Enterprise Mobility Matters

Holy Buyout Batman! (Part II) - Nokia to Acquire Symbian

If you go to Symbian's web site, one of the first things you'll see is that the company describes itself as "the open mobile operating system."  Well, yesterday the Company and Nokia, its biggest shareholder put their money where their mouth is.  Nokia announced yesterday its intention to acquire the 52.1% of Symbian it did not already own (for a mere $410 million), develop a consortium and make the platform open source.  So consolidation in the world of mobility continues, but boy is this an interesting twist.  Is this the Open Handset Alliance Part Deux?

Enterprise Mobility Podcast

A little while back, I mentioned that I was going to do a podcast with my good friends over at Mobile Enterprise Magazine.  Sponsored by InfoLogix, the podcast is called Enterprise Mobility - Does Your Plan Measure Up to Your Competitors? The podcast showcases the great enterprise mobility initiatives going on at Kraft Foods.  Hope you enjoy it.

The iPhone 3G and Enterprise Mobility: An Eagle Eye's View

As everyone knows, Steve Jobs announced on Monday the iPhone 3G, set to be available July 11.  I have written in the past that I have a lot of concerns regarding the viability of the device in the enterprise.  However, the new device is quite compelling: updated OS, 3G, GPS, ActiveSync and Cisco VPN just to name a few of the new upgrades - all with a lower (subsidized) price.  Yesterday, I had the pleasure to meet Mary Cronin from Code Spotter. Mary also teaches some classes at Boston College, my alma mater.  While we discussed a broad range of topics in mobility, as true Eagles, we couldn't help but debate both sides of the iPhone 3G in the enterprise.  Will Apple now "make it" in the enterprise?

Holy Buyout Batman! Verizon Wireless to Acquire Alltel

Well here we go again.  More consolidation in the world of US Mobility.  Unless you live under a rock, you will have heard that Verizon Wireless has agreed to purchase Alltel for a mere $28.1 Billion - with a B.  The breakdown is actually $5.9 Billion for assets and another $22.2 Billion in assumed debt.  Jeez - unbelievable numbers.  The deal will of course have to go under regulatory scrutiny and VZW will probably have to cede some assets where it will be considered "too dominant" in certain geographies.  I think this last point is a little silly, but I digress.  I actually think this news is a good thing and should hopefully create some more M&A activity.

Cloud Computing and its Impact on Enterprise Mobility

As I try to keep my finger on the pulse of the world of enterprise mobility, I have the privilege of speaking to senior executives at a broad set of companies looking to not only disrupt the current technology set available for enterprise mobility, but also companies that are trying to disrupt the overall ecosystem and business models of the industry.  One of the great "next steps" I have been thinking about of late is how cloud computing will impact enterprise mobility.  So, the big question is whether the cloud is complementary, disruptive or game changing for enterprise mobility.