1. AT&T Newsletter
Issue 3
Mobilizing Unified
Communications
Expanding UC Benefits to Empower Mobile Workers
In a world This edition of the AT&T Unified
where work is Communications Newsletter UC Comes Together on the
something you highlights what those Mobile Handset
do, not some capabilities can be, as well as “We’ve talked about Unified
place you go, the steps you can take to move Communications and unified
mobilizing the back-end apps and UC tools in-boxes for years. But where
applications out to front-line users. It also it is finally happening is on the
that drive your includes a complimentary copy handset, not in the data center,
business is more important of a Gartner Report: “Key Issues and this is driving interest in
than ever. for Mobile Applications, 2011.” business applications that don’t
always require big investments
While there can be great Together, they can help you at the back end.”1
value in releasing a sales force identify and overcome the 1
(Source: Gartner: “Key Issues for
automation or ERP application challenges of developing Mobile Applications, 2011.” William
Clark, April 2011.)
from its fixed restraints, merely applications for a moving target
focusing on bringing these tools of mobile devices and platforms, See the complimentary Gartner
to the mobile environment limits as you empower mobile users in Report within this newsletter.
your possibilities. this “work anywhere” world.
The real opportunity today
lies in combining these David Mingo, VP, AT&T Consulting
mobilized applications with
unified communications (UC)
functionality and other status
information to create a new
breed of compelling applications
and capabilities. Last time, we covered how communications-enabled business applications
can speed business processes. This issue covers the value of extending
those applications out to the mobile perimeter.
Featuring research from
AT&T Newsletter - Issue 3, 2011
2. The Opportunities: Creating the Real-Time
Enterprise
There’s no question that the Figure 1. Sync Supply and Demand
demand for mobile apps
is growing strong and fast.
According to Gartner, many
enterprises will make multi-
million dollar investments from
2011 to 2015.2 While we can
only imagine what mobile apps
will be capable of doing four
years from now, they’re already
doing some pretty amazing
things right now by harnessing
the power of UC.
Mobile mashups. Mashups Source: AT&T
blend data, visual representations
and other capabilities derived These are just examples of how new applications can be created to connect people,
from multiple sources – such as objects and places in ways not previously possible to remove human latency,
back-end internal CRM or ERP increase business efficiency and enable the real-time enterprise.
enterprise systems – to develop
new and exciting services with indicators for the rest of the meters and heart monitors. This
the potential for extraordinary account team. All these feeds is giving rise to a new class of
business value. can be combined behind a intelligent mobile applications
single user interface, accessible that can be created to sense,
By combining a person’s from a smartphone. As a result, analyze and respond to a variety
presence (or availability) the account lead has valuable of real-time events that can occur
information with data from UC knowledge about the customer in a typical business day.
apps and back-end systems, you and can consult with the rest
can empower mobile workers of the sales team on any issues See figure 1 above for an
with more relevant, real-time before walking into a sales example of how a mobile
information to take actions and meeting with decision makers. implementation can integrate
make decisions on the spot, presence and location-aware
wherever that might be. Intelligent mobile apps. applications to sync supply and
Taking it a step further, demand in real time.
For example, a mobile mashup organizations are now merging
for a salesperson may aggregate presence and application data
feeds from a customer’s with other status information
press announcements, key and shooting it across a wireless
performance indicators (KPIs) network to an extended array
for the business, the status of of devices – from vehicles and
recent orders and presence vending machines to electric
2
(Source: Gartner: “Key Issues for Mobile Applications, 2011.” William Clark, April 2011.)
