chapter 8 report

8/7/2019 Chapter 8 REPORT

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Chapter 8: Mobile Electronic

Commerce

OverviewThe use of mobile technologies is steadily on theincrease, for both e-commerce and personal uses[4].Mobile phones are a common sight today and many

people own personal information management (PIM)devices or handheld computers, where they managetheir schedule, contacts, and other essential functions.Employees on the move appreciate the value of stayingconnected with their enterprise and other resources

through mobile phones. Most enterprises now havecorporate mobile phone plans that make it easier formobile employees to stay in touch and increaseproductivity.


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Wireless Industry Standards

No technology works in a vacuum. Many entities

work at different levels to bring the technology to a

more mature and usable state. Standards and

specifications are first conceived, developed, and

then implemented. Currently, most standards

bodies for the mobile e-commerce environment are

focused on hardware- or infrastructure-relatedissues. Some of the more important standards

organizations related to the wireless industry today

include:


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Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) is a volunteer

organization run by employees from member companies.

Members support a number of working groups that focus

on specific areas, such as engineering, qualification, and

marketing. The member companies build and qualify

products under strict qualification procedures with

regular testing of products at events sponsored by

Bluetooth.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers(IEEE) does extensive research in technology spanning

a broad spectrum. They created the 80211 standard forwireless networks, and are also instrumental increating security protocols such as Wired EquivalentPrivacy (WEP)[5]. The IEEE does not providecertifications of any kind for their specifications.


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Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) Forum offers

a comprehensive certification and interoperability

testing program that covers device testing, content

verification, and a set of authoring guidelines toassist developers in providing interoperable WAP

applications and services.

Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA)seeks to attest interoperability of products based on

the 802.11b specification, and certify them Wireless

Fidelity (Wi-Fi) compatible. They endorse Wi-Fi as

the global wireless LAN standard across all marketsegments[1].


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Many other organizations such as the W3C, Wireless

DSL Consortium, and other institutions havestandards directly affecting the wireless industry,

though they are not specific to wireless

communications. For example, XML and Web services

standards are increasingly part of the developmentand deployment to server and desktop processing,

but they are equally applicable to wireless

applications. Several new standards groups are being

formed to address specific issues regarding mobile e-commerce.


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Wireless Communication Platforms

for LANS

Despite the prevalence of standards committees in

the wireless industry, there is no single unifying

standard. It is important for enterprises to

consider all the aspects involved in mobile

support while contemplating a strategy for

mobile e-commerce. Some of the key criteria inchoosing a wireless network specification include:


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Average size of transfers

Number of devices in the wireless network

Others

Range of transmission

Security measures

Speed of network

Wireless networks may operate in one of twomodeson demand and infrastructure mode.


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On Demand Mode (Peer-to-Peer)

Each mobile device, also known as a mobile

client, communicates with the other devices in

the network, within a specified transmission

range or cell. This is described in Figure 8.1[1].

If a client has to communicate with a device

outside the specified cell, a client within that

cell must act as a gateway and perform thenecessary routing.


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Infrastructure Mode (Wireless LAN)

Communications between multiple wireless clients are routed by acentral station known as an access point. The access point actsas a bridge and forwards all communications to the appropriateclient in the network whether wireless or wired. Besides havingrouting mechanisms, the access point also has as a Dynamic HostConfiguration Protocol (DHCP) server and other features thatfacilitate wireless communications in a small to large businessenvironment. Residential gateways are similar to access points, butdo not have advanced management features required forcorporate networks or high-traffic environments. A wireless clientmust first be authenticated, and then associated with an access

point before it can perform any communications. Figure 8.2 showsa typical wireless LAN environment[1]. Enterprises that have astrong mobile e-commerce strategy must make a selection fromthe major wireless LAN specifications available in the markettoday.


