Smartphones have replaced desktops and laptops as the communication platform of choice. Improved bandwidth and usability on these devices have opened up new markets for interesting enterprise applications, particularly those that can improve business productivity. A few years ago, mobility in IT meant giving users laptops and maybe a BlackBerry so they could get access to email where and when they wanted. BlackBerry and Windows Mobile were the only games in town for business mobility.

Today Apple, Symbian, Palm, and Google are joining the fray. Android devices and iPhones are hot with consumers, and more and more workers are bringing these smartphones into the enterprise and connecting them to business systems. However, when it comes to smartphones that do deeper integration with business processes and the devices that companies deploy to their workers, BlackBerry remains the runaway leader. In fact, BlackBerry is actually growing stronger in the enterprise because its former archrival, Windows Mobile, has been floundering for the last couple of years and Microsoft has recently decided to focus most of its attention on the consumer market with Windows Phone 7.

Smartphone enterprise market share

Companies are recognizing that mobility is core to IT infrastructure and imperative for strategic differentiation. The mobile workforce is growing. That’s why many organizations are looking to companies like RightStar with process-oriented mobile applications to help them work and communicate more effectively.

Mobile Applications

Email has been a great first step for many IT departments to make use of mobility. The next step is to mobilize applications that create a true competitive advantage. Mobile applications leverage inherent advantages of a mobile device such as reducing the data transferred, being able to operate disconnected from the corporate network or storing critical business data.

We see the greatest opportunities for our customers to benefit from the use of smart devices lie with Asset Management and Service Management. The demand for “anywhere access” to BMC’s service management applications is increasing dramatically.

Service Management: RightStar developed MagicMobile to provide instant access to the Service Desk using a device’s wireless capability. It was designed as a web application that specifically supports mobile requirements (small screen size, lower bandwidth, etc.). MagicMobile is completely browser-based in order to leverage the widest possible array of mobile devices, most all of which have an internet browser. Popular uses for this application include:

Asset Management: RightStar’s MagicWand was created as a native application primarily used on Motorola’s MC series of barcode scanners, which are based on the Windows Mobile OS. These devices provide a robust processor and ample memory to keep a snapshot of the enterprise’s physical assets locally and close at hand even when wireless access to the enterprise is not an option. Barcoding offers many advantages, including speed, accuracy, and data integrity. Popular uses for this application include:

By waiting to implement mobile solutions like these and others, companies run the risk of failing to keep pace and being outmaneuvered by competitors that become more agile and profitable through mobility.

The Future of Mobility at RightStar

RightStar Systems continues to enhance existing products and develop new ones to further enable the growing mobile workforce. We’re giving our flagship product, MagicWand, an overhaul which will allow the user greater flexibility to customize the application to their needs. The barcode application will also provide connectors to other popular Service Management systems such as Remedy ARS and Microsoft Service Manager. MagicMobile is slated for a facelift and usability upgrades to take advantage of the latest devices and operating systems.

While it is easy to auto-discover assets on a network and capture their related attributes, it is important to realize where the value is in the data. The IT Service Asset and Configuration Management (ITSACM) process as outlined in IT service management best practices asks what level of component data needs to be managed in order to more effectively facilitate and inform Incident, Release, Change and Problem Management in the business environment. The ITIL framework provides the guidelines for organizations that want to define their service management processes, but it does not provide the processes themselves. ITIL also does not take into account tool-specific capabilities that can be used to increase process efficiency.

Creating the process to define the importance of the information stored in the configuration management database (CMDB) as part of a configuration management system (CMS) adds value to the overall service knowledge management system. The CMDB should support effective and efficient service management processes by providing accurate configuration information to enable people to make accurate decisions. For example, is it appropriate to authorize a change during business hours on a particular system? The combination of the CMDB and Service Catalog would allow a Change Advisory Board (CAB) to determine if this is an appropriate action to take, assuming it is a non-emergency change.

Remember—a configuration item (CI) is any component that needs to be managed in order to deliver a service. CIs are tracked and controlled in the CMS. CIs are also more than just PCs, laptops, switches, and routers. CIs can also include (but are not limited to):

Most of us have stories where there has been a catastrophic breakdown in communication because the service maintenance processes were not clearly defined. It is important to involve internal stakeholders and external partners to help organizations achieve defined goals, improve processes, and align with the ITIL framework. At the end of the day, it is important that the entire organization focuses together to ensure that the effort involved in building a CMDB will drive efficiency and effectiveness in achieving established goals and will deliver value to the bottom line of the business.