University Business - September 2006 - (Page 64)

One FOR ALL Wake Forest has already witnessed these challenges. The univer- phones. They'll be key devices for community building and col- sity has tested Cingular's 8125 smart phone, which allows students laborative learning, says Chellappa Kumar, CIO of the New York to make cell phone calls or, when in a WiFi hot zone, surf the web College of Osteopathic Medicine. And they'll deliver financial and view streaming video. Overall, Wake Forest officials are very savings. Students with dual-mode phones will be able to talk to pleased with the devices and upbeat about dual-mode's promise. each other a lot more over WiFi networks without using up their However, Dominick concedes that additional device and cam- cellular minutes. pus network enhancements are required to unlock the full power Just ask David Hattey, president and CEO of FirstHand Tech- of dual-mode phones. nologies, about the monetary benefits of these devices. Hattey For instance, students who use the devices to place calls over estimates that he saved his company $1,500 in cellular roaming the school's WiFi network will notice inconsistent or subpar ser- charges during a recent business trip in Europe. His dual-mode vice. It's not fully baked yet, says Dominick. Students can get phone, which has cellular and WiFi capabilities, logged more than Skype client [software] for the smart phones. This will let them 17 hours connected to WiFi hot spots across Europe. place calls on the WiFi network but the quality isn't there yet. Admittedly, Hattey has a vested interest in dual-mode's suc- The service doesn't roam real well as you move between [WiFi] cess. The Ontario-based company develops multimedia client access points. software for smart phones, WiFi handsets, and emerging dual- Brockman has observed similar challenges with dual-mode mode devices. phones. On the application front, you'll need to ensure seam- Early Disconnects less links between call servers, mobile devices, cellular services, and the public telephone infrastructure, he says. Dual-mode Despite their promise, dual-mode phones also come with cost, phones also come with device-specific challenges related to bat- network, application, and device challenges. For starters, many tery life, radio performance, screen size, storage, processor perfor- dual-mode phones cost $500 or more. The average price, though, mance, and memory. could drop to $400 each by 2008, according to the research firm In other words, dual-mode phones will require extensive test- Access Intelligence. ing much in the way that WiFi networks and laptops required Most dual-mode phones are untested in college and university careful consideration back when wireless networks first came environments, and dozens of devices have yet to emerge from Sili- onto the scene. con Valley development labs. In some cases, interoperability issues have slowed or halted device development. Rapid Progress For instance, Cisco Systems and Motorola last year partnered to design a dual-mode phone that connects to cellular services as well Still, proponents insist that WiFi's popularity and students' growing as Cisco's enterprise IP phone switches. But based on publicly an- interest in all-in-one mobile devices will drive dual-mode phones nounced design plans, prospective customers complained that the to mass popularity within two years. Students with dual-mode phones will be able to talk to each other a lot more over WiFi networks without using up their cellular minutes. Chellappa Kumar, New York College of Osteopathic Medicine devices likely wouldn't interoperate with other vendors' networks. I don't know if it's 12 or 18 months until the devices [offer Cisco and Motorola ultimately scrapped their joint development seamless roaming for WiFi and cell networks], says Dominick. work in April 2006. Cisco is now working with Nokia on stan- But it's certainly not far beyond that. dardized dual-mode phones that will likely ship before year's end. Other college leaders agree. Kumar at NYCOM, for one, has Other challenges loom. Institutions of higher ed will need to high hopes for leveraging the institution's WiFi infrastructure, ensure that dual-mode systems provide ample bandwidth, secu- which currently delivers streaming video and other academic con- rity, coverage, and seamless handoffs between cellular and WiFi tent to student laptops. As students begin to embrace dual-mode networks, notes Peter Brockman, senior VP of business develop- phones over the next year or two, the devices will immediately ment at FirstHand. leverage our WiFi infrastructure to receive academic content and 64 | September 2006 universitybusiness.com Mobile.indd 64 8/21/06 3:59:09 PM http://universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - September 2006

Contents
College Index
Company Index
Advisory Board
Editor's Note
Behind the News
Viewpoint
Marketing
Human Resources
Money Matters
Community Colleges
Summer Conference Report
Learning After Loss
Not Your Typical Textbook Advice
A Greener Attitude
Mobile Technology: One For All
Lessons in Landlording
Business Technology
What's New
Calendar of Events
Direct Connect
End Note

University Business - September 2006