eAgency Systems

Wireless Basics:

How to Navigate in a Wireless World

Fueled by its ability to offer more information to more people in more locations, wireless technology promises significant, timely return on investment. The increased accessibility to information and applications brought about by wireless opens up a host of new opportunities for generating revenue, decreasing operating and transaction costs, strengthening client relationships, and improving productivity.

So…What are you waiting for?

If you're tired of hearing the "Go Wireless" mantra or if you've been seriously considering a wireless implementation, your first step should be education. Let's face it, we all can't be wireless experts out of the box, so a thorough understanding of basic wireless strategy is essential before implementing any solution. Let's see if we can get you up-to-speed on the fundamentals.

When conversations in the conference rooms of companies turns to the creation of a wireless strategy, there are four vital areas that must be addressed. The decisions made in each of these areas will directly affect implementation cost and development time…Two critical considerations! The areas are as follows:

• Carrier network
• Communications protocol
• Device
• Applications/ Functionality

Carrier Network

No doubt you've seen numerous television advertisements for telecommunications companies, or telecoms as they're referred to in the "biz." For all intents and purposes, the selection of a carrier network is synonymous with the selection of a telecommunications company. The carrier a company chooses will have a significant impact on their wireless capabilities. The criterion for choosing a carrier network can be separated into nine areas.

1. Coverage Area – The geographical area physically serviced by the carrier’s infrastructure is often referred to as the network’s “footprint.” This footprint varies in size depending upon the carrier and the relationships they have with neighboring carriers. For local implementations within a select geographic area, this would be a simple process. However, with a national implementation across disparately populated regions, the choice of carrier network is crucial to the success of your initiative. If you're not within the network footprint, you cannot utilize the wireless system that's been put into place.
2. Reliability – The actual network uptime also varies from network to network depending on their infrastructure and technology. If you've ever lost a cell phone call due to poor signal than you've already experienced the importance of reliability, firsthand. These issues can be caused by environment (ex. making a call from inside a building or moving vehicle) or from traffic overload. The purpose of your wireless solution will play a significant role in the kind of reliability you'll need from a carrier.
3. Speed – Actual response time is another key factor in adoption of a solution. Near-instantaneous communication increases the usability of a device and the level of customer satisfaction.
4. Flexibility – While most carriers allow for the building of custom applications specifically for their networks, the research and development costs differ significantly from carrier to carrier. Some carriers offset this cost by offering software development kits (SDKs) and software development programs to help companies bring solutions to market more quickly and for less money. These SDKs, and programs, have different strengths and associated costs that must be factored into any wireless solution.
5. Cost – Data network carriers have many different pricing schedules. Some charge a flat fee for unlimited usage while others charge per bit. These pricing structures can dramatically affect the cost of a wireless implementation.
6. Support – Each carrier has a different approach to customer support. If a company anticipates turning on a large number of units in a single area, it is important to know whether or not the carrier network will build out the infrastructure to handle the added traffic.
7. Bandwidth – A common mistake in selecting a wireless network is putting the primary focus on bandwidth. Bandwidth is a factor, but not necessarily a crucial one. With careful planning of the software architecture, required bandwidth can be greatly reduced resulting in lower costs and the option to use a network with a greater coverage area.
8. Migration Path – Wireless technologies are evolving rapidly. It is important that you are comfortable with your network carrier’s vision for the future. Carriers who are not currently implementing next generation technologies today will not be able to compete tomorrow.
9. Financial Stability – Pay special attention to the financial stability of a potential carrier. Even technologically successful wireless networks are subject to market flux. If the company is not generating sufficient revenues, wireless solutions deployed on the network could experience sudden loss of service.

Communication Protocol

After selecting the appropriate carrier network, you now have the issue of communication protocol to contend with. Communication Protocol refers to the method of transport or delivery of data across the wireless network. Wireless communication protocols are specifically designed to minimize bandwidth requirements, thereby reducing cost. This can be very effective, but can also result in a loss of important features of data transport such as confirmation of data delivery or push capabilities.

An example of confirmation of data delivery can be easily seen in the difference in methods of delivery between a cell phone and a pager. When sending a page, the signal is sent to the carrier’s network of wireless towers and simultaneously blasted across the entire network at high signal strength. There is no way of knowing whether or not the intended recipient actually received the page or even if the paging device was in coverage. On the other hand, when a call is placed on a cell phone, the carrier network queries its cell towers in an attempt to locate the cell phone. If the cell phone is in coverage, turned on, and the recipient takes the call, the caller knows that the communication is being received. There is an immediate “handshake” establishing a connection between the caller and the recipient. If the handshake is broken, by driving through a tunnel for instance, the signal is lost. This lost signal is immediately reported to the caller by way of static or a disconnect. Unlike the pager protocol, where there is no handshake, the cell phone network establishes each user in the communication cycle.

