Nomad - Advanced Enterprise Mobility System

Marketing Overview

1) System specifications

1.1 Market description and need identification

The use of personal computers has brought revolutionary productivity gains to every field of business that exists today. However, this advantage has mainly been limited to workers in the office, with PCs on their desk.

With the latest trends of increasingly powerful mobile phones, coupled with the advent of cheap, reliable wireless WANs they use, a new platform has emerged that promises to extend the computer productivity revolution to workers in the field. Companies want to “computerize” their field workers not only for efficiency gains it entails, but because these are often the last remaining non-computerized parts of the business process.

Mobile phones are cheap and ubiquitous, and already a necessity for most businesses. Turning them into powerful, mobile PC equivalents for workers is a very cost-effective productivity investment.

1.2 Summary

Nomad is an enterprise mobility solution that works with off-the-shelf hardware. It is a client-server software application that enables employees to use a mobile device to accomplish any business task they can accomplish with their office PC. It works on all devices that support the Java MIDP (Mobile Information Device Profile) 2.0 environment, which includes the majority of mobile phones sold today, Windows Mobile and PalmOS based PDAs and Blackberry devices.

1.3 Use/functionality

Nomad can be used whenever there is a need for information entry and/or information retrieval in the field. As it is a highly customizable application, it can be adapted to a wide variety of markets and uses.

Nomad is a client-server application, meaning some or all processing can be done on the client device. This contrasts with server-only applications (e.g. web applications) where all processing is done on the server. Benefits from Nomad's architecture include: higher responsiveness through local processing, higher data availability through local caching, better user interface, support for disconnected work, lower data traffic, push support.

The only limitations to its functionality can stem from the usability limitations of the platform used. For example, if used on a device without a QWERTY keyboard, it is not suitable for use where large amount of text entry is needed. These limitations are easy attenuated by the correct choice of target device (from a very wide variety of supported devices).

1.4 Examples of use

Nomad can be used for a wide variety of business processes in a wide variety of industries. For example:

  • Salesmen in the field can view and search contacts, execute client queries based on various criteria, enter and validate new orders, review previous orders' status, inventory, etc.
  • Servicemen in the field can receive electronic work orders without having to return to the central office. Electronic work orders can contain a multitude of information, including a graphical map with the client's exact location and wayfinding instructions. Workers can access all the required data from the company's central database – spare parts inventory, service history, servicing instructions, etc.
  • Couriers can automatically report on their position, status of the current delivery, etc., or receive new assignments.
  • Use of “push” technology enables sending information to mobile workers' devices even when Nomad application is not running.
  • Workers can remotely access any and all information important for the successful and timely completion of their task.

Paired with an integrated or portable GPS receiver, or telecom provider's geolocation services, Nomad can be extended with the following functionalities:

  • Monitoring the exact geographic location of workers or their vehicles in real time (with derived data – starting time, daily distance traveled, maximum speed, etc.)
  • Geographic navigation with current position as a moving map display on the mobile phone's screen.

Nomad can also be integrated with bar-code readers and other Bluetooth peripherals to further improve worker productivity.

1.5 Hardware/software requirements

Nomad has been designed to work on the widest variety of hardware platforms and to easily interoperate with business information systems (in fact, that is its unique selling point).

On the client side, Nomad supports all Java MIDP 2.0 devices. Java MIDP is, by far, the most widely supported platform in the mobile world. In fact, the number of mobile devices has surpassed the number of PCs that support Java.

Examples include mobile phones from various manufacturers (Nokia, Samsung, Motorola, SonyEricsson, LG, Siemens, etc.), Windows Mobile and PalmOS based PDA devices, Blackberry devices, etc. Nomad is not tied to any particular mobile network standard or carrier.

As the server-side component is also written in Java, it works on all modern operating systems that support it (all versions of Windows, Linux, Solaris, etc.). Communi­cation with the business information system (business database) is done using industry-standard JDBC or SOAP protocols. Nomad can therefore be integrated with business information systems based on Oracle, Microsoft's SQL Server, IBM's DB/2, Sybase, Informix, PostgreSQL and other databases (e.g. SAP, Oracle, Axapta, Siebel, PeopleSoft, ...)