2 AT&T Newsletter - Issue 3, 2011
3. Challenges: Keeping Up with Change
Increasing application Complex integrations. virtually all technology assets.
development demands. Creating mobile applications Over the last few years,
As mobile devices become that leverage the advanced employees have been pushing to
the “devices of choice” and capabilities possible today use their personal smartphones
smartphones get even “smarter” requires seamless integration to communicate and collaborate
and easier to use, the demand between UC tools, business freely inside and outside the
for mobile UC functionality and applications, networks and enterprise with customers,
enterprise apps will continue to other technologies to provide partners and suppliers.
escalate. This is especially true the optimal user experience.
for younger workforces. Always This can challenge many IT needs mobile management
eager to download the next new organizations trying to keep up and security tools to balance that
app in their personal lives, they with the rapid innovation cycles freedom with tight security policies
expect the same innovation, rapid in the marketplace. and controls. They need an easier
development and ready access way to manage mobile devices
from business apps. Internal IT Employees want the ease of over the air – from activating,
organizations are finding it hard viewing a colleague’s presence configuring and updating them
to keep up. data directly within the to securing and supporting them.
enterprise application they’re To protect sensitive data, IT also
Multiple mobile devices using to eliminate switching needs a way to remotely lock and
and platforms. You may be back and forth between wipe lost or stolen devices and, if
experiencing the “bring your mobilized applications. the device is company-owned, to
own device to work” frenzy that’s For the IT department charged deactivate them when employees
happening in most enterprises with mobilizing the applications, leave the company.
today, which leaves developers this could mean developing
with the challenge of creating complex interfaces between “Simultaneously, large shifts in
mobile apps for an expanding array back-end enterprise apps and market share ... make placing
of changing devices, platforms each new application pushed mobile application bets on
and screen sizes. The time, staff out to mobile users. specific platforms difficult.”3
and budget demands on your
development resources can be Mobile management and 3
(Source: Gartner: “Key Issues
enormous. Even when you attempt security. At one time, IT tightly for Mobile Applications, 2011.”
to standardize mobile platforms controlled and managed William Clark, April 2011.)
and devices, the market shifts so
often, it’s not always clear which
direction to head.
AT&T Newsletter - Issue 3, 2011 3
4. Approaching Mobility
With so many “piece parts”
making up the mobile application
environment, it’s hard to know
where to begin. AT&T solutions
and services for UC and mobility
can help you get started
and guide you through your
mobilization initiatives.
Getting Ready
Create a mobile UC strategy.
Successful enterprise initiatives
take careful planning. So, make
sure you create a mobile UC It brings together five elements and UC tools. To mobile users, it
strategy with key steps and that are key to enterprise looks like the data is coming from
milestones. AT&T consultants mobility – devices, mobile just one system.
can help you define a UC and middleware, management tools,
mobility vision, roadmap and a development environment and Integrate in the middle. The
action plan. an integration framework. mobile middleware within AT&T
MEAP acts as a traffic cop for bi-
Prioritize applications. Together, these elements directional communication between
Determine which business interoperate with each other back-end applications and mobile
apps offer the most return for and existing application devices. It extracts, transforms
your mobilization efforts and environments for seamless and integrates application data
investments. A good place to mobile connections and and presence information on key
start is to target the apps and communication – helping you stakeholders, then pushes it out
business processes that would bring a broad range of capabilities to the user in real-time – and in
best benefit from incorporating and benefits to your organization. a format that’s easily viewable on
presence or other UC tools into the mobile device requesting the
the workflow. AT&T consultants Write once, deploy to information. Developers are freed
can guide your stakeholders many. AT&T MEAP provides a from worrying about data flows
through these exercises. ‘write once, deploy to many’ to specific devices because the
development environment that middleware does the work.
“MEAP platforms matured uses reusable components to
from incomplete ‘boxes of free developers from writing
code for each device. They can AT&T MEAP in Motion
parts and tools’ into tightly With barcode-reader-equipped
integrated, comprehensive write applications once and
run them on a range of mobile Smartphones, airline agents
development environments can scan tickets or online
that manage the entire life devices, platforms and networks
to accelerate app development purchase printouts to speed
cycle of mobile development the check-in process, verify
and deployment.”4 and keep up with change.
ticket data with back-end
Mobilize existing UC tools reservation systems, identify
4
(Source: Gartner “Key Issues a first-class flyer and IM the
for Mobile Applications, 2011.” and business apps. For
connections with existing closest driver for VIP shuttle
William Clark, April 2011.) service to the gate.
applications, there are pre-built
application adapters in AT&T
Bringing it All Together with MEAP. Developers can use these
MEAP to write one user interface that
The AT&T Mobile Enterprise combines information from
Application Platform (MEAP) is multiple business applications
designed for ‘any application to
any device’ mobile deployments.
