There’s too much talk in information technology at the moment. I know: hello pot, I’m kettle — who I am to rant about IT commentary? But hear me out…
The automated distribution of so-called “news” relating to tiny point-level platform and application adjustments is everywhere.
The real future for enterprise data and applications almost seems to get glossed over in the fuzz and fog of daily news distribution.
So what really matters for enterprise data today? It has to be:
• Mobile enough for new device form factors• Secure enough to touch “systems of record” such as ERP• Integrated with the corporate data centre• Available in real time• Available in Alice Springs
Let’s get to the Australian connection in bullet point five in a moment.
For our first four points I will reference Magic Software. The company has recently developed a mobile solution for industrial services company Cape plc. Here’s your case study in one paragraph summary:
Magic’s technology developed a mobile solution that enables Cape’s management team to access integrated data from the company’s of enterprise systems, including SAP R/3, bespoke .NET applications and multiple databases, all on a single mobile device screen. By providing an accurate, real-time view of available stock and delivery schedules, this mobile solution empowers Cape managers to reach faster, better informed decisions that drive productivity, save resources and reduce human error.
So, as promised, on to Alice Springs…
After a recent business trip to the Australian “red centre”, Magic’s managing director David Akka wrote on his own blog about the differing scales of mobile connectivity we see today:
I experienced the two extremes of mobile technology, in Alice Springs at Lasseters Hotel Casino (made famous by Priscilla Queen of the dessert) the cigarette vending machine is all controlled via a touch screen with a SIM card updating the supplier when stocks are low. On the other end of the spectrum whilst in the outback I took a helicopter ride where the pilot took the locals mobiles up with him just to get coverage and pick up their text messages…. and the moral of this story is —
If you want to build a connected mobile-enabled data structure then think about real time secure cross platform integration; but if you want to send a text message in Alice Springs then steal the SIM from the cigarette vending machine or hire a helicopter.
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