Nomad architectural overview (blue represents Nomad components)

1.6 Personnel requirements

Nomad is an automated system and therefore doesn't require customer's personnel attention during its operation.

Of course, personnel engagement is required during the implementation of the system if the customer requires customization.

Nomad running on an HP iPAQ 6340

1.7 Training requirements

Effective use of Nomad requires training for end-users. For standardized modules (e.g. field sales), standard training documentation can be used. For customized functionality, customized training is required.

Training is complicated by the wide variety of mobile platforms that can be used. It is therefore recommended that each client standardizes on one or two platforms that will be used throughout the company.

1.8 Implementation time

Time to implement Nomad for a specific customer depends on the amount of customization required. If Nomad is purchased as a prepared ('boxed') solution, implementation time is in the order of couple of days. In case of moderate customizations, implementation time is on the order of several weeks.

2) Competitors

2.1 List of competitor systems

Systems that are competitors to Nomad can be broken up into three groups. All of them are, in some ways, inferior to Nomad (this will be explained in detail in section 2.2.)

The first group is the most numerous, and it includes all server-only systems. These are typically web applications that users access through a built-in web browser on their mobile device.

The second group are systems based on custom devices.

The third are non-MIDP client-server applications targeted primarily at mobile phones. There are a few small companies that make such systems. Examples can be found in the document titled „Forum Nokia Spring 2005 Enterprise Catalog”, which lists various mobile enterprise and productivity solutions for Nokia mobile phones.

2.2 Differential comparison

Server-only systems differ in their functionality and characteristics from Nomad, and are therefore poor competitors. For example, they do not have the capability for data caching or disconnected work, which are very important in enterprise mobility solutions.

Systems based on custom devices are on the order of 5-10 time more expensive than Nomad. They are also less customizable, as devices are highly specialized for their intended use.

Systems like those listed in the Nokia Catalog support a much smaller subset of hardware than Nomad. They are targeted either at a specific make or model of a mobile device (e.g. Nokia Series 80 phones) or at a specific operating system (e.g. Symbian).

2.3 Benefits of "Nomad" and its USP (unique selling point)

Unlike any other system on the market, Nomad has been designed to work on any device, regardless of manufacturer, model, operating system and network standard (GSM/CDMA), as long as it supports the Java MIDP 2.0 environment.

Benefits of this are multiple: Customers can choose from a very wide variety of devices, leading to lower prices (due to larger competition pool). Customers can find a device that suits their requirements more easily. As these are usually high-volume items, there is less risk of the device becoming orphaned and unsupported/obsolete than for very specialized, low-volume devices.

3) Benefits: Case examples

Since 2006, Nomad has been used in Wurth Serbia, a branch of Wurth multinational corporation that sells fixing and assembly materials. More than 150 of their field sales representatives are equipped with HP iPAQs running Windows Mobile operating system.

Each salesman can use Nomad at any time and from any place to access information important for his job:

  • information on any of more than 100.000 products available, including quantity on stock and expected delivery dates
  • information on any of his customers, including the sales history and all related documents (invoices, credit notes, orders, payments, balance)
  • entry/confirmation of new orders and review of previously entered orders, even when mobile network is not accessible
  • review of daily field trip plan and entry of field trip (customer visitation) information, including time, distance traveled, visit result
  • dozens of important miscellaneous reports
  • administration of on-hand inventory
  • processing of warranty claims and repair requests

Nomad has helped Wurth Serbia to significantly increase worker productivity and decrease costs:

  • number of unclear or erroneous orders has been reduced by over 90%
  • time from customer request to delivery of goods has been reduce by around 50%
  • number of employees in the order processing department has been drastically reduced
  • 8 telephone lines used for receiving incoming orders and field trip reports by fax have been freed

4) Summary

Nomad is an advanced enterprise mobility system, characterized by high custom­izability and support for the widest array of mobile devices. Its client-server architec­ture provides better performance and user comfort that typical server-only systems.

As it works on majority of modern mobile devices, it is a very cost effective solution for companies seeking to improve the productivity of their field workers and round-up automatization of their business processes.