Apple announces iPhone OS 4.0

In his trademark style, Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone OS 4.0 at Apple Headquarters. After the longest wait, Apple declared various new features and API support for its "only" smart phone iPhone! I followed various tweets and news, online coverages of the event and prepared this summary.

Steve Jobs and his team @ Apple has continued to keep millions of its fans surprising with every new technology they bring into the market. The recent launch of iPad took the apple stock at all time high $240 (6:13pm ET on 4/8/2010). The iPad launch was extremely successful with 450,000 units sold in just less than two weeks. And now as usual keeping its March tradition of announcing new OS - iPhone 4.0 is announced to debut in this summer - possibly in June-July time frame.

Apple described the iPhone OS 4.0 features as -

• Around 1500 new developer APIs (can be seen from developer portal), Over 2000 APIs for hardware accelerated math functions
• Developers can access Calendar, Photo Library, Camera Data, Quick Look, App directed SMS
• Developers shall get access to the testing tools that are currently used to validate the apps on app store!
  
• Over 100 new features for the end users including - Play list creation from device, 5x zoom camera, ability to change home screen wallpaper (same as in iPad), Game Center to gift the apps, unified mailbox and many more!

Steve Jobs described the major features exclusively in the event today. They include - Multitasking, enhanced location services, Local Push Notifications (reminders to wake up apps), Background task completion, folder arrangement on the home screen, Unified mailbox, iBooks on iPhone, Mobile device management for Enterprise users and IT, Game Center and the most exciting of all the iAd.

Multitasking Support
Though the multitasking support is announced in iPhone OS is a bit late compared to other competitor platforms such as Android and Web OS. The multitasking is not the multitasking we see on traditional mobiles or desktops. Its a different kind of implementation. Basically the multitasking is done only in the areas where you need VOIP Access, Audio Services and Connectivity requirements. For example, while you make a Skype call, you can browser or run other applications. Or while browsing through your emails, you can listen to Pandora radio!

The background task completion means ability to complete the connection transaction even after the app is terminated/ sent to background. For example, if your application is uploading or downloading data from your server, it can continue to do that even while in the background. The connection thread can only keep running. This will be useful when you want to complete the tasks that can be done only while you are connected and does not need any human intervention.

Apple claims this is unique way of having multitasking in the iPhone. You can fast switch between the applications with the double tap of the home button. The same feel of expose in the Mac can be seen - not exactly but but somewhat like it!

In short, only the important services that most widely needed to be done in the background are allowed - not everything you want to do in the background unlike Android.

True Enterprise Support
With the apple provided mobile device management support in iPhone, its entry in the enterprise is going to be very smoother one. Until now, IT teams have faced issues integrating the iPhones in their networks. Almost every CXO using iPhone, they had a real tough time keeping up with their boss's demands without compromising the security. They were dependent on the third party solutions for these device management.

With the unified mailbox and multiple exchange account support, iPhone is going to be more friendly and seamless in usage for end user.

Support for VOIP apps and ability to send them in background while the connection is live, makes the enterprises to utilize the cost effective features of SkypeIn and Vonage Mobile kind of services. Of course its interesting to watch how the network carrier will cope up with these.

Support for SSL based VPN, ability to push the enterprise application remotely from enterprise app stores are few more highlights of the true enterprise support. API support for developers to encrypt the data inside the application is one good item addressed from everyone's wish list!

Local Push Notifications
Looking at the current application usage trends, no wonder why Apple added the local push notifications! In order to give developers the ability to wake up the applications makes the features such as Alarms and reminders extremely easy to implement. With the current APNS it was very much waste of the feature. I personally never allowed any app to use the PUSH notifications except the mails. Its so much power thirsty that, i had to charge my phone twice a day!

New Addition - Game Center
The new concept of Game center has been brought in to encourage the gaming enthusiasts! This feature will not be available until later this year. It will allow you pair with other users.