4 AT&T Newsletter - Issue 3, 2011
5. Launch location-aware apps UC tools and mobile applications, A mobile-centric approach.
and other capabilities. AT&T consider AT&T cloud solutions for Mobility is at the core of
MEAP includes application fast provisioning, deployments and everything we do, not an
programming interfaces (APIs) for scalability. You can provide mobile afterthought. AT&T delivers the
requesting location information users with access from virtually best wireless coverage worldwide
from GPS-enabled devices across anywhere on a variety of wired and has the nation’s fastest
the network to help track field and wireless devices for a simple mobile broadband network (US),
workers or assets. monthly fee. so we can handle the demands of
enterprise-wide mobile rollouts.
Based on an open and flexible Managed Services. AT&T can
architecture, AT&T MEAP can ready implement, host and manage Integration expertise. Our multi-
you for integrating other existing your UC solutions and mobile vendor system integration expertise
and emerging mobile technologies applications. We can also manage and ‘any application to any device’
with your business applications your mobile device environment. approach can help you establish
and UC tools. For example, AT&T the critical linkages and seamless
Machine-to-Machine solutions Leveraging AT&T UC and communication exchanges
can wirelessly connect millions of Mobility Expertise you need between business
diverse devices to your network for When you work with AT&T, you applications, UC tools and mobile
two-way communications between benefit from our UC, mobile devices – and without large time
home-based water meters and application, networking and and financial investments in back-
billing systems. integration expertise – a end integration.
combination that’s hard to find
Manage and protect. AT&T in one provider. Next Steps
MEAP management tools provide AT&T can help you harness
centralized, proactive and over- A single source for UC and the power of mobile UC to get
the-air control of mobile devices mobility. A full range of UC and more value from your business
and applications. These tools mobility services, from strategic applications, while bringing new
include configuration and asset planning and mobile app capabilities and services to your
management, software and development to deployment, mobile workers and your entire
security updates and remote management, hosting and cloud enterprise.
diagnostics. Centralized policy services. We also have vertical
creation and enforcement helps industry experts who can guide Find out more about how our
to guard against unauthorized your implementation using best- MEAP platform, UC portfolio,
access to data. practice approaches. mobility services, machine-to-
machine solutions and professional
Lowering Complexity services can help empower your
AT&T Cloud Services. Instead mobile users.
of procuring and managing on-
premises equipment to support To arrange for a mobility
consultation or a Wireless
Strategy & Technology Workshop
contact your AT&T account
representative.
See Issue 1 of the AT&T Unified
Communications Newsletter:
Developing a Road Map for
UC, featuring our Eight-Step
Approach to UC Transformation.
See Issue 2: Communications-
Enabled Business Processes.
Source: AT&T
AT&T Newsletter - Issue 3, 2011 5
6. Complimentary Analysis from Gartner
Key Issues for Mobile Applications, 2011
Given the rapid adoption of such as e-mail, voice and We’ve talked about unified
mobile devices for a growing video. Mobile apps extend communications and unified
range of applications, mobile the work time to areas like in-boxes for years, but where
application development and travel time and beyond it is finally happening is on the
sourcing are becoming even the normal work day and handset, not in the data center,
more critical to IT, and Gartner time away from the desk. and this is driving interest in
will continue to expand coverage, Handsets are being linked to business applications that don’t
especially of vendors and cloud services that integrate always require big investments
architecture, in 2011 and beyond. a number of communications at the back end. For example,
modalities, and those they may just present the
TOPIC DESCRIPTION communications modalities results of existing enterprise
Wireless carriers and mobile are being linked to context to Web services on the handset
handset and software platform make them more efficient. in a much more compelling
vendors are making it more • They optimize line-of- and easy-to-use way than on
economical and scalable for business processes, such as the desktop or on the laptop
businesses to reach out with sales forces, field service, browser that they were originally
improved content and value manufacturing, operations designed for — often driven by
propositions to large numbers and logistics. This includes simple contextual information
of consumers, and this is spilling both internal- and external- (such as location) provided
back into the enterprise. The facing processes. Many automatically by the handset.
