Archive for the ‘Technology’ Category
Thursday, April 25th, 2013
Karen Ambrose Hickey, Editor
Our Technical White Paper: iPass Open Mobile Overview has been updated.
The paper describes all of the policy options available to customers when deploying iPass Open Mobile. It also details how the entire authentication process to the iPass Mobile Network operates, which can be a source of questions. We cover other areas such as Network Selection Policies and setting Control Policies from the Portal; connection options, usage and controls for mobile devices; and available Mobility Usage Reports.
You will find that the paper is organized with sections for Open Mobile client capabilities for smartphones and tablets, Open Mobile client capabilities for Laptops, options available in the Open Mobile Portal and the more in-depth discussion on the iPass Mobile Network.
Read the Technical Overview >>
Updated Technical Overview of iPass Open Mobile >>
Wednesday, July 18th, 2012
Chris Witeck, Director Product Marketing
Yesterday on the iPass blog we gathered some outside opinions on the new Microsoft Surface tablet, which is a Microsoft produced tablet to compete with the iPad and other Android based tablets. What we highlighted are the positive and negative statements being made about this new tablet. Some people like the potential that is the tight integration with Microsoft Office, while others are not sure if this is truly ready for the Enterprise and if Microsoft is going to cause problems for their traditional partners by competing with them directly. Others have commented that all of the Windows 8 variants will be confusing.
I thought I would add my perspective here to these criticisms.
First, to tackle the Enterprise adoption question. Will the Enterprise adopt Microsoft Surface en masse? No, but I don’t think Microsoft is expecting this either. In today’s world of devices in the Enterprise you have two broad categories of devices. 1) Devices IT directly manages, i.e. the IT managed laptop, and 2) devices IT does not manage but supports, i.e. the tablet/smartphone that the user owns and IT lends application support to- so you can check your email and do other work related tasks (think BYOD and consumerization).
Microsoft historically has had a strong handle on #1. But #2 they have definitely struggled with as employees have gone out and purchased their own smartphones and tablets to use for both personal and business related reasons. It is for #2 that Surface is for.
Microsoft I believe will be quite content to allow the Enterprise to deploy Windows 7 laptops and have employees bring in Windows 8 tablets because that represents a win for Microsoft. Will employees see enough appeal in Surface to go out and buy it just like they are buying iPads and Android tablets? I think so, but we’ll definitely have to see how the market reacts. The Microsoft approach to tablets is different and unique enough to carve out a strong niche in my opinion.
Both Google and Apple have treated the tablet as an extension of the phone (based on the fact that the tablet O/S is a variant of the phone O/S). Microsoft had made the tablet an extension of the laptop O/S. This different approach represents both potential and risks for tablet owners. The potential in doing more types of content creation and having a fuller experience with certain applications such as Microsoft Office. The risk comes with traditional laptop bloat and battery drain as multiple applications compete for resources. The promise of the Windows 8 Metro interface is that the risks mentioned are minimized, but we’ll have to wait and see Windows 8 in action before making the final judgment.
Second, let’s talk about Microsoft competing directly with their partners. While Microsoft has talked up their history in hardware (think keyboards and mice), it is definitely new for them to produce a computing device outside of gaming. So while this does mean that Microsoft will be competing with traditional partners, I think the message here is more about creating a category than competition. Outside of Apple, no one has done really well with tablets (although you can make the case for Amazon and Barnes & Noble- but arguably many people see those a single purpose readers vs. tablets). As mentioned above, Microsoft is trying something new with tablets and the message with Surface is that they are trying to define that niche. If they are successful, there will be room for more, especially if partners come out with different form factors and different pricing strategies. If Surface becomes a huge hit, partners such as Dell, Acer, Lenovo and HP may thank Microsoft for the awareness created for Windows 8 tablets that may even create opportunities for traditional laptops as partners start to blend the concept of the laptop and the tablet together.
The last point is the potential confusion caused by all of the Windows 8 variants. This is where Microsoft definitely has a challenge ahead of them. When you think of Windows 8, you really have three different potential experiences that partners may present to users. 1) The classic Windows interface on an Intel based device. 2) The new Metro interface on an Intel based device, and 3) the new Metro interface on an ARM based device (Windows RT).
There will be application incompatibilities between these user experiences, as well as different application experiences on Metro vs. the classic Windows interface. Some Metro applications may be able to fall back to a classic Windows interface on a Intel based device, but will not be able to on an ARM/Windows RT based device. This may present challenges for Microsoft as users may get confused by the different variants. We saw this with the Surface announcement as Microsoft is rolling out both an ARM based and Intel based version. How Microsoft handles this in a non-confusing way remains to be seen, but I think out of the gate this is an area that needs improvement.
So to summarize, I think Microsoft has the potential to succeed with Microsoft Surface by targeting the business user/mobile worker – not by targeting the traditional Enterprise and they have a chance to create a unique niche not served by the iPad and Android tablets that will not only benefit Microsoft but their traditional partners as well. However, they have their work cut out for them to ensure users are not confused by different user experiences that all fit under the Windows 8 umbrella. The true test comes this fall with both Windows 8 and Microsoft Surface starts to hit the market.