After iBook, now iAd!
iBookStore was the latest addition for iPad, is now availabe for iPhone too. Steve Jobs introduced the new HTML5 based iAd concept. Using iAd, developers can host their digital contents and adverts on the Apple server to be delivered on to the phone. The iAd will allow user to browse through the adverts without quitting the app - preview or buying the products from the advert itself is going to be new experience for the users. The targeted adverts and may be user specific promotions will be new market to explore. Apple claims the iAd to be interactive adverts with emotions!

And the worst part -
The iPhone OS upgrade does not seem to be bringing in all these features to all the iPhones. I mean, only the iPhone 3GS and iPod touch 3rd generation are going to enjoy full feature set of of the new OS. the old iPod Touch and iPhone from first generation will not even be eligible for the upgrade. The second generation iPod Touch and iPhone shall get the upgrade but will not do any multitasking. The latest iPhone 3GS shall ahve all of this.

This to me suggests that, the new iPhone hardware is going to come! But unfortunately my iPod touch from last year is going to only enjoy limited features.

My hands on the SDK and BETA firmware upgrade
I downloaded the SDK 4.0 BETA and the firmware upgrade from Apple developer website today. Some of our apps work without any changes. But i observed few freezing on the launch itself. One even crashed the simulator!

I did the firmware upgrade on my iPod Touch (2G). It has a nice home screen, enhanced folder feature on the menu icons and nice iPod features to create my own playlist, folder view of the playlist! I like it :)

I will post more soon after i explore the SDK with our existing applications. Below are some screen shots from my iPod touch after upgrading to latest firmware.

Enterprise Mobility

We, at Endeavour, are involved in helping various enterprises leverage mobility at various levels. Based on various earlier instances and our findings, some case studies, and points discussed with Avinash M, I have put up following brief write-up.

Enterprise Mobility is the ability for an enterprise to communicate with suppliers, partners, employees, assets, products, and customers irrespective of location. In past 2-3 years, enterprise has become the most important need for the enterprises. Regardless of size (small, medium or large), all enterprises are willing to invest in leveraging the benefits of enterprise mobility. Several years ago the birth of personal computers gave the birth to today’s multi-billion dollar software industry! With today’s smart phones and advanced mobile gadgets, we are seeing the increasing demand for enterprise mobility.

According to a Forrester survey report, in general, mobility requires firms to build solutions that span devices, networks, and applications. After several fits and starts, mobility is gaining steam, consuming nearly one-third of North American and European enterprise telecom budgets today. Firms have embraced mobile email and plan to extend this capability to more employees within the organization. Advanced firms are moving line-of-business applications like inventory management and sales force automation to handhelds today. The greatest shift in the mobility market over the next three years will be the move to line-of-business and unified communications applications on handhelds to drive business process acceleration.

What is causing this up-rise demand?
Companies are embracing mobility to increase employee productivity, improve customer responsiveness, and ensure data protection for regulatory compliance. Almost half of the North American and European enterprises surveyed in Q1 2007 by Forrester rated setting an enterprise mobility policy and strategy as a critical or very important telecom technology-related initiative in 2007. Mobile voice and data spending accounts for 29% of these firms’ budgets, and at least 54% plan to increase spending on mobile voice and data in 2009.

With feature rich mobile devices and Smartphone like BlackBerry and iPhones, there is an explicit boost to the consumer mobility; but a larger implicit boost to mobile enterprise software. The general trends in the enterprises is to embrace the line-of-business of apps. Roughly around 10-20% workforce today have embraced to the usage of Smartphone for day to day emailing and calendaring activities. With increasing usage, applications such as CRM. More and more enterprises are pushing forward to mobilize the business processes and that involves mobilizing more and more applications. In the global connected world scenario, more and more people are adopting for the unified communication mechanism with the use of mobile technology. Enterprises are in constant lookout for the solutions that help manage the multi-platform world.