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802.11b The 802.11b specification was defined by the Institute of Electrical

and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The 802.11b is used as an

extension of Ethernet to wireless communication, and as such isquite flexible about the different kinds of network traffic thatpasses over it. It is primarily used for Transmission ControlProtocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), but also supports AppleTalkand other PC file sharing standards. Disparate systems like PCs andMacs may communicate over 802.11b, using PC or PeripheralComponent Interconnect (PCI) cards, and even some of the newerhardware, utilizing Universal Serial Bus (USB) and other forms of802.11b based wireless network cards. Adapters for PDAs, such asPalm OS and PocketPC based devices are also available.

The 802.11b facilitates the wireless transmission of approximately

11 Mbps (Megabits per second) of raw data at distances rangingfrom a few feet to several hundred feet over the standard 2.4 GHz(GigaHertz) unlicensed band. The coverage distance depends online of sight, obstacles, and unforeseen obstacles. Several newprotocols based on 802.11b, but not compatible with it, are also

being released.


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802.11a

Protocol 802.11a transmits 54 Mbps over the 5 GHzband. This is ideal for large data file transfers and

bandwidth intensive applications over a limited

area. Although performance and throughput are

significantly increased, the transmission range is

notably reduced.


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802.11g

Protocol 802.11g transmits 22 Mbps over 2.4

GHz. This specification is considered to be the

next generation wireless network platform for

the enterprise, workingt wice as fast as the

current 802.11b specification. However, this is

still a work in progress.


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Bluetooth

This wireless network specification, defined by the BluetoothSpecial Interest Group, is ideally suited for Personal Area Networks(PANs) that operate in short ranges and need a robust wirelessnetwork that allows transmission of bandwidth intensive

information.B

luetooth specifications also promote interdevicecommunications, so mobile phones can communicate to PDAs,notebook PCs with laptops, and so on. Although it uses theunlicensed 2.4 GHz band for transmission, its transmission is fasterthan the 802.11b networks in both on demand and infrastructuremodes. Bluetooths range is, however, much less. Bluetooth

technology works well for on demand networks and situations inwhich device-to-device communication is desired. For example,you can wirelessly connect from your PDA to a printer to printdocuments, or perhaps synchronize your desktop with your PDAover the air.


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WirelessWANS

Although the preceding architectures are

specific to wireless LAN environments,

employees that are outside the coverage area

are required to connect through wireless

carriers that provide support for a wireless

wide area network (WAN) environment. There

are several wireless WAN protocols used allover the world.


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Code Division Multiple Access

(CDMA)

With CDMA, a large number of users are able to

access wireless channels on demand. Used by

most digital mobile phone companies today,

the performance is almost 8 to 10 times better

than traditional analog cell phone systems.

The latest generation of this technology is

called 3G and is much anticipated by manymobile users.


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Global System for Mobile (GSM

The GSM wireless platform provides full voice and datasupport with worldwide roaming capabilities. Includedin the GSM family is the General Packet Radio Service(GPRS) platform for delivering Internet content on

mobile devices, and the Enhanced Data rates for GSMEvolution (EDGE) and Third Generation GSM (3GSM)for delivering mobile multimedia.

Most wireless carriers base their offerings on thepreviously mentioned platforms, leveraging the

strengths of the protocol they decide to use. Forexample, services offered by Sprint PCS and VerizonWireless are based on CDMA, whereas AT&T Wirelessand T-Mobile use GSM.


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Facilitators of aWireless Environment

In order to facilitate a mobile e-commerce

environment, participation of several partners

is required, namely:

Independent hardware vendors (IHVs)

Independent software vendors (ISVs)

Mobile device manufacturers Service providers (SPs)

Wireless operators (or carriers)


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Wireless HardwareThere are numerous devices that are wireless-enabled to facilitate an

efficient mobile workforce. Some of the top companies thatprovide these devices are:

Compaq: The makers of iPAQ handheld computers and notebook

PCs. They are used in many enterprise settings due to their

versatility and high performance. They use Microsofts PocketPCplatform as their operating system.

Kyocera: They specialize in mobile phones with PDA capabilities,

using the Palm OS.

Nokia: The leading mobile phone manufacturer, with innovatingproducts that combine mobile phones, PDAs, and other features.

