Harnessing the context of use: a new approach to enterprise mobility

Instead of merely moving legacy applications intended for desktop use to mobile devices, applications can be broken down, packaged and delivered to a mobile user based on their environmental conditions at the time a request is made on the system. This generates several end-user and architectural benefits that translate into tangible business benefits –such as increased employee productivity, easier development of new services and improved ROI.

The trouble with mobile applications

Small interfaces, poor data entry capabilities, sifting through large amounts of data, limited battery life, physically equipping mobile employees with PDAs and ensuring the devices are running the appropriate software are just a few ways in which mobile users behave differently from desktop users. Wireless users are focused on the task or customer, not the computer; they work in a dynamic and distracting environment, not in a quiet static location; mobile employees need to be served the right information, and need the tool to anticipate their requirements rather than have to browse and search. Mobile users need technology that is easy to understand, learn and use.

Solution: context-aware software

Within the Context-Aware Services Layer (CASL), information about the end-users’ context is collected from different sources and stored for consideration when a request is made on the system. The CASL will validate the request against the rules-based engine that sits at its core, and then deliver the precise information and applications that are relevant to the end-users’ circumstances. A common CASL allows applica-tions and services to be built in a modular way. Different functions are separated into discrete modules that are delivered to the user through simple icons. Modules (icons) are delivered to a user at a particular time depending on context information retrieved from the rule-based context engine at the core of the CASL.

Context parameters include date, time, location, user role, PIM data, task at hand and network bandwidth, as well as custom-made parameters like outdoor temperature, the capacity of a certain forklift that the user is operating or any information that is rele-vant in the specific domain.

Context information helps the end-users do their job by providing them with easy ac-cess to the relevant services. For instance, a conductor helping a passenger at a par-ticular train station can have a travel planner application automatically fill in the sta-tion’s name instead of having to type it in or select it from a long menu. If the conduc-tor leaves the platform and walks to an area where buses leave, the next bus depar-tures could pop up on the screen.

The bottom line: improved ROI from your mobility decisions.

Usability and architectural benefits derived from CASL clearly translate into a num-ber of financial and user-defined benefits within an organisation.

• End-user benefits are the source of productivity: As context-aware software is designed from the start with end-users’ situations and problems in mind, the context-aware approach delivers significant advantages by minimising screen clutter and the amount of data transferred during a user session. These benefits enable faster access to and less sorting of data; more robust software capabilities; and faster response to future application and feature requests.
• Faster, more flexible development of new services: The CASL controls informa-tion and application delivery, therefore individual applications do not have to include code for access rights, data filtering and synchronisation. This approach allows busi-ness logic design decisions to be made much later during deployment or even after the deployment is complete. This flexibility, coupled with the reduced need for regression testing, translates to significantly reduced development times. This is similar to the service-oriented architecture approach that is currently popular within the industry.
• Significantly reduced training costs: CASL’s modular approach minimises the complexity of the application delivery process as only the relevant applications and information are presented to the user, reducing the need for extensive user training. Employees get up-to-speed quickly and are productive in a shorter timeframe com-pared to traditional platform approaches.
• Increased employee productivity: As applications become less complex, they be-come less cluttered with non-used functionality and are thus more efficient to use. Users are not bothered with unnecessary functions or superfluous information.
• Vendor flexibility: The organisation does not need to be tied to a single software supplier when using this approach to service delivery. When requesting application proposals, context parameters would be presented in the RFP and different suppliers could bid for different parts of the application suite. The increased competition and range of choices maximise the software quality-to-price ratio.
• Platform for future benefits: The value of today’s IT investments lies with the fu-ture possibilities that they can support. A context-aware solution allows organisations to leverage these possibilities.

An evolutionary step

Implementing CASL is an evolutionary step for enterprise IT. Leveraging mobility though a context-aware solution will drive significant productivity and therefore ROI improvements, while supporting the development of innovative services that could not be offered previously

In conclusion, the benefits of supporting mobility initiatives via a CASL are numer-ous, and include: 1) significantly better end-user experience (the services adapt to the user instead of the other way around) yielding improved employee productivity and satisfaction gains; 2) dramatically faster development of new applications that can be easily integrated into a familiar user environment, allowing employees to start using novel features immediately and therefore improving enterprise ROI; and 3) less de-pendency on a single software supplier (higher-quality, more customised software can be deployed at less cost). It also establishes a solid foundation for producing next-generation services within the organisation, therefore giving it a strategic advantage over competitors.