BOSTON-A recent study by AMR Research pointed out that as businesses rush to develop and implement wireless technology, the need for solid infrastructures to support the new technologies may be neglected, prohibiting the long-term success of the initiative. In his report, “A House of Cards Can’t Support Mobile Applications,” author Dennis Gaughan recalled problems organizations are still facing because they rushed to develop a Web presence and use the Internet for transactions and said, “In many ways, the evolution of wireless technology will mirror this phenomenon.”
In the study, AMR issued several guidelines businesses should follow if they hope to successfully build out application and technology infrastructure to make the transition to wireless:
Wireless does not stand alone; it should be considered part of an overall application strategy;
Lessons learned from the transition to e-commerce apply to wireless transitions too;
Flexible architecture will reduce the cost of future upgrades and changes;
Wireless is yet another challenge to integration;
Security and management must be a top priority;
Wired business-to-business infrastructure in the United States is the launching pad for wireless adoption; and
Mobile technology does allow organizations to do more with less.
AMR also made some more specific recommendations to aid companies in the transition. The research group advised companies to evaluate wireless opportunities as part of each application or product, not as a separate entity. They also suggested creating a wireless committee within the company to focus on the transition. They recommended using investments in Enterprise Application Integration (EIA) technology to provide the conduit for mobile data. AMR also emphasized the importance of integrating the demand for mobile data access into the company’s ongoing security policy.
