Managing Automation - October 2007 - (Page 24)

[ COVER STORY ] “One of the problems with the mobile office is it has evolved in chaos,” says EDS Fellow Randy Mears (shown here at the 2007 MA Progressive Manufacturers Summit). benefit. However, as manufacturers try to drive as much efficiency into the enterprise as possible, they have the unenviable task of having to manage this mishmash of technological approaches. And it is not just the wireless infrastructure, but the devices as well — Blackberries in the sales force; Nextel walkie-talkies in the warehouse; RFID tags in the supply chain; Dell, Hewlett-Packard, and IBM laptops in the field; and rugged Motorola mobile computers in the factory. These mobile devices are designed for specific wireless networks that use various standards and communications protocols, adding another layer of complexity for IT depar tments responsible for suppor ting them. As a result of the wireless overload on IT departments, users of the devices often take control of application development and maintenance, leading to tactical deployments that don’t take into consideration overarching business processes. Ultimately, observers say, this is limiting wireless technology’s ability to play a strategic role in the enterprise. “One of the problems with the mobile office is it has evolved in chaos,” says Randy Mears, a member of the EDS Fellows program. To truly benefit from all that the untethered infrastructure has to of fer, IT organizations must find a way to centrally manage it, providing the appearance of a unified wireless landscape, he says. Wireless is evolving much like PCs did, Mears says, when departments bought their own computers and solved their own problems because they didn’t want to wait for IT depar tments bogged down with mainframe maintenance chores. IT departments eventually gained control over PCs, promulgating corporate standards around type and brand allowed on the corporate network and centrally managing assets. The same will happen with wireless networks and mobile devices, Mears believes. The days of the wild, wild West in wireless are far from over, but there have been developments that promise greater order. Wireless technology suppliers are responding with new, multifunctional devices that integrate various capabilities. Motorola’s MC9000, for example, can read both RFID tags and bar codes, and Research In Motion’s new Blackberry 8820 includes WiFi access in addition to cellular. While these devices may ease the cost of ownership by not requiring users to purchase separate devices for every application, or by leveraging the free corporate WiFi network versus paying for minutes on a cellular network, the real mechanism that will move the mobile enterprise forward is the ability to tie disparate wireless networks together. To that end, the next big thing in wireless is the creation of a connected infrastructure. “We are at the stage now where we have a number of networks to do things, but, ultimately, we are trying to get to the point where there is one network that does everything,” Mears says. “Once we are at that point, it doesn’t matter if there are different solutions and devices involved, because it’s all centrally managed. Isn’t that where you want to be?” That’s a good question: As a manufacturer, where do you want to be? Perhaps the better question is: Can mobility be used to create a strategic advantage for your company? The ma October 24 2007 Photo: Managing Automation

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Managing Automation - October 2007

Contents Take 1 Mailbox New Selling and Fulfillment Product Leads Plan to Transform Sterling Commerce Comtrol Closes Bizarre Chapter Involving Founder New Omron COO Outlines Four-Part Growth Agenda New Mfg. ‘Czar’ Will Have a Full Plate of Issues Lawson Embraces The Trend of Fewer Upgrades Notes Wanted: A Unified Infrastructure Needed: Greater Reliability Special Report: Innovation: Why Are So Many Coming Up Short? Transforamation: Beating the Odds in Global Supply Industries: Metals: Tracking Carbon Footprints Product Scan Advertiser Index Next

Managing Automation - October 2007

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