tremendous advances in mobile organizations are in their
device capabilities and ease of second generation of mobile Unified communications is not
use (pioneered by the iPhone, applications or beyond. The the only place where the Web
and exemplified by the iPad) are global economic slump is making a difference. Web
driving a great deal of enterprise slowed growth in mobile approaches and technologies
awareness and interest in mobile enterprise applications; for AD will continue to converge
applications — purely as a result however, the growth with mobile (e.g., the availability
of employees (often senior) continues to be stronger of support for HTML5 on mobile
being exposed to very simple, than the overall application devices). Augmented reality
very useful and sometimes very market, as most organizations capabilities in browsers will
powerful consumer applications update their employee-facing create new user experience
from application stores. mobile applications once (UX) paradigms for mobile, and
Simultaneously, large shifts in every four to five years. IT organizations will need to
market share (Android surpassing • They reach out broadly to transition to a new blend of skills.
Symbian in 2010, for example) consumers, business partners
make placing mobile application and business customers. Mobile has shown that
bets difficult. Technologies like the Many enterprises will applications were ill-designed
combination of HTML5, JavaScript make multimillion-dollar for a variety of screen options
and CSS3 are allowing Web investments from 2011 to that users may find in their work
developers to craft new mobile 2015. Globally, the impact device portfolios. The problem
applications faster than ever. will be huge. In “Dataquest has now appeared in the large
Insight: Application Stores; screen areas as standards
Mobile applications are becoming The Revenue Opportunity move from HDMI to DisplayPort
more influential in enterprises in Beyond the Hype,” we resolutions, leaving many
three ways: estimate that there will websites centered on the screen
• They improve the efficiency be 51 billion applications with large black bands on either
and effectiveness of downloaded during the side, wasting screen real estate.
knowledge workers by 2008 to 2013 time frame, The challenge for application
providing new or improved which will generate $72 developers is developing a single
accessibility across billion in revenue. website that can adapt to these
collaboration applications,
6 AT&T Newsletter - Issue 3, 2011
7. different needs and support the
upcoming age of the
movable UX, a process
whereby a cloud-based
UX can be easily moved
from device to device
as the user sees fit.
Enterprises need to
balance the need to
move quickly in the
mobile consumer
area, considering
the risks inherent
in an emerging
technology-based
market, particularly
with fragmentation in
this case. In the mobile
enterprise area, organizations WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT to do this. Organizations will be
need to take a measured Mobile AD is at the center searching for ways to lower the
approach that addresses the of much of new consumer- cost of mobile applications, but
ongoing challenges of support facing IT AD spending. Mobile will also need to keep looking
costs and the consumerization of applications are a very hot and for ways to improve top-line
application and device platforms. risky topic for IT organizations. business results, since new
End users’ and consumers’ UX mobile applications focused on
Although mobile applications expectations will continue to employees can yield as much
impact other IT investments rise rapidly, but security, battery as 500% annualized ROI. Mobile
in many enterprises, they are life, fragmentation of device/OS consumer applications enable
usually evaluated, implemented markets and toolsets/skills must businesses to reach millions of
and funded in tactical silos. be considered. Even the delivery consumers at times and in ways
Gartner sees mobile applications of content and applications that were impossible before.
as a convergence point for is changing rapidly as app This requires a multifaceted
the integration of many stores and cloud offerings give view, which, from a business
independent technologies and more options to developers. perspective, looks at workforce
business efforts, especially in Enterprises need to know when segmentation and business
unified communications and to insource and outsource, processes, as well as at hard
collaboration (UCC) platforms and need to know the right costs (such as the evaluation
and context-aware computing, questions to ask when it comes of maturing commercial off-
where we are beginning to to mobile architectures, business the-shelf [COTS]; packaged
see investments in location plans and skill sets. mobile applications; ongoing
servers, presence engines, development and customization
social-computing platforms, KEY ISSUE DESCRIPTIONS costs; project and change
security platforms and mobile management; help desk and
Key Issue: What policies,
communications, which will provisioning; and software
evolve to bring context-enriched processes, skills, financial
licensing, hardware and
services to end users. Given the analysis and management
networking).
significant growth, and these techniques will be necessary
key relationships between to justify, develop, source, Maintaining the appropriate mix
mobile applications and other deploy, govern and support of skills will be based partially
IT investments and business mobile applications? on the vertical industry (which
processes, enterprises will need Mobile applications need to dictates the types of mobile
to pay increasing attention to be financially justified, and applications that are necessary).
the four Key Issues outlined in organizations need frameworks Economic pressures will mean
this research.
