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

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

Functionality: online city community www.citylive.be

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 www.citylive.be

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

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 www.citylive.be

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

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/authorization AD based authentication of services (internal or external) Impersonation for non-authenticated service consumers Authorisation: own service or CSF www.citylive.be

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/authorization

AD based authentication of services (internal or external)

Impersonation for non-authenticated service consumers

Authorisation: own service or CSF

Solution software: Application creation www.citylive.be

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 www.citylive.be

Reference implementation on .NET Compact Framework

After validation, porting to J2ME, Javascript, Flash

Symbian: tried, but too fragmented / difficult process / weird architecture

Operation / system management Service Operator : Has a web-based management interface Widget authors : publish their apps and remain responsible (are supported through separate glowe.org website and can come to information sessions) Community members : can transfer ownership of data entities in the system to each other. Escalation process with manual intervention if no agreement Users : select their own content & widgets, create their own accounts, distribution by SMS and self-installation Technical operations : regular process monitoring / server monitoring with MOM, regular DB and software maintenance schedules www.citylive.be

Service Operator : Has a web-based management interface

Widget authors : publish their apps and remain responsible (are supported through separate glowe.org website and can come to information sessions)

Community members : can transfer ownership of data entities in the system to each other. Escalation process with manual intervention if no agreement

Users : select their own content & widgets, create their own accounts, distribution by SMS and self-installation

Technical operations : regular process monitoring / server monitoring with MOM, regular DB and software maintenance schedules

Development cycle for mobile Starts on PC prototyping in .NET on desktop before implementing in .NET CF (is one of the bis advantaged of Windows Mobile) Methodology: Scrum++ agility linked with the room to breath for some innovation Tools: Microsoft toolchain Visual studio, team server with sourcesafe, documentation on Sharepoint

Starts on PC

prototyping in .NET on desktop before implementing in .NET CF (is one of the bis advantaged of Windows Mobile)

Methodology: Scrum++

agility linked with the room to breath for some innovation

Tools: Microsoft toolchain

Visual studio, team server with sourcesafe, documentation on Sharepoint

Challenges / lessons learned Things to do Make mock-ups FIRST Mobile apps have no set expectation You can’t predict what will work Do extensive user testing Be prepared to change your concept Technical POC alone is not enough Use the internet & its protocols A mobile does not live in your network VPN’s are a thing of the past SOAP is nice when critical, XML is easier Use the universal firewall bypass port (80) Think Multi-platform 1 platform only is not realistic When you can: move up an abstraction layer or two (but web browser might be too thin) Things to avoid Stay out-of-control With mobile, the user is in control You can’t manage his device. Forget it. Give users tools so they can DIY. Avoid the bigger picture Focus on a concrete function with an immediate value add for the user Trying to change work processes, integrate with business intelligence, cover a larger scope: it will all fail Mobile is new: create demand first When it’s time for the bigger picture, current technology will be obsolete Translate the web to mobile In some cases, mobile websites are OK But: don’t just convert existing web tools Mobile has a different usage model then fixed (“browsing” is done on a desk) www.citylive.be

Things to do

Make mock-ups FIRST

Mobile apps have no set expectation

You can’t predict what will work

Do extensive user testing

Be prepared to change your concept

Technical POC alone is not enough

Use the internet & its protocols

A mobile does not live in your network

VPN’s are a thing of the past

SOAP is nice when critical, XML is easier

Use the universal firewall bypass port (80)

Think Multi-platform

1 platform only is not realistic

When you can: move up an abstraction layer or two (but web browser might be too thin)

Things to avoid

Stay out-of-control

With mobile, the user is in control

You can’t manage his device. Forget it.

Give users tools so they can DIY.

Avoid the bigger picture

Focus on a concrete function with an immediate value add for the user

Trying to change work processes, integrate with business intelligence, cover a larger scope: it will all fail

Mobile is new: create demand first

When it’s time for the bigger picture, current technology will be obsolete

Translate the web to mobile

In some cases, mobile websites are OK

But: don’t just convert existing web tools

Mobile has a different usage model then fixed (“browsing” is done on a desk)

Influence of future evolutions from MS XAML : would make a great open cross-platform mobile abstraction layer (please) SQL server compact : gets you there fast, but needs to open up to other platforms to be viable outside of corporate walls. (e.g. use XML schemes in WCF) Popfly (mashup dev tool): will really take of if given some mobile service delivery blocks DirectX : user input,video rendering,sound and 3D are big problems in mobile. MS has a nice architecture here Directpush : Don’t keep the magic for Activesync, open up the API to ISV’s. www.citylive.be Whishlist of things Microsoft can do for the mobile application industry

XAML : would make a great open cross-platform mobile abstraction layer (please)

SQL server compact : gets you there fast, but needs to open up to other platforms to be viable outside of corporate walls. (e.g. use XML schemes in WCF)

Popfly (mashup dev tool): will really take of if given some mobile service delivery blocks

DirectX : user input,video rendering,sound and 3D are big problems in mobile. MS has a nice architecture here

Directpush : Don’t keep the magic for Activesync, open up the API to ISV’s.

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