"Once the report is submitted, it cannot be changed by anyone other than the writer, which ensures that the investigator’s observations are accurately reflected in every report. Once approved, that information is automatically uploaded to the original data base unchanged—it is not subject to interpretation by a data entry clerk," said Hunter.
More efficiency
The improvement in efficiency is particularly notable in finding and inspecting permit events. There are over 70,000 Special Occasion Permits to sell liquor issued each year by the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (an outside agency). They notify the AGCO by fax of these permits, plus send an electronic copy of each request each morning. With the LEIRS system, the faxes have been eliminated and inspectors can download up-to-date information (refreshed nightly) listing the locations of these events. Further, they no longer need to rely on the posted permit itself, as they have all the information related to the event stored on their Pocket PC, which is accessible at the time of inspection.
"The LEIRS program has greatly reduced the paper work flow between the inspectors and head office. This allows for more time to be spent in the field on investigations and less time in the office," said Liquor Inspector Daniel Deslippe. "Immediate access to the AGCO database is a crucial aspect of any liquor or gaming investigation. The Pocket PC has improved the way I conduct my day-to-day business. It has become, like the cell phone, an important and effective tool."
"LEIRS allows a unified reporting system for all staff, which ensures that basic, necessary information is recorded on all reports. This system increases the level of quality control across the province within the Liquor Enforcement Branch," said Hunter. Having information gathered electronically on the Pocket PC has also allowed more flexibility in moving data to staff outside the enforcement branch. Besides compliance inspections, inspectors are also responsible for conducting final inspections of establishments prior to the issuance of a new liquor license.
Efficiency has improved and costs have been cut, but most importantly, AGCO staff now have better tools and more access to information in order to make more effective decisions. In the field of law enforcement, having accurate, timely information is critical, and with the Liquor Enforcement Inspection Reporting System, the AGCO has used the latest technology to create a streamlined, efficient process which benefits all those involved.
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Neil Morrissey is a Business Application Systems Developer with the Alcohol & Gaming Commission of Ontario. He is a former Liquor Inspector and was the lead developer of the LEIRS project. Neil is also a musician and enjoys writing and recording music in his home studio. Neil can be reached at [email protected].
Selling Software into the Ultimate Portable Entertainment Center (The Smartphone)
by Kurt Shuler
The cell phone is undergoing a metamorphosis. Its primary purpose remains voice communications, but that role is expanding significantly: it’s also becoming an entertainment device. Early generation "smartphones" have already started to merge features of other consumer electronics devices such as digital cameras and Web browsers. Meanwhile, advances in digital signal processors (DSPs) are setting the stage for a new generation of no-sacrifice, all-in-one entertainment devices that will deliver a consumer-electronics–quality experience to the wireless user. Early adopters in Asia are already using cell phones to take print-quality digital photographs, record or watch video or broadcast TV, and play console-quality video games.
As these phones launch in the North American market in the next few years, they should be very attractive to consumers, and thus will represent an enormous market opportunity for software developers. Successfully selling software into the cell phone market, however, is far different from doing so in other markets such as PDAs or desktop PCs. The cell phone’s design and distribution cycle is structured differently. Also, software must work within specific hardware constraints and also interface to the mobile network infrastructure.
Features in the not so distant future
First take a look at upcoming features that will drive this market (Fig. 1). A key element is the display. By late next year telephone displays will reach QVGA (240 x 320) and VGA (480 x 640) resolutions at 30 frames/sec, which allow comfortable viewing of video material. The same phone will display high-res photos; its camera will support image capture at 4 and later 6 megapixels; and it will also be able to operate as a camcorder. For enhanced viewing, phones will incorporate TV-output interfaces—some using wireless schemes. Enhanced audio goes hand-in-hand with high-quality video; soon users will be able to listen to high-fidelity music with Dolby audio processing and 3D effects from a headset.
(above) Fig. 1: In the near future, cell phones will embrace an all-in-one entertainment architecture, integrating the features of many consumer-electronics devices without sacrificing performance or the user experience.
The same phones will also take on the role of a high-end console for interactive entertainment, such as games. Soon these phones will be able to offer a rich gaming experience on the move, displaying up to 2 million polygons/sec, up from the 50,000 to 100,000—a performance greater than some of today’s dedicated gaming consoles! Thanks to wireless access to the Internet, these phones will also allow for online gaming, Web surfing and Emailing. Enterprise features like real-time video conferencing and document transfer will appeal to corporate users.