AT&T Newsletter - Issue 3, 2011 7
8. that many business-to-employee also increased investments (albeit influence the overall development
(B2E) mobile application more modestly) in platforms approach and skill sets
projects will undergo greater and tools for developing mobile needed? Organizations that
scrutiny, requiring more due enterprise application platforms previously opted to minimize
diligence than in previous (MEAPs), and in packaged mobile the development of native
years. Mobile B2C represents application platforms. Covered mobile applications have been
a second “Internet gold rush,” from 1998 through 2002 as prompted to reconsider, due to
where companies must have a “wireless application gateways,” the popularity of app stores. App
consumer presence, yet where and from 2002 through 2008 as stores then present complexity
the ways to make money with “multichannel access gateways,” at two levels: for consumer-
applications is still being defined. MEAP platforms matured from facing apps, the need to provision
These emerging opportunities incomplete “boxes of parts for multiple app stores, or to
in business-to-consumer (B2C) and tools” to tightly integrated, select vendors or platforms that
mobile applications mean that comprehensive development aggregate; and for enterprise
organizations will have to gauge environments that manage apps, the need to create private
when to scale successful pilots, the entire life cycle of mobile app stores.
and when to commence and development and deployment.
cease mobile marketing and Cross-platform development will At the same time, the increased
application support. become increasingly important, leverage of mobile development
and will raise the requirements platforms and middleware will
Planned Research: for MEAP and MCAP offerings. mean that independent software
Besides development platforms, vendors (ISVs) in CRM, ERP and
The total cost of ownership (TCO) network technologies, advances in supply chain management (SCM)
and value of investment (VOI) of screens and displays, app stores, will be able to better create
mobile applications can vary by input methodology, augmented useful mobile extensions to
an order of magnitude, based reality and sensors will allow their product lines — a marked
on approach and ambition level. new capabilities or extensions for improvement from earlier
Our research in this area will mobile applications. attempts that just relied on portal
include a new Magic Quadrant or database synchronization
on mobile device management, How will mobile application technologies. Outside of
case studies, Toolkits and technologies, development
best practices for managing platforms and architectures
investments, policies and evolve, and how will they
skills from four views: process
improvement, mobile workforce
segmentation, the consumer and
as a portfolio of services, where
mobile application enablement is
assessed alongside voice.
Key Issue: How will
technologies, development
platforms and architectures
that enable and support
mobile applications evolve?
A second wave of innovative
vendors, centered on maturing
cross-compilation, Web and
cloud techniques, is competing
to become significant mobile
consumer application platform
(MCAP) vendors. This trend
accelerated in 2010, in particular
around HTML5, and enterprises
8 AT&T Newsletter - Issue 3, 2011
9. development, adoption and
interest in location technologies
— including cellular-based,
wireless-LAN (WLAN)-based
and GPS GIS — will continue to
provide opportunities to increase
mobile application capabilities.
Virtualization, advances in rich-
client technologies, software-
defined radio and Session
Initiation Protocol (SIP) will
be increasingly considered for
possible long-term impact to
mobile application capabilities.
