Windows Mobile to Excel in the Enterprise?

[Andy Sjostrom]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.cewindows.net/commentary/wm-excel-enterprise.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.cewindows.net/commentary...-enterprise.htm</a><br /><br /></div>Chris De Herrera has written an interesting article called <a href="http://www.cewindows.net/commentary/wm-excel-enterprise.htm">"What is Needed for Windows Mobile to Excel in the Enterprise?"</a>. The article contains a list of ten issues that he feels need to be addressed for further Enterprise success for Windows Mobile devices.<br /><br />Personally, I meet representatives from large companies investigating the mobile device market often. It is quite clear that the common attitude is that Windows Mobile devices have distinct advantages over competing platforms from an Enterprise point of view. But there is always room for improvements and competition is fierce. I agree with most of Chris thoughts and I am sure you guys can add some more Enterpise oriented wish list items. Right?

[Mike Temporale]

9. How could I go through this list without mentioning the lack of networking tools. Uses cannot easily confirm connectivity with their network or VPN and they need to do this to use the Pocket PC effectively. We really need a utility like the Zero Configuration has in XP which allows for a release/renew of an IP address and the ability to see the TCP/IP settings. Oh and ideally we need to have Ping ported so we can confirm connectivity.


Now that my PPC has WiFi, I routinly find that I would like to check on view this information. It's rather annoying that there is nothing built-in to do this.

[that_kid]

I agree 100% especially about the vpn issues. It's a pita when I need to vpn into my workplace and have to do 10 taps just to get the connection going because I have my home vpn as the default. There's no way of confirming anythig useful with ease. Hopefully they will address most of these issues, I really would like to have native printing support and exchange connectivity.

[GAM451]

I work for a household name and we intend to roll out tens of thousands of these devices for data collection. Our competitors are doing the same.

Microsoft Mobile is a mature product for application specific use. The drivers are there for everything from cameras to BT. The number of people in the office who would benefit from a PDA is not large at all. Laptops and tablet PCs are the devices of preference there.

[peterawest]

Support for additional Calendar, Contacts and Tasks Folders
This would be great for me too, particularly the Contacts. Right now I just use two iPAQ's too keep my personal information and my business information seperate, but up to date.


Support for viewing and editing Office Documents – Pocket Word, Pocket Excel
Since the latest version Office for the desktop now includes native support for XML, I'm hoping that the next version of Windows Mobile will include versions of Word and Excel that take advantage of that. Maybe then the documents won't have to be converted at all.


Maybe one more item to add to the list would be to see Microsoft release a version of InfoPath that is designed for the Pocket PC.

InfoPath combines the document editing with the data capabilities of XML-based forms. If I could build a form on the desktop and have it formatted properly on my Pocket PC and be able to simply enter in the information and port it right back to my desktop, I'd be very happy with that.

[PR.]

And another: OneNote for the PPC that allows syncing with the desktop and PPC version

[GadgetDave]

1. More GSM/GPRS or CDMA options.
2. Better central management/configuration tools
3. Seamless integration with other MS products

From a corporate perspective, I still can't recommend the PPC platform in any form over the Blackberry device. We have several hundred RIM devices deployed, from the old 950-models to the current 7210 type devices, and the fact is once you have the Blackberry enterprise server installed, you can plug one in and have it working in 10 minutes. For anyone in the firm with an exchange mailbox. Sure, there aren't the level of 3rd party apps for it, but for basic connectivity/communiction, it can't be beat, and the keyboard input might be the killer part.

4. Battery life. A blackberry 7210 can go 7 days between charges, on 24x7 for data (email) and with moderate phone use. I can't go a full day with a PPC with WiFi on without charging.

5. Better web browsing tools. Fact is, there are third party ones, but I get better full HTML browsing with the blackberry browser and MDS service (server based rendering to the BB device) than I do with Pocket IE.