Telecom industry is fueling this growth by offering more flexibility by offering broadband and voice bundles. The attempt is to move the mobility beyond just the access to data by pitching in for unified communications solutions.
Trends and opportunities
We at Endeavour have seen many small, medium as well as large enterprises leveraging the enterprise mobility. Regardless of size, many organizations have adopted mobility for their primary and secondary business processes. The enterprises that have used mobility in their support processes have found increased productivity to support the primary processes. The enterprises that have implemented mobility in the mainstream business process applications have seen considerable benefits and increased profit by means of increased productivity across their line of business. Almost every vertical and domain has seen upward growth after embracing to mobility.

The sales and Distribution industry has mobility at most. For their inventory tracking, asset management, sale and ordering, delivering processes, they utilize the PDA based apps. That brings them more rewards in terms of profitability by avoiding delays and wastages. Online connected mobile apps to order products, transfer inventory are most popular ones! The supply chain management, demand and forecasting also uses mobility widely for their day to day activities. More precise reporting and alerts and or monitoring of the situations is another area that leverages mobility. The marketing and PR companies have also been using the mobility in their day to day processes. They use various survey and analysis applications (either readily available or customized to their needs.). The enterprises in healthcare industry are also seen ripping the fruits of their mobility initiatives. Ranging from the appointment tracker kind of applications to self learning personalized virtual coach applications are being widely accepted in the organizations. Most of the companies are taking initiatives to use mobile applications for their work force that help them keep track of health records and stay on top of it. The mini map of the PHR and EHR (personal health records and electronic health records) are most popular applications among the corporate work force and hence being promoted by enterprises to increase the productivity indirectly.

Many other verticals such as automotive, finance, banking, entertainment etc are also utilizing the mobility for their primary business processes as well as secondary business processes.

How Endeavour is helping?
We at Endeavour are helping the enterprises to use mobility at its best to increase their productivity and profitability. We help them mobilize end to end – that includes

1. assessing the opportunities or areas that can be mobilized for the said enterprise,
2. build a vision and road map for them to leverage mobility at its best and
3. execute the roadmap.

Thus being an end to end mobility company, we help our customers realize the areas of mobilization. With respect to the verticals that they are operating and the competitive landscape they are operating, we conduct the study and come up with a detailed roadmap. We help build the mobility solution and obtain over all buy-in from the workforce.

Mobility opportunity assessment includes overall feasibility study, stock of the current processes and expenses, benefits that may be ripped upon implementing mobility at enterprise level, the cost that may be incurred during the roadmap and so on. Based on the needs and nature of the roadmap we do suggest he best platforms and best approach that suits their needs and wants. Unlike any other projects, the mobility project includes close interaction and personalized experience for the work force that is ultimately going to use them. Hence we involve all major stakeholders in the process of opportunity assessment as well as overall implementation.

Cost to implement Enterprise Mobility
Depending on the verticals and the nature/ size of the enterprise, the cost of the mobilization can be realized. Though there are several other parameters such as mobile platforms, areas to be mobilized etc, in general the cost can be predicted based on the three steps at which Endeavour helps its customers. In general, the three stages described above involves the about 30% of the cost for first two stages and the rest for execution and implementation. The total expenses could be as low as 5,000 USD to multi-year , multi-device and solution for global corporations at 500,000 USD or more.

There are several factors that affect the cost in general. They include the number of business processes and its parts in total processes to be mobilized, range of platforms/ devices to be supported, target workforce size, complexity of the processes, extended interfaces with other internal or external processes.

The cost is affected by –

• Choice of platforms and device type – ruggedized Vs sophisticated devices/ terminals, specialized – custom hardware needs if any
• Number of peripheral devices such as printers, Bluetooth glucose-meters, attached accessories, etc
• The size of deployment – number of users
• Scope of mobility – internal, external, within the enterprise or the extended enterprise
• Complexity of the processes and overall solution
• System integration needs – stand alone apps Vs integrated solution
• External & internal interfaces – back end, external systems etc
• Need for upgrades and deployment robustness, downtime and responsiveness
• Connectivity – full time connected or offline or intermittently connected
• Level of support needed

Based on all the above parameters and stages discussed earlier, the cost for the enterprise mobility can be reached at.