Microsoft Surface for the business/mobile worker >>
Tuesday, July 17th, 2012
Annie Livingston, Marketing
Microsoft recently announced the upcoming release of a new tablet, Microsoft Surface. Businessweek’s Ashlee Vance stated that the tablet is going to be big competition for not only Apple’s iPad, but for PC companies as well, including HP, Dell, and Acer. The new tablet comes with a kickstand and cover, that is also a keyboard when opened. The tablet will be the first to have Microsoft Office running—and all of its software and hardware are Microsoft-made.
John P. Mello Jr. from PC World states that the Surface may cause confusion. While the iPad only has one operating system, the two Surface tablet versions have two operating systems designed for different processors (and use cases). Microsoft is setting the bar high for other companies to try and compete with in terms of design sensibility and the vision of hardware and software working together.
While the end user point of view is important, we also what to know how enterprise-ready the Surface is.
According to ZDNet, CIO’s predict it’s going to do well. While some CIO’s admitted Microsoft still has some work to do, overall the predictions are positive. Because the iPad has yet to have a true competitor, ZDNet claims that the buzz around the Surface is true competition. One of the CIO’s interviewed by ZDNet’s Steve Ranger claimed that the tablet has such a large chance of success because of its integration with other Microsoft products.
However, Randall Kennedy from betanews disagrees with ZDNet’s claims and thinks that IT will completely disregard the new tablet. While Kennedy thinks the Surface has a lot to offer, Microsoft has yet to prove itself in the world of tablets, and therefore will not perform well among enterprises. People are so used to the iPad that they will be unwilling to switch and try something new that hasn’t already be tested by other enterprises or end users. It doesn’t have the same track record.
A recent article by Tim Greene lists the ups and downs of the new tablet, listing significantly more downs than ups. He claims that the apps are both a positive and negative feature for the tablet as some of the apps only run on the tablet, and other apps for a laptop are not available on the Surface. While it is untested in the corporate world, the tablet does have four Office applications making them much more user friendly in the office.
Rob Enderle at CIO.com, thinks that IT might nudge users towards the Nvidia version as the future of BYOD, although the Intel version is more compatible with legacy systems.
We will have a more in-depth, critical look at Microsoft Surface later today. Check back!
Check out the cool features on the new Surface here, they’re pretty incredible!
Reviews on Microsoft’s Surface >>
Tuesday, June 26th, 2012
Annie Livingston, Marketing
As all of us consume mobile data, the interest in use of public Wi-Fi to help has taken on greater urgency. WBA’s Next Generation Hotspot (NGH) initiative is giving us and many other major operators and vendors, a chance to test innovative new login procedures and simpler connectivity that will help simplify login and support roaming agreements as well as establish relationships with each other so you can have a much wider variety of hotspots available.
The trials we are participating in allow us to test a variety of authentication methods for the growing number of smartphones, as well as SIM-based, for tablets, laptops and legacy phones which cannot support SIM authentication. An end result will be that as many of our customers as possible will have automatic access to hotspots without entering usernames and passwords.
With the latest prediction of a rise from 1.3 million hotspots in 2011 to 5.8 million by 2015, not including “community hotspots” which add another 4.5 million worldwide, the WBA trials and our future deployments of NGH are an exciting opportunity for us.
For more info >>
WBA Next Generation Hotspot (NGH) Initiative Phase 2 Trials >>
Monday, June 11th, 2012
Susan Cummings, Sr. Director, Marketing
Read the full iPass Insight Brief: “Partnering with Smartphone Users”
Lately mobile IT is inundated with tools and technologies to enable the “Bring your own Device” (BYOD) phenomenon. Stories are everywhere about mobile device management, mobile security tools, device liability, reimbursement strategies, deployment options, and so on.
And caution has rightfully been suggested to mitigate the risks to corporate resources from employees who use personal smartphones and tablets for work—to prevent employees from circumventing security features and data loss from the use of unsecured devices. But beyond the technology and security aspects of BYOD, IT has a strategically important role to play both in supporting employee productivity and controlling costs for the organization.
So when considering supporting the use of personal smartphones, remember that making the user responsible for paying the bill doesn’t really solve the problem of the high cost of getting connected. Connectivity is oxygen for productivity, and there’s an explosion of bandwidth-intensive cloud-based apps. So it’s perhaps not surprising that many have reported a significant “bill shock”: a rude surprise in the form of a huge data roaming bill.
Even if the cost of connectivity isn’t directly supported through IT—if the costs for data plans and Wi-Fi day passes are distributed in expense reports and department budgets—the increased use of personal smartphones and tablets exposes your company to risks in the form of spiraling connectivity charges. So be sure your mobility policy provides for mobile cost control.
But one important factor is often lost in the buzz about BYOD policies and technologies: that is, partnering with your mobile employees is essential to an effective enterprise mobility policy.
iPass conducts quarterly research on mobile worker behavior, which has shown that most really do want to act in the best interests of the organization and help protect corporate assets. They also will go to great lengths to be productive, even when they’re not at their desks. That said, they are willing to follow your rules; but first they must understand them.
So the question is: how well understood is your policy for using personal mobile devices for work? Simply developing the policy isn’t enough; you must ensure that employees understand them. Educating personal smartphone and tablet users is the key. Read the iPass Insight Brief “Partnering with Mobile Workers to Support Personal-liable Smartphones” to learn what your mobile worker training program should include.
By partnering with employees and supporting their ability to be productive anywhere, anytime, you’re building shared responsibility for protecting your organizations interests. And IT can be the hero in a positive relationship that will help achieve your security and cost-control goals.
Partnering to support personal smartphones and BYOD >>
