attitudes about mobile use. “I haven’t seen smart phones as a replacement for laptops. Best productivity is going to come from giving the user the most comfortable device for them,” says Josh Kaplan, president of Rescuecom, a nationwide IT support firm. Kaplan’s attitudes are typical and not incorrect, to be fair, in this current market. Here are some of the other popular user trends among mobile workers that may be holding up this next wave of mobile devices: One in three American workers carries more than one cell phone. American workers like to segregate their cellular use between two devices — one for home and one for work. According to In-Stat, 51 percent say it’s because they don’t want to mix work and personal calls. The second most popular reason is that they have two jobs. One in five American workers carries more than one portable computing device. Almost half, surveyed by In-Stat, say they want one that is small and easy to whip out to use anywhere; the other for more heavy duty computing that requires good ergonomics. Americans aren’t that dissatisfied with what they have. According to that same In-stat survey, 36 percent actually say they’re satisfied with what they have. The biggest complaint (23 percent) is keeping their devices charged, which is relatively a minor inconvenience. When asked, respondents listed more complicated issues like syncing devices, managing multiple service plans, and the weight of carrying around multiple solutions doesn’t even rank in the double digits. Nearly half of all business users choose none of the above. Forty-five percent of all business users don’t carry a mobile data device of any kind. Some four out of 10 respondents say they see it as a luxury, while another one in three prefers their desktop ergonomics.
