Advantages And Limitations Of Mobile Applications Information Technology Essay

Advantages And Limitations Of Mobile Applications teaching Technology EssayMobile applications are a pronto rising section of the overall smooth market. These applications are make up of computer software that agitates on a active device and carry turn up peculiar(prenominal) tasks for active phones and Pocket PCs. The focus of this paper is to run the business advantages and boundarys of the high hat steal grapheme police squads wireless Pocket PC nomadic devices and how they overcame those limitations. Additionally, describe the software development challenges of wireless sprightly devices and how Medstar Health and Unifi met those challenges. Lastly, identify the advantages and limitation of companies employ software packages already unavailable for use with wireless devices. outmatch Buy BackgroundFor many of todays businessman, Pocket PCs deal become uniform a nonher appendage. While there are both(prenominal) definite advantages to carrying a Pocket PC, its easy to overlook some of the obstacles associated with conducting business on them. The bit Squad is an ancillary of the opera hat Buy Company which is headquartered in Richfield, Minnesota. The bon ton offers a variety of computer-related services for both residential and commercial customers. snowflake Squad divisors provide both in-store, on-site services, as well as, Internet, and additionally also provides 24-hour telephone and emergency support. Best Buys agents are equipped with dash PPC-6700 Smart Devices, a Pocket PCs/cell phone combination that run on Windows Mobile 5.0 (OBrien Marakas, 2008).Advantages and LimitationsThere are many advantages to the Geek Squad Agents using the Sprint PPC-6700 Smart Device. One advantage is that these devices have skillful access to Sprints EV-DO third-generation cellular network, and have complete Web browsing capabilities (Geek Squad, 2010). When an agent is on the road and needs directions to his side by side(p) job, he st ack quickly access Google or Yahoo maps and easily navigate to his destination, rather than having to bilk around with a map or to call back to Best Buy dispatchers. Additionally, agents can use their wireless devices to log onto Best Buys ball club system where they can obtain price quotes, shape payments, complete transactions, and bewilder receipts for the customers. As with most devices, the Sprint PPC-6700 does have a mass side. The problem the Geek Squad agents are having with this device is the humbled slide-out keyboard. The small keyboard limits their ability to type quickly and accurately, therefore wasting precious quantify (OBrien Marakas, 2008).Overcoming LimitationsAlong with battery life story, inputting schoolbook is one of the most difficult problems for users of ready devices. First and foremost, the problem is lies in the physical size of it of the keyboard, followed by the self-contradictory needs of fixture and familiarity. As wireless data service s violent stream into the market, the need for efficient text entry is becoming ever to a greater extent critical, yet essential tradeoffs limit the practical options. Best Buy work its problem with the Sprint PPC 7600 with the use of handwriting credit rating software. Handwriting recognition is a method by which a computer system can recognize letter, characters and other symbols written by hand in popular handwriting. This type technology is generally used on devices such as PDA and Pocket PCs where a stylus is used to write on a screen, after which the computer program converts the handwriting into digital text (Handwriting Recognition, 2009). Geek Squad agents can hand write notes that go at present into Best Buys order system to be used a cite for later transactions. The next time a customer calls in with a problem, the agent can quickly pull up his notes for quicker and more reliable customer service. Prior to this technology, agents would have to wait until they got b ack to the exponent to enter the customers information into the system. According to one agent, it saves them 10-15 minutes that could have differently been spent helping a customer or traveling to the next job (OBrien Marakas, 2008). Although this is a big improvement, Best Buy is not in full content with the limitations of the current handwriting recognition software. They are now examination voice recognition software exit permit agents to open and taut programs with voice prompts allowing for quicker and better customer service. Voice recognition is a computer technology that uses audio input for a means of unveiling data instead of the using a keyboard. Speaking into a mike delivers the same result as typing words physically with a keyboard. Voice recognition software is constructed with a database of identifiable words or phrases. The computer program matches up the voice audio signature with the kindred entry in the database (Voice Recognition, 2009). Although, chang ing speech into text might overweight simple, it is enormously difficult. The problem starts with an almost infinite assortment of speech patterns and accents, increase by the tendency for people to run words together or the use of slang words.Software Development ChallengesMobile systems and industrious applications have gained a lot of attention both in research and labor over the last years. The market share of mobile devices is constantly growing. more and more, users expect their mobile devices to provide functionality same to the one they know from their background signal computers, notwithstanding also to provide additional, mobile device specific functionality, standardised location based services. However, software development for mobile devices is however feckless and a methodology geared towards supporting the development of such mobile applications is still lacking.One key factor for the commercial success of mobile devices is the quick development of software applications (Software Challenges, 2010). On the other hand, developing mobile software can be especially difficult since applications need to be conscience of and adapt to changing resources such as battery life and bandwidth. At one point in time it appeared like some standardization might occur and a common platform emerge, but most attempts have stumbled, and ultimately come up short of the idol they set out to accomplish. None of these approaches were specifically at fault. They each evidently met a specific set of needs during which the evolution of mobile devices that made the best of existing hardware and bandwidth limitations. The problem that each of them faced was the speed of evolution of mobile technology (Grotnes, 2009).It is true that mobile devices are still restricted by screen size, lack of a full size keyboard, and limited bandwidth. But there are already plenty of mobile devices with readable screens, 3D graphics, touch screens, accelerometers, compasses, and GPS capability. The functionality is in place for some enceinte state of the art applications and for smart developers to exploit. On the other hand, there is critical standardization as hardware manufacturers struggle to get the best out of their devices (Grotnes, 2009).Conquering ChallengesMedStar Health is a non-profit healthcare judicature that is facing similar software development challenges. MedStars IT department supports thousands of nurses and doctors, who use a multitude of mobile devises such as Pocket PCs, PDA, Blackberrys, and Palm Treos. Since there is no put down cut leader in mobile technology, it is hard for MedStars IT Department to push for a standard device. Because MedStars nurses and doctors are not forced to use a standard device, it is difficult for their IT Department to keep up with new mobile devices and ensure they are compatible with the federations applications. To overcome these challenges, MedStar thought outside the box and worked with vendor to tailor applications that would work on a wide trope of devices. MedStar chose to work with Siemens Medical Solutions and came up with a software root that allows medical practitioners to access their patients information through Siemens Invision mainframe using any of their mobile devices. This type of thinking by MedStars IT Department allowed the company to meet its goals without having to sacrifice any functionality. Many times off-the- shelf applications will not meet the needs of a customer and may take up some tweaking by the manufacturer to accommodate its customers specific needs.ConclusionA management information system is a system or process that provides information needed to manage organizations effectively (Computer and Information Systems Managers, 2010). As with the case of Best Buy and MedStar, their overall strategies were affected by MIS. Best Buy chose to use standard mobile devices and off-the-shelf applications to meet both its customers and employees needs . Whereas MedStar, discrete it was better for them to develop specific software to overcome their challenges. Neither steering is right or wrong, it just depends on your specific situation and needs. In a decelerate economy, MIS strategies would definitely have to be reevaluated to ensure the organization is being managed effectively. In the case of MedStar, I would opt for the strategy the Geek Squad took with standardizing mobile devices and using off-the-shelf applications. In a slowing economy, this would save a considerable amount of time and money not having to develop software that is compatible for a multitude of different devices. Additionally, a smaller IT Department could be utilized, saving thousands of dollars in nonessential personnel.