The term “Push” capability refers to the ability of a device to notify you of incoming data. It is the ringing of a cell phone signifying an incoming call or the vibrating of a pager indicating a new page. Without push capability, you're limited to receiving information only upon request (a pull or query). Push capability enables you to receive crucial alerts, which can be automatically triggered by a change in a portfolio or the stock market for instance, or they could facilitate time-critical communications from a partner or co-worker.

Two common wireless communication protocols in use today are Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) and email (SMTP). WAP protocols attempt to migrate standard web pages to the wireless device. Using optimized data formats, WAP protocol provides access to web content over a wireless connection with limited bandwidth. While most devices support WAP (RIM, Palm, PocketPC, Cell phones, etc.), and it’s relatively quick to implement, there are several drawbacks. One major downside is that WAP protocol is typically unsecured, meaning the data is not encrypted during transport. Security software is available, but is in limited use due to stability issues, cost, and implementation time.

Another dilemma with instituting a WAP-based solution is that it requires a custom wireless gateway, which can range from $50,000 to $100,000 in setup and hardware and $5,000 - $20,000 in ongoing costs. Such a gateway can be built internally, incurring development costs, or licensed from third-party vendors. In addition, WAP-based solutions require that a WAP browser (similar to the internet browser on a desktop PC such as Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator) be installed on the device. WAP browsers range in cost from $5 per seat to $25 per seat. Also, WAP may not integrate with existing applications on the device. Last, and most importantly, WAP is not a push technology, it is “pull” only. WAP-based solutions require the user to request information before they can receive it. Consequently, email, alerts, and notifications cannot be received in a timely fashion.

A more efficient approach to communication protocol across a wireless network is the use of the email standard, SMTP. This standard allows data transfer with lower bandwidth requirements and greater reliability. Email protocols perform a “handshake” between sender and recipient, allowing confirmation of receipt and the ability to track data flow. One other advantage of using email protocol is that the data can be transferred into and out from other applications on the device. This allows a seamless interface, which heightens usability from the user’s perspective and lowers cost by requiring less bandwidth. Since the applications reside on the device they do not have to be transmitted across the wireless network. By keeping data transfer efficient, email protocol greatly reduces the monthly service fees per user.

Device

Your choice of network and communication protocol will, to a great extent, determine the type of device you'll choose. One important factor to consider is battery life. Devices that have to be charged throughout the day greatly decrease the amount of time you have available to actually use the device. Most devices drain their batteries in 6-8 hours (even less if it has a color screen). If the device is always-on to allow for push capabilities, battery life is reduced even further to 4 hours or less.

In addition to having a long battery life, the device must be customizable. Most hardware manufacturers have software development kits (SDKs) available to developers who want to build custom applications on the device. Research In Motion offers an SDK not only for building custom applications on the RIM device, it also enables developers to modify existing applications that come with the RIM.

Devices such as the Palm and Handspring are designed for the consumer market but they can effectively meet the requirements for a corporate or field-force wireless device with the proper software and infrastructure (or architecture). Typically, these solutions use a browser-based (i.e. WAP) technology that is not as efficient as email, thus increasing the necessary bandwidth, and, when combined with a per kilobyte service plan, can grow pricey. And, because security software does not come standard with the Palm, you would be required to purchase third party software that will ensure the privacy of data across the network. You will also want to check if the device is “always-on,” that way you won't have to raise an antenna or manually connect to the network and request (pull rather than push) the information. Other considerations include cost, reliability, usability, and memory.

Applications

The fourth consideration relates to the level of functionality the user will require. It is suggested that companies approach the question of applications with a good degree of flexibility. While some organizations will demand their own proprietary applications be ported to a wireless device, there are ways to avoid the towering costs associated with this kind of custom development. The first step is to determine if there are off-the-shelf solutions for your industry. then companies can consider the functionality needed. For example, sales force automation and customer relationship management solutions enable field representatives to access corporate data from the wireless device, this could include sales, client, and lead information, as well as commissions earned, sales forecasting, etc.

Messaging and printing applications are also available and enable users to wirelessly print and access information without the need to connect with the home office. In addition, forms and data management applications can improve efficiencies in the field by delivering access to the latest information and minimizing paper-centric tasks. The moral of the story is: whatever the requirement, there may already be an application which can be easily modified to reflect a company's needs.

eAgency Wireless

From communication protocol to device selection, there are a number of critical decisions that have to be made before an organization can successfully implement a wireless strategy. Hopefully, this primer has helped orientate you to the industry. While, the progression towards new technologies should not be hampered by a lack of wireless industry experience, nothing can beat sitting down with an expert to discuss your wireless aspirations. Just as you would discuss financial planning with a professional, you'll want to consult with those “in-the-know” before making any far-reaching technology decisions.

eAgency helps companies navigate through the wireless world with confidence. We review a company’s particular requirements then confront carrier network, communications protocol, and device options to determine the most cost-effective go-to-market solution. Contact us, today, to learn more!