Just a few thoughts, there are probably others. Don't get me wrong, I love my PPC, but the RIM folks truly thought differently when they built that device, and the PPC platform has a way to go to catch up with it's enterprise functionality.

[Twain]

While I agree with the intent of most of these items, I don't agree that these ought to be directed at Microsoft only.

Clearly some of these gaps are opportunities for 3rd party developers to provide solutions. Some of the complaints, like ActiveSync, do need to be heard by Microsoft (particularly the need for detailed error messages on what wasn't synced) because fixes by Microsoft make the most sense. Also, in an environment where Microsoft is watched for anti-trust violations, we cannot and should not expect Microsoft to provide every solution for the PPC platform. Let's redirect some of these issues to 3rd party developers!

Finally, I disagree strongly with the last issue, "Versions coming each year. We need stability..." While clever marketing by Microsoft will always create the false urgency to upgrade, there is no requirement for companies (or individuals for that matter) to upgrade with every new PPC operating system that's released. Smart companies will weigh the options, carefully evaluate the benefits vs. the costs of each upgrade and only upgrade when the corporate value has been established. Complaining about "frequent upgrades" only incentivizes Microsoft to slow down the pace of technology advances -- something I can't believe any reader of this website is in favor of. In fact, I believe most readers of this website will argue that the pace of PPC technology development is way too slow!!

[Jeff Rutledge]

1. More GSM/GPRS or CDMA options.
2. Better central management/configuration tools
3. Seamless integration with other MS products

From a corporate perspective, I still can't recommend the PPC platform in any form over the Blackberry device. We have several hundred RIM devices deployed, from the old 950-models to the current 7210 type devices, and the fact is once you have the Blackberry enterprise server installed, you can plug one in and have it working in 10 minutes. For anyone in the firm with an exchange mailbox. Sure, there aren't the level of 3rd party apps for it, but for basic connectivity/communiction, it can't be beat, and the keyboard input might be the killer part.

4. Battery life. A blackberry 7210 can go 7 days between charges, on 24x7 for data (email) and with moderate phone use. I can't go a full day with a PPC with WiFi on without charging.

5. Better web browsing tools. Fact is, there are third party ones, but I get better full HTML browsing with the blackberry browser and MDS service (server based rendering to the BB device) than I do with Pocket IE.

Just a few thoughts, there are probably others. Don't get me wrong, I love my PPC, but the RIM folks truly thought differently when they built that device, and the PPC platform has a way to go to catch up with it's enterprise functionality.

I agree completely with your sentiments (unfortunately). My company is a Microsoft shop, but Blackberry's are our only supported handheld. We'll allow PPC's and Palm's, but don't officially support them. Also we don't have any infrastructure to support them (not even MIS for Exchange). We do have a RIM BES server.

It's unfortunate as I'm obviously a PPC fan, but the PPC devices can't measure up. Hopefully it's not for long.

[iPaqDude]

We are a fairly large VB development shop and have just started migrating over to .Net. Moving to the WM2K3 platform is a natural for us - I am treating it as an extension to the desktops.

True, there are some limitations and drawbacks, but I see these more as just bumps in the road - and 3rd party developers are working quickly to fill these gaps. One poster mentions the move of Office to XML - I truly think this will help enable the PPC platform to become much more integrated into the whole Office suite of products.

We aren't there yet, but look where we were 5 years ago - or for that matter 2 years ago.

[GadgetDave]

I agree completely with your sentiments (unfortunately). My company is a Microsoft shop, but Blackberry's are our only supported handheld. We'll allow PPC's and Palm's, but don't officially support them. Also we don't have any infrastructure to support them (not even MIS for Exchange). We do have a RIM BES server.

We do have an MIS server, but we still don't officially support Palms or PPCs. It's mostly limited to IS/IT folks right now. But the fact that two companies represented here have come to the same conclusion (and I don't hear anyone saying they're the opposite) tells you something. RIM got stuff right.

Any other companies that do support the PPC in an enterprise now? I'm talking large - we're a 12,000 person engineering firm ...