Planned Research:
Analysis in 2011 will cover
the implications of the deeper
rollouts of third-generation
(3G) cellular, Long Term
Evolution, fourth-generation
risk and experimentation More broadly, UCC applications
(4G) and WLAN networks in
are the norm. In other areas, are beginning to show that
areas such as mobile video,
mobile applications are deeply they can provide similar
mobile architectures (including
entrenched in critical business benefits by tying themselves
thin, thick, rich, streaming,
processes, so refinements that to communications-enabled
messaging and no-client), sensor
hold considerable promise may business processes. Formerly,
and location technologies. It
need to be finessed over time. wireless e-mail, wireless phone
will also cover the impact of
new networking technologies calls, electronic meetings,
Organizations cannot just view telepresence and other similar
and hardware, mobile OSs,
mobile applications as a bolt-on communications were seen
smartphone virtualization and
capability; they must examine as luxuries. However, as our
browser platforms.
linkages in functional areas normal systems are burdened
(such as CRM, e-commerce and by complexity, the ability to
Key Issue: How will m-commerce initiatives; field step outside these systems and
enterprises apply wireless service management solution handle exceptions is becoming
technologies and mobile implementations; and mobile an important component of
devices to best run, grow sales force automation), in first-class customer service
or transform consumer- or business areas (such as how and efficient supply chains.
employee-facing business mobile applications affect the Examples of mobile applications
applications and processes? value proposition to consumers) that enable this are cellular
Organizations can staff IT or and from a human aspect (for telemetry and smart products
select good system integration example, how consumers or that help businesses completely
partners, and understand mobile employees will adopt mobile redefine processes.
technologies and vendors, yet applications, such as mobile
still fail to reach their potential education that includes Planned Research:
where mobile applications are interactive video). This research
concerned. The crux of this will cover the mobile server Gartner will assess broad-
challenge is that there is no and client capabilities, and the based applications (such as
blanket rule for applying wireless challenges in mapping where mobile e-mail) and “horizontal”
and location technologies. In these capabilities add the most applications (such as sales
some businesses or business value from the perspective force applications or mobile
units, mobile applications need of broad enterprise mobility, commerce), as well as specific
to be assessed through the rather than from narrow silos of vertical-focused mobile
eyes of an entrepreneur, where specialized vertical processes.
AT&T Newsletter - Issue 3, 2011 9
10. applications. We’ll
look at examples
where mobile
applications tie
into communications-
enabled business processes or
mobile unified communications
to bridge and enhance the
efficiency and effectiveness of
how organizations deal with
structured tasks and ad hoc or
unstructured collaboration.
Key Issue: What will the
vendor landscape be
for sourcing, securing or
building mobile applications
and systems?
This is a rapidly changing
landscape, with considerable
partnership competition. Vendors
range from the largest ISVs, Web
AD vendors and mobile service
providers to mobile middleware
and platform specialists, COTS
offerings, wireless e-mail and
messaging, security vendors,
location (GPS and GIS) vendors, Planned Research: MEAPs and HTML approaches
and WLAN and networking against each other as these
vendors. In particular, app stores, This area will be covered by technologies and approaches
both public and private, will be Magic Quadrants on MEAPs, converge, as well as the short-
important influences. MCAPs, and updated packaged and long-term costs and risks.
mobile application platform Vendors covered will include
Innovation and growth MarketScope vendors, and Apple, Microsoft, SAP, Google,
opportunities for vendors vendor analyses of wireless Yahoo, Oracle, IBM, Nokia, Sybase,
mean that market offerings e-mail vendors. It will also be RIM, Cisco, Adobe and Citrix
will become more chaotic and covered by Critical Capability Systems, as well as vendors
fragmented. The atmosphere analyses and advice on related in areas such as ruggedized
in enterprises is that Apple, vendors that provide mobile handheld devices and wireless
Nokia/Microsoft and Google will security and mobile device e-mail.
continue to compete to erode management, as well as their
Research In Motion’s (RIM’s) impact on mobile application RELATED KEY INITIATIVE(S)
natural base in mobile enterprise viability and TCO. Gartner • Mobile enterprise strategy
applications, while RIM, Nokia/ will also expand coverage on — the planning needed
Microsoft, HP and others will mobile device management, to capitalize on the rapid
attempt to match Apple and security and compliance. innovation and end-
Google’s momentum in mobile Some enterprises may need to user demand for wireless
consumer applications. compare vendors of MCAPs, technologies.
Source: Gartner RAS Core Research Note
G00211572 , William Clark, 15 April 2011
10 AT&T Newsletter - Issue 3, 2011
