OREANDA-NEWS. March 29, 2013. Tiit Tammiste, Head of Technology Division at EMT: Enterprise mobility has come to stay. At the same time, users increasingly choose their own devices, and therefore companies’ IT systems must be prepared to support all platforms and screen sizes.

What should be the first step in the development of enterprise mobility, or, in other words, remotely accessible information system?
First off, we should not differentiate stationary and mobile systems. A company’s information system should support the four-screen output: computer, tablet, mobile and TV. The user should be able to switch between devices easily, and the application’s user interface must be adaptable to any screen chosen by the user. The computer is used mostly for creating content, and all the other devices are mainly for consuming information. Companies should consider this when designing information systems. In fact, this is the only reasonable way to build modern information systems.

What should companies focus on in terms of technology when they start developing mobile working solutions? What is hot and what is history?
This is not a rocket science – there are three platforms to consider: Android, which is the most common mobile platform in Estonia, Apple iOS and Microsoft Windows Phone.

However, companies should now that emotions play a major role in the mobile world. Consumers do not choose computers or mobile phones based on the processor or other technical features. Apple, Android and Microsoft may compete with each other all they want, the users simply don't’ care about what is happening on the background. It is the emotion that counts.

This means that companies’ IT departments can no longer tell users which devices to use. Every user can decide whether to work on Mac, Windows, Android or iOS, and this choice is based on emotions. Company’s IT systems must be compatible with all possible platforms and screen sizes. People make their own decisions and the system must provide support for everyone. Bring your own device! is certainly the guiding principle for the future.
I, for instance, no longer take my laptop home. My notes are in Evernote, at home I read them on Mac, and on the road I use my smartphone. I can edit the files and notes on all devices.

Will mobile work environment bring new security policies?
In many large companies, there is a myth that consumer mobile devices are not secure. Security must be an integral part of all devices, infrastructure and applications. However, when it comes to mobile devices, the biggest security risk is simply losing them.

What are the three main features that would sum up the concept of enterprise mobility?
Usability. The applications must be customized for each mobile device and designed for intuitive usage.

Security. Unfortunately, ease of use will have to compromise with security, and vice versa.

Cloud-based services. The ability to access real-time data on various devices and the possibility to continue working where I left off no matter which device I pick

What kind of mobile solutions and work environments Estonian companies use today?
Some Estonian companies have taken mobility too far by building the whole system around one feature. The problem is that people tend to think that mobile communication is always there, like fresh air, but, unfortunately, no technology is a fail safe. Thus, there must always be a backup plan.

In terms of work, the most common mobile tasks are emailing and file management. There are also many monitoring services created for mobile devices. Some solutions have been around for many years, e.g. management of street lighting in Tallinn and Estonian Maritime Administration system for controlling navigation marks. Half-jokingly, we can say that lighthouse keepers in Estonia are out of jobs because of us.

What is the key to the success in development of enterprise mobility in Estonia?
Estonia is innovative and pioneering, the infrastructure is of good quality, and EMT’s services are also innovative. Let’s take Mobile ID – very convenient and safe identification service that makes it possible to vote via a mobile phone, or verify bank transactions and sign documents on the golf course. There are not many of these kinds of innovative solutions in other countries, so this often produces the wow! effect. Estonia’s small size is certainly a plus – it is easier to create this kind of solutions and pass necessary regulations.

The key to success is co-operation. We work on research and development in several consortiums with the purpose of creating and standardizing mobile infrastructure in Estonia. It is a small country and it doesn’t make any sense to build overlapping infrastructures - we have to be smart and build one system to be used by everyone. Likewise, EMT’s applications have always been open for other operators to use.

What technologies available today facilitate increased mobility and freedom of movement?
First, I would say cloud computing, although currently it is mostly hype without much substance. Cloud computing and the four-screen strategy must go hand-in-hand – consumers have to be able to access their data in real time with any device, anytime, and anywhere.

Mobile network operators play an important part here. Most of the apps are created by small start-up companies. These apps are successful and creative, but business users are not ready to use them for handling their data. They simply do not have the trust. But they would trust a mobile operator with their data. And because we have proven our trustworthiness, we could offer them this service.

Second, website technology has evolved to a point where it is possible to create a website which automatically adjusts itself to any screen. There’s no longer a need to create four different websites for four different devices.

Third, NFC tags. Let’s take an elderly person and his caregiver. Most elderly people do not know how to log on to Skype on a computer, but they do have a TV. Now, when we put a tag on the TV and teach the person to put his mobile phone in front of the tag, the TV will log in to Skype enabling him to talk to his caregiver via the TV screen. NFC-enabled phones are already available at EMT, and NFC tags will hit the stores in March. Everyone can program NFC tags with a variety of actions.

Fourth: 4G network. For the first time, data can move faster through a mobile network than a landline broadband. We’re already seeing the new quality – HD videos can be viewed on handheld devices with any screen size. 4G is the only way to go, considering that video will account for over 70% of mobile data by 2016.

Where will enterprise mobility be in five years? What devices and apps will we be using then?
One of the new technologies is NFC (near field communication), which enables a phone to communicate with other devices from a 1-3cm distance. EMT, four Estonian banks, Uhinenud Piletid and several other companies have formed a NFC consortium. A scientific study has been conducted on the subject of requirements for a technological infrastructure that could be used by all areas of life.

The first NFC pilot project will be launched in the first half of this year. The project features a virtual credit card in a mobile phone. This is achieved by adding the same kind of microprocessor chip the bankcard has to the phone’s SIM card. We will be able to ‘throw away the wallet’ and extend the limit of cards we carry around from ten to a thousand. When the phone is put in front of the cash register, it will display the loyalty card data, personal offers and customer’s discounts.

NFC tag described above provides even more possibilities enabling location-based actions. Across the world, there are currently many ongoing NFC pilot projects, but they use phones especially designed for the project. We, on the other hand, are using phones available on the market (e.g. in the NFC pilot project, Samsung Galaxy S III).

4G and video are the keywords of the development. Smart TVs are still new and evolving, but in three years, TVs will be running on Android, iOS or Windows. Apple is building their own TV with a SIM card and 4G connectivity. Together with Samsung, Elion has designed a box-free IPTV. Even some digital cameras use Android enabling instant image upload. More and more standalone devices are becoming mobile.

The future trend is towards remote management of all kinds of equipment and appliances, which will make “smart” houses and offices a reality. Since sensors require cables, it is very hard to make existing homes and offices intelligent. In Estonia, there are companies making equipment that communicates via radio waves, thus they can be managed via a phone or a tablet. There’s no need to invest in reconstruction, you can simply start using the new technology!