Mobile applications for your customers

Case study: Brussels community website
• Customer
– Brussels hoofdstedelijk gewest
– CIBG (central IT department of Brussels)
• Goals
– Reinforce economy by creating a digital local community
– Monetise services / platform (in the long term)
• Must-have features
– Works offline: permanent presence on the user’s phone
– Automatic update of content through web services
– Easy distribution (SMS “MyService” to 3236)
– Website integration
– Works on 80% of mobile phones
www.citylive.be 2

Functionality: online city community
Local Governe- IT
Citizens Visitors
shops ment companies
www.citylive.be 3

Solution architecture:
Citylive Community Services Platform
• Functionality
– Service creation
– Service delivery
– Service management
• Technical
– SOA architecture
– SQL server 2000 DB
– MS .NET 3.0 framework backend / ASP.NET frontend
– Web services (JSON, REST, SOAP) through WCF
– Session management and telco service integration through
Microsoft Connected Services Framework 3.0
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Solution hardwarde
• Hosting:Kangaroot
datacenter with Global
Crossings, Tiscali and
FreeBIX 1GB connections
• Servers: HP cluster with
SAN as virtual server host
• Mobile phones:
everything that runs
Windows Mobile or Java
J2ME
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Solution software: Hydra
• Functionality:
– Collection of enabling services out-
of-the-box
– Central & secure repository for
profile and application data
– Provides abstraction layer for
applications & websites using
simple API’s
– Controlled environment handling
privacy/authentication/authorizati
on
• AD based authentication of
services (internal or external)
• Impersonation for non-
authenticated service consumers
• Authorisation: own service or CSF
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Solution software: Application creation
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Solution software: Glowe explained
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XlHH0SJjv8
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Solution software: Mobile Widget engines
• Reference
implementation on
.NET Compact
Framework
• After validation, porting
to J2ME, Javascript,
Flash
• Symbian: tried, but too
fragmented / difficult
process / weird
architecture
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Challenges / lessons learned
Things to do Things to avoid
• Make mock-ups FIRST • Stay out-of-control
–
–
–
Mobile apps have no set expectation
?
You can’t predict what will work
Do extensive user testing
?
– With mobile, the user is in control
– You can’t manage his device. Forget it.
– Give users tools so they can DIY.
– Be prepared to change your concept • Avoid the bigger picture
– Technical POC alone is not enough – Focus on a concrete function with an
immediate value add for the user
• Use the internet & its protocols
–
–
A mobile does not live in your network
?
VPN’s are a thing of the past
?
– Trying to change work processes,
integrate with business intelligence,
cover a larger scope: it will all fail
– Mobile is new: create demand first
– SOAP is nice when critical, XML is easier – When it’s time for the bigger picture,
– Use the universal firewall bypass port (80) current technology will be obsolete
• Think Multi-platform • Translate the web to mobile
– In some cases, mobile websites are OK
– 1 platform only is not realistic
?
– When you can: move up an abstraction layer
or two (but web browser might be too thin)
?
– But: don’t just convert existing web tools
– Mobile has a different usage model then
fixed (“browsing” is done on a desk)
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