BCO6185 - Mobile Business Solution: Tech, Platforms, Success & Costs

This report discusses the technologies, platforms, success factors, and enablers for successful mobile business solution implementation. It analyzes the different cost factors and key components influencing these costs, using case studies to support arguments and provide examples. The report highlights the increasing popularity of mobile phone devices and the rapid advancement of mobile technologies such as iOS and Android. It compares Android and iOS operating systems, examining features like carrier networks, data networks, and applications. Success factors for mobile computing include policies, organization, technology, and business processes. The report uses Nestle as a case study, focusing on their Corporate App for iPads and iPhones, highlighting the importance of understanding the growing needs in mobile technology and enforcing network security. The report also addresses cost factors such as technological changes, security, and privacy, emphasizing the need for proper apps to meet function-specific requirements.

Mobile Business Solution
Student’s name
Institution Affiliation(s)

Mobile Technologies
The information superhighway is proceeding in the midst of the evolution of technology
and internet. The mobile phone devices are gaining popularity due to the rapid advancement of
technology, which allows the users to conveniently access the various types of information
available on the internet via the wireless networks used in the mobile phone devices. Many new
applications are getting invented like iOS, Android and Blackberry applications to name a few.
iOS was the name given by Apple to the operating system that runs and supports all the touch
screen mobile devices like iPads, iPhones and iPods. iOS has made the touch screen so easy to
use because of its Multi-Touch interface. Anything whatever the user does is in an easy,
spontaneous and fun way. Android is an operating system designed for mobile phones and is
developed on the modified version of Linux (Allsopp, 2013). Google android for last three years
has moved from open source solution to the mobile operating system that dominates among all
mobile handsets. Research in Motion provides ‘BlackBerry App World’ to the marketplace
particularly devoted to the BlackBerry users. BlackBerry apps have been listed among 1000 best
apps developed for mobile phone users
Mobile Platforms that are in use
This section will highlight the two leading mobile platforms that are in use today. That is
Android and iOS platforms. A comparison table will be used to compare the two OS.
Android and iOS operating systems
Android operating system came into its infancy not so long ago, and it was an endeavor
and craftsmanship of two individuals named Nick Sears and Andy Rubin. Even they would have
never thought that their product would go to an international level and would end up between
amongst the top three operating systems in the world of computers. They designed the product

with the motto of mobile devices that are smarter in their functionality and facilitate its users in
terms of their choices and locations (Baltzan, 2014).
What started off as an amateur venture by the two individuals, in few years’ time it
caught the attention of Google Inc, and Google inc decided to purchase it, the case grew further
strong when Open Handheld Alliance (O.H.A) incorporated Android operating system into its
systems and services (Rodda & Library of Congress, 2014). O.H.A itself is a giant entity that has
over 80 international brands under its umbrella all working in the field of communication,
computers and services. These include H.T.C, Samsung to name a few. The O.H.A and android
together aim to provide a new medium to the users in form of enriched mobile phones as well as
computing operating system which is designed with due consideration of the customers’ needs
and requirements (In Penttinen, 2015).
Apple’s recent updated model iOS4 is competing with Android. While Android
programming is done in Java, for its varied applications, Apple iPhone uses a computer
programming language called Objective-C, which is further up-gradation of C and C++.
However, there is no common language-programming platform that may prove useful for both
the mobile phones (Justin & Jude, 2017).
Comparative table for Android and iPhone platforms
Feature Android iPhone
Operating
System
Google, open source system. Closed system OS,
propriety item of Apple.
Carrier
network
T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T, Sprint
all provide network for Android.
Only AT&T (GSM)
network carrier.
4th generation
data network
Available with Verizon, Sprint and
others.
Not available except
AT&T network
generation.
Applications Android applications can be found
almost everywhere, as it is
The choice is limited to
Apple-developed

supported by Google. network applications only.
Keyboard Can be a slide-out or touch-screen
keyboard.
Only touch screen,
without any choice,
virtual keyboard.
Central
processing unit
CPU specifications differ
according to phone manufacturer.
Motorola has 2GHz, while
Scorpion has dual-core 1.5 GHz.
Starting with 600 MHz,
iPhone 4 has 800MHZ
with ARM Cortex-48
processor.
Success factors for mobile computing and Factors leading to successful implementation of
mobile computing.
The mobile application provides the business with the benefits of mobility, suppleness
and diffusion. The mobility allows the user to conduct the business from anywhere and at any
time where suppleness provides the users with the benefits of capturing the data from any source
and origin. The ‘m-business’ application helps in diffusing the information among a larger
section of the users in real time that helps in enhancing and improving the service provided to the
customers (Eisenman, 2018).
This report looks at Nestle as the case study for a company that have successfully
deployed the use of mobile computing in business (In Penttinen, 2015). Nestle in the year 2010
launched its new application named Corporate App for iPads and iPhones that was heavily
backed by technology. This new application was meant for investors and media to make them
access latest press releases, reports, presentations and weekly updates on buy-back of shares
whether online or offline. This application gained an overwhelming response from all over the
world. Since its launch people from all around the world has downloaded the application and
started using it. This application was heavily funded by ‘Nestlé Investor Relations’ (Weinman,
2015). The idea of developing the application started in July, working together with Nestlé