What’s making all this possible is the latest generation of mobile phone application processors, DSPs and cellular digital basebands. For instance, the TI OMAP 2 architecture includes multiple engines executing multiple tasks. An ARM11-based microprocessor runs the OS and performs supervisory control; a DSP core focuses on audio codecs, echo cancellation, and noise suppression; a 3D graphics engine enables sophisticated graphics rendering; a video/imaging accelerator handles streaming MPEG4 and WMV9 video as well as multi-megapixel resolution digital cameras; finally, a digital baseband processor implements network communications as a cellular modem, handling voice and data. Because these blocks all operate simultaneously, there is no degradation in the quality of any service: the devices are highly responsive, and they achieve flicker-free video and click-free audio through multitasking. Further, to conserve power, each of these subsystems can be shut down when not needed.
Opportunities for software developers
These devices will propel the mobile phone to new levels of popularity and open up plenty of opportunities for innovative software developers. To take full advantage of these opportunities, though, developers must become familiar with the players in the design, manufacturing and marketing chain, and what each one wants.
Today there are three major groups with whom the developer may work: the silicon vendor (SV), the handset manufacturer, and the mobile network operator (MNO). In certain cases developers might also work with enterprise/system integrators (SI) and the retail market.
The supply chain begins with the silicon vendor, who creates the parts at the heart of a cell phone. Beyond chips, some of these companies offer reference-design boards that handset manufacturers use to bring new phones to market more quickly. Many do much the same with software by providing BSPs (board support packages) that include processor- and board-specific drivers, multimedia codecs and security components. Finally, they often coordinate a developer network where engineers can get access to specialized software, tools and assistance.
What does a silicon vendor want from a software supplier? Most of all, applications that highlight areas of hardware differentiation. For instance, Microsoft presently doesn’t offer Smartphone software support for digital cameras, so the SV or somebody else in the supply chain must either create it or obtain it from a third party. As another example, a chip might include a random-number generator or hardware acceleration for encryption algorithms (see sidebar, "Security emerges as a key design consideration"). Similarly, chips will soon feature hardware that will enable cell phones to implement digital rights management for the sec
ure distribution and use of media files. In each such case, the SV might be willing to pay a developer with expertise in those fields to write applications that makes their chips desirable to handset manufacturers.
The best approach for a software developer is to sell the SV an application for inclusion on the BSP software suite. Silicon vendors might be willing to pay some NRE (non recurring engineering) expenses, but they prefer not to bother with royalties, primarily because of the administrative load with high-volume devices.
The next step in the supply chain is when silicon vendors deliver their chips and reference designs to handset manufacturers, who develop, manufacture, and market cell phones. The extent to which handset manufacturers emphasize each phase can vary; some optimize the design and manufacturing end, while others tend to focus more on the marketing side, creating the brand names known to consumers. Cell phone designs are usually based on a silicon vendor’s reference hardware and BSP and driver software, but they often involve a customization of the OS build. For instance, one version might include drivers for entry-level cameras and another might integrate drivers for a high-end camera or other functions.
With the mobile network operator as its customer, the handset manufacturer wants to offer unique applications that entice end users to spend more time on the MNO’s network. An early example was text messaging, and a more recent example is photo sharing through Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS). With such applications, though, expect the handset manufacturer to demand exclusive access to the software, at least for a while.
Handset manufacturers work with several business models. They sometimes establish their own developer network and set up a Web site where network operators and end users can buy applications. Manufacturers also purchase applications from third parties for inclusion in the software offered to end users. They might pay a one-time fee or work on a royalty basis. Sometimes large manufacturers maintain their own software design groups.
Thus, an independent software developer must get a deep understanding of a manufacturer, its products, and how the products differ from others on the market. Some manufacturers, for example, concentrate on integrating cameras; others are heavy into Bluetooth interaction, while others push their wireless LAN compatibility for enterprise users. The software developer must address these factors as well as future trends, while writing applications that distinguish the unique features of the particular brand of phone.
Reaching the end user
The MNOs make up the final link in the supply chain, the one that interfaces directly with consumers. They sell phones, usually at little if any profit, and derive revenue from services. They seek to maximize ARPU (average revenue per user), so they look for applications that increase airtime usage. They particularly like subscription applications that guarantee a steady revenue stream. Examples include monthly fees that give a reduced rate for SMS text messages, or for GPS position-reporting features.
As a business model, MNOs sometimes purchase applications that go beyond those provided by silicon vendors and handset manufacturers, an example being a photo-based contact manager. They also deal with OS vendor–provided software publishing and provisioning mechanisms such as Microsoft’s Mobile2Market. In these cases, a network operator reviews a catalog of certified applications and selects which ones to put on its own end-user Web site. These cooperative marketing programs also implement a billing and provisioning infrastructure for network operators. In some cases, a familiar one being Handango, the link goes direct from the software developer to the end user without the MNO being involved.
