Before I started a mobile enterprise anything I'd want answers to the following questions:
1) Delivery? How are enterprise apps going to be distributed? Right now almost all mobile software distribution channels are directed at the general consumer. This, obviously, won't work for enterprise, yet no-one has announced a solution to this problem. This also brings up the issue of authentication.
2) VPN? Blackberry is the only platform I know of to tackle the problem of VPNs. As in, within a native application, I can direct traffic over the VPN. There may be support for this on Windows Mobile...
3) Control: There is no centralized way to control access within 3rd party applications. My IT department can't lock me out of an app (aside from doing a full phone wipe, which only happens on the iPhone and the blackberry) they certainly can't control what I access from within the applications I download.
I'm starting to feel like a broken record online and amongst my friends. Mobile has a bright future but right now it's got systematic, challenging problems. Now's the time to start in, but if we move too fast we'll create another mobile.com bubble.
You bring up some very good points, especially with the iPhone. There are limitations that it has that the Blackberry doesn't. I know my work Blackberry routes browser traffic through a filter and won't allow 3rd party apps to be installed.
I've got a friend who's developing enterprise apps for the iPhone and is dealing with the limitations of that platform right now.
Does anyone know how Andriod addresses the enterprise mobile market?
Before I started a mobile enterprise anything I'd want answers to the following questions:
1) Delivery? How are enterprise apps going to be distributed? Right now almost all mobile software distribution channels are directed at the general consumer. This, obviously, won't work for enterprise, yet no-one has announced a solution to this problem. This also brings up the issue of authentication.
2) VPN? Blackberry is the only platform I know of to tackle the problem of VPNs. As in, within a native application, I can direct traffic over the VPN. There may be support for this on Windows Mobile...
3) Control: There is no centralized way to control access within 3rd party applications. My IT department can't lock me out of an app (aside from doing a full phone wipe, which only happens on the iPhone and the blackberry) they certainly can't control what I access from within the applications I download.
I'm starting to feel like a broken record online and amongst my friends. Mobile has a bright future but right now it's got systematic, challenging problems. Now's the time to start in, but if we move too fast we'll create another mobile.com bubble.