Another business application that benefits from the IP integration and simplified access to an operator network is the Mobile Centrex, a product from NMS communications. "[This] will provide customers with an integrated solution that delivers a rich set of enhanced messaging applications and functionality to drive productivity in the enterprise market," said Jerry Skurla, marketing director at NMS's Platform Solutions group. Essentially, a Mobile Centrex lets the businessperson on the road have his or her phone function as an extension of the office telephone system.
On the user side, nearly all handset manufacturers will have dual-mode phones that operate on both the licensed cellular frequencies and the unlicensed WLAN frequencies on the market by next year. The idea behind this at one time was called Always Best Connected, where the mobile unit would choose the best signal depending on user parameters such as reliability and cost. Using the WLAN network for call services is known as Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA). It provides cost savings in that it delivers services over an IP network and can also be used by an IT department in an enterprise to increase mobile performance and in-building coverage.
A major headache in the corporate IT space is securing the handset device that a mobile worker uses. The SD Card Association, a 900-company organization, has been working on a standardized security solution that can be implemented on the PC and the handset. James Taylor, executive director of Digital Networking Business Worldwide at Panasonic Corp., and an association representative, said that his firm has been working with a pharmaceutical industry consortium to standardize access tokens on a secure SD card. "[The National Institute of Standards and Technology] has certified the drivers for this card, and unlike USB ports which are only found on PCs, SD cards are on both PCs and mobile units, and the SD association is working to ensure that SD slots are manufactured into many devices."
The particular appeal of this technology to IT departments is that access to content or the network from a mobile device becomes operator and device independent. Also, should the device become compromised or stolen, the IT group has full control of it and can initiate a remote destroy command without depending on the carrier.
GPS-driven services are of interest to the enterprise user and road warrior. Many handsets now include a GPS locator device and products like MapQuest Navigator for handhelds use that locator to provide a valuable service. Alan Beiagi, general manager at MapQuest Wireless, said, "In addition to functioning like an in-car navigation device complete with audio directions, the MapQuest Navigator also provides pedestrian directions." The navigator system knows the difference between sidewalks and roads and the logic that is used when traveling on foot vs. in a vehicle. In addition, the MapQuest Web service is now available for free via any WAP-enabled browser.