Corporate Media Relations. The development of the app started in August 2010, by an external
agency named Sogeti India. According to the Head of Investor Relations at Nestlé, Roddy Child-
Villiers, this application was not created to meet the demand but was produced to meet the
projected need of the Nestle community in the financial market. The company claims that as per
the feedbacks received from the market, the product is a hit. They also claimed that earlier the
company had mobile websites but now the development of this new app for the iPads and
iPhones are complement to that. Mobile systems are not just limited to desktop computers, the
mobile phone market is being stormed by the Android applications and operating systems and all
around us we see either Apple mobile phones or Android enabled mobile handsets (Engdahl &
Thomson Gale (Firm), 2014).
Among the success factors and factors that have made it possible for implementations of
mobile computing include:
Policies and governance – having a set of leaders who understand the growing needs in the use
of mobile technology will help organizations formulate rules and policies that make it easier for
these companies to adapt new technologies. Some policies that can be helpful is making it
possible for employees to “Bring Your Own Device” to the workplace. However for such a
policy to be implemented, there must be a well laid down plan for enforcing network security at
these firms (Gliser, 2013).
Organization and people - the advancements in technology have developed an in-house culture
at the workplace. People are spending more time in the office and less time in the field.
Organizations had to look for ways to make sure employees keep communicating with each other
wherever they are and whenever they want to encourage people to move to the field (In Nolan,
2014).

Technology – Technology is the number one driver of business and day-to-day activities. It is
technology development that has enabled mobile apps to be developed since it forms a
foundation where these applications can be used (Gonzalez, 2015).
Business processes – For instance the introduction of big data and data analytics has forced
companies such as Uber to develop applications that can respond in real-time while being used
by millions of users at the same time.
Cost factors and key components of influencing these costs in use of mobile business
solutions
In recent years mobile industry has undergone revolutionary changes due to the
technological up gradation. Report says that in the coming years users will expect more apps in
their mobile handsets through which they can do more browsing and more shopping
(Williamson, 2016). The demand of the consumers for improved technology is increasing at a
faster speed, which provides a huge potential for the mobile business. The mobile user will
expect optimum utilization of their devices every moment “lifestyle multi-if-not-hyper tasking”
There has been enormous usage of mobile browsing and application; however there has been no
shift in the spending on advertisements of mobile phones. The mobile business is expected to
take off and become a part of IT approach and infrastructure. It does not just mean that usage the
mobile application are to be made better but it means that proper apps are to be developed to
meet function specific requirement (Williamson, 2016).
“While mobile computing has clearly been widely embraced, most organizations don't
realize the full costs associated with giving employees access to mobile computing inside the
typical enterprise. A survey of 500 IT professionals in the United States conducted by Redshift
Research on behalf of Wandera, a provider of mobile device management and security software,

finds that the total cost of mobile computing per device is, on average, $1,840—which is about
116 percent more than anticipated. The survey finds that about half those costs are controllable,
which creates an opportunity for solution providers across the channel to add value by helping
organizations better manage those devices. While those numbers take into account the cost of
mobile security, the total cost of a breach can range from $40,000 to $400,000 per incident. That
means a security breach can easily wind up eclipsing an organization's entire annual mobile
computing budget. Channel Insider examines key takeaways from the study and focuses on
factors that should be part of the total cost of ownership (TCO) equation.” (Hay, 2012).
Some of the cost factors include:
Technological factors – Technology is always an external business factor and is drastically
changing every day. A few days ago, we did not have Android platforms while right now it is the
top mobile computing platform. What happens when technology changes and the company had
invested a lot of resources?
Security and privacy – By allowing “Bring Your Own Device” to work then another layer of
network security has to be implemented to make sure that hackers and network attackers do not
use the network vulnerabilities introduced by the use of smartphones and tablets (Hermes, 2015).

References
Allsopp, C. (2013). Designing mobile apps: Tips and techniques. Freiburg, Germany: Smashing
Media GmbH.
Baltzan, P. (2014). Business driven information systems.
Eisenman, B. (2018). Learning React Native: Building Native mobile apps with JavaScript.
Engdahl, S., & Thomson Gale (Firm). (2014). Mobile apps. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, A part
of Gale, Cengage Learning.
Gliser, S. (2013). Creating mobile apps with jquery mobile. Birmingham, U.K: Packt Pub.
Gonzalez, D. (2015). Managing online risk: Apps, mobile, and social media security.
Hay, D. (2012). The bootstrapper's guide to the mobile web: Practical plans to get your
business mobile in just a few days for just a few bucks. Fresno, CA: Quill Driver Books.
Hermes, D. (2015). Xamarin mobile application development: Cross-platform C# and
Xamarin.Forms fundamentals.
In Nolan, P. (2014). Mobile apps and banking: Investigations of shopping, payment and
financial services.
In Penttinen, J. T. (2015). The telecommunications handbook: Engineering guidelines for fixed,
mobile, and satellite systems.
Justin, J., & Jude, J. (2017). Learn Ionic 2: Develop multi-platform mobile apps.
Rodda, K., & Library of Congress. (2014). Accessible mobile reading apps.

Weinman, J. (2015). Digital disciplines: Attaining market leadership via the cloud, big data,
social, mobile, and the internet of things.
Williamson, L. (2016). Enterprise class mobile application development: A complete lifecycle
approach for producing mobile apps.