Palm: Currently the leading provider of PDAs; their operating

system, called Palm OS, is a popular platform for wireless

application deployment.


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Research In Motion (RIM): The makers of the increasinglypopular Blackberry wireless devices that allow mobile users tosend and receive e-mail.

Symbol: The leading manufacturer of wireless devices andscanners for retail, utilizing the latest technology in bar code

scanning[1].

Wireless devices add value to the enterprise only when theyconnect to the IT infrastructure and are actively supported bythe administration. Access points, network cards, and othercomponents essential to the deployment of a wirelesscommunications infrastructure are available from severalvendors, including:

3Com

Cisco[4]

Fujitsu

HP

IBM

Siemens[1]


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Wireless Operators

Wireless operators are organizations that provide the hardware

and communications infrastructure to make wireless

transmission possible in a wireless LAN and/or a wireless WAN

environment (see Figure 8.3)

[1]

. Most of these provide basicwireless phone services and many of them now offer services to

transmit data in various forms. The top three wireless carriers

worldwide are listed in Table 8.1[1].

Wireless Operator Country ofService

Vodafone Germany

China Mobile China

N

TT DoCoMo Inc. Japan

Table 8.1: The top three international wireless operators


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The top wireless carriers in the United States are:

AT&T Wireless Cingular Wireless

Sprint PCS

Verizon Wireless[1]

Depending on the geographical scope of your

organization, you will have to choose the right

partner who can provide the required regional

and/or national coverage necessary for your e-commerce.


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Wireless Software

The wireless software industry is still maturing; furthermore,

although most of the players are niche solution providers,very few actually provide substantial value to enterprisedeployments. Ranging from low footprint applications likemini-browsers or PDA utilities, to more sophisticated

solutions like interdevice communications or globalpositioning systems, wireless software vendors are engaged inseveral innovative research and development initiatives.Companies such as Microsoft, Sun, Palm, and others areactive in this area.

When deploying a mobile e-commerce strategy, you have toconsider the right combination of wireless networkarchitecture, platforms, infrastructure components, devices,and applications in order to be successful. Figure 8.3 depicts a

typical wireless architecture adopted by most enterprises.


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Concerns for the Mobile EnterpriseAlthough it is one thing for organizations to keep up with the latest

industry trends, making it happen in everyday life is a totallydifferent story. The following are some of the key concerns ofenterprises that are contemplating a mobile e-commerce strategy:

Security: Wireless networks are very easy to break into anddifficult to monitor. Your enterprise assets must be protected.

Management: Effective management of the components thatmake up a mobile enterprise, all the way from servers to themobile devices, is an integral concern.

Information access: Corporate information and businessintelligence must be made accessible to your mobile workforce.

Return on investments: Wireless connections should perform asgood as, if not better than, wired connections. They should addvalue to the enterprise and generate revenue. The benefits shouldbe measurable in some form. ROI and business continuity isimportant[1].


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Developing Your Mobile E-Commerce

Business Strategy

All your wireless communications and other mobileactivities are an integral part of your e-commerce.

Choose an enterprise-wide solution that covers

your e-commerce from end to end, providing all the

required measures for security, management, and

information access.


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Ensuring Your Wired Enterprise

Infrastructure Is in Order First

It is easier to integrate a wireless network into

a well-managed wired environment. And, its

even easier at an enterprise-wide scale.


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Choosing the Right Partner

You should get into partnerships with the right

companies that can help you with your

specific needs. Work with systems integrators

who have a focused wireless practice. It is,

therefore, extremely important to choose the

right software vendor to deliver an integrated,

comprehensive, and reliable enterprise-widesolution for your e-commerce.


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Anticipating Change and Leveraging

New Technologies

The wireless industry is changing rapidly.

Mobile devices are getting smaller, faster, and

more capable. Performance of wireless

networks is steadily improving. Opportunities

to leverage mobile technologies will continue

to grow. Associate with companies that will

change with the times and yet be stable inwhat they do best.

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