For a developer, it’s far better to get software on a phone during the design phase where sales are guaranteed rather than to fight for market presence against similar applications in a post phone-sale forum. That said, in the post phone-sale market, the goal should be creating applications with the broadest market appeal.
The enterprise user
A different supplier scheme—the global systems integrator or enterprise supplier—has the exact opposite target: rather than appeal to the mass market, such companies design very specialized phones and applications, generally to meet the requirements of a specific corporate customer. For instance, an airline might want its service technicians to be able to take a digital photo of a problem repair and then send it to the home-office engineering staff for evaluation. They might also want to be able to maintain repair records and parts databases over a cell phone.
Clearly these types of applications require considerable custom work in a mix of technologies with little mass-market appeal. The SI must get the silicon vendor and handset manufacturer to work closely together. In addition, the SI would often like to leverage this work to other markets. Using the airline example, police forces might be interested in taking photos for over-the-air filing of accident reports.
This market is difficult for independent software vendors to crack, but the rewards are worthwhile. The payment structure in this case is typically on a NRE basis as a consultant.
The newest sales channel is the retail storefront, which is being enabled by technologies such as larger multimedia and secure digital flash memory cards. Their capacities have reached a gigabyte and thus can store sophisticated video games or even video. Smartphones have joined PDAs in having memory slots, so users can purchase games and applications to load in their phones just as they do for their Pocket PCs, PCs, or game consoles.
In the retail market, software developers will find the competition intense. Retailers want known applications that draw buyers onto the sales floor. Because this market follows the traditional publishing model where all the steps in the distribution chain get a cut, margins are thin. Payments usually consist of a royalty per copy.
Match technology to customer needs
In these supplier schemes, as with those already described, the key to success is knowing who your customers are, what they want, when they want it, how they can make money, and where you fit into the value chain. Getting your application onto the phone during the design stage and before it lands in the end users’ hands guarantees revenue. Developers need to know the roadmaps that manufacturers are following and target those opportunities. This is especially true at the chip level, because the CPU is the enabling technology for all other hardware features. The best applications are those that use new hardware features to help manufacturers differentiate their handsets and help network operators increase airtime usage. Be innovative: if you create strong user demand for something new, then handset manufacturers and silicon vendors will soon want to incorporate it into their base feature set.
Security emerges as a key design consideration
In writing software, developers should keep in mind security considerations because this issue affects virtually any enterprise application, as well as many consumer applications in the future. For instance, applications should allow for secure communications over a VPN (virtual private network). They should also protect against information theft in the event that a phone is lost or stolen.
Software developers must first understand how a silicon vendor’s hardware-based security solutions interface with mobile networks. They must also find out whether a handset manufacturer or network operator offers an "unlocked" phone prior to its general release for software development. They should also determine if they need a security key before doing any development work, and if an application must be "signed" to function with a handset. Summing up, developers must start learning about security procedures at both the handset and network level to ensure smooth development and application provisioning/distribution.
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Kurt Shuler is the Microsoft Software Product Line Manager in the Cellular Systems group at Texas Instruments. He is responsible for managing the Microsoft software and development tools strategy associated with TI’s OMAP family of application processors. Prior to joining TI he spent four years with Intel as a product manager and marketing manager. He began his career as a navigator and electronic warfare office
r in the US Air Force Special Operations Forces. Mr. Shuler earned an MBA from MIT’s Sloan School of Management and a BS in Aeronautical Engineering from the US Air Force Academy. He can be reached at [email protected].
Mobilizing Your Workforce: Nine Key Questions
Device selection is critical but not the first priority—Start by understanding the requirements of your workforce and your organization’s long-term mobile goals
by Stuart Layzell
When mobilizing your workforce, device selection should rank lower on the list of priorities than you might think. It’s tempting to start with the device, because ultimately the success of your mobilization project may hinge on how well you match your employees with the right equipment. But before you begin evaluating the latest tablets, laptops, PDAs, and smartphones, you first need to understand the varying requirements of your different employee groups and your long-term enterprise mobility goals. Here are nine key questions that you should consider before you begin the device selection process for your enterprise.
1. Who are your user groups?
Mobile workers’ needs can vary dramatically from one organization or division to another, so breaking your organization’s mobile workforce into logical groups is a good first step. This will allow device selections to be tailored according to the needs of each group while also balancing IT infrastructure and financial considerations. Examples of user groups include: field service or field support; field sales; warehouse (both central and decentralized); transportation and logistics; executive management; and office- or campus-based mobile users (such as healthcare workers; mobile case workers; security and rapid response personnel).
Pocket PC magazine, October/November 2004 Page 10
