The price of a unit of long-distance communication is in a continuous decline. With cell coverage now nearly ubiquitous and now that so many plans have long distance, traditional landline long-distance is steadily declining. That very decline, in terms of cost per unit, holds true for telephone lines, your 'Net connection, and data circuits. However, the total cost of a mobile phone and usage is consistently on the rise.

Strategic Mobile Road Map

For a business to synch its business and communications goals, a plan which includes a strategy and outlined actions is a necessity. To transform your mobile platform over from a cost center to a business enabler requires the implementation of a comprehensive road map. The strategy and road map describe how mobile services can add to the grand scheme of information and communications technology used by the business. This strategy can also match the business' goals with a particular technology. In addition to being a part of the overall strategy, the roadmap needs a base in the organization's requirements, devices in use, contract limitations, process, and system hardware and software.

Getting it Implemented

The preferred way to outline and enable a mobile strategy and roadmap is to understand the user and make a profile. The profile should not be considered the same thing as the person's job title. Instead, it should be representative of the role and responsibility which the person fulfills. The user profile ideally describes both current and future situations. A user's profile should have the role and responsibility of the individual and the department, overall mobile needs, description of the type of device, device use by role & responsibility, an indicator of phone voice and data use, and info on any current contracts held with the service provider including service agreements. Once both of the profiles have been opened, it's time to run a gap analysis - results of this analysis can indicate steps to take in the future. As an example, by changing the data plan for an employee with unlimited data transfers who only uses 15% of this capacity could equal savings. Once applying these types of changes across an entire organization, the results become significant.

Manage Mobility

Outsource, insource, or some of each? Now that you've implemented your plan, it needs to be maintained. Process control and policy which has been activated now needs to be monitored and updated regularly. Some organizations simply don't have the employees to tackle this task. Typically, mobile telephony is time-intensive and strains other highly-utilized staff, particularly IT. If this is the situation, the business can outsource these functions to another party instead. This contractor works as a liaison between you and the multiple cell phone service providers. However, some larger businesses are wise to use their own mobile services expense-management tool. This can be done with internal resources and tied in specifically to the policy and procedure described in the road map. This is the preferred method for an enterprise with over five thousand mobile devices.

Mobility Today

With plenty of options around mobile services, it's difficult to determine just the right mobility strategy for your company. Smaller, medium and larger organizations must all keep a sharp eye out for the expense and work hours needed to develop and maintain mobility. Next it's time to formulate the strategy and road map which will lead to successful long-term management. Failure to do so may let mobile service cost to continually grow without significantly assisting with your company's long-term business objectives.

Nick Pegley is a marketing expert with All Covered: Technology Services Partner for Small Business, providing information technology consulting and IT services in 20 major U.S. metro areas. Outsource your procurement, installation and technical headaches.

Skype certified E-TEN M600 Pocket PC Phone EditionWith its built-in support for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Quad-band GSM and GPRS, the M600 Pocket PC Phone delivers a complete communications package in one compact device. And with Skype 2.0 for the Pocket PC, these capabilities extend even further allowing users to share the same Skype account with their PCs and M600 and to enjoy free/low rate internet calls.

A big number of Pocket PC devices currently available are unable to meet the hardware requirements for Skype certification – Windows Mobile 5.0, 312MHz processor and high-speed wireless internet connection. E-TEN's M600 is not just one of the few products that is certified, but its small size, innovative internal antenna design and fast 400MHz processor give it the edge over products from other well known manufacturers.

For more Smartphone and Pocket PC News or Applications for windows mobile devices visit us at mobiletopsoft.com

Steve Rastall - MD igroup. Steve has many years mobile
experience, visit www.igroupltd.co.uk for more information.

Wireless broadband is the most new improved broadband service available. This service is a way to receive broadband without the need for wires, instead a broadband wireless signal is sent around a local area using a device called a wireless broadband router, which enables other computers within the area to connect to the broadband internet connection.

What Can I Do With Wireless Broadband?

Well, this improved innovation makes it possible for you to set up a wireless broadband connection at home/work which lets you use the internet on your laptop or another desktop computer, without the need to connect them to your main computer using wires. You could take your laptop in other rooms of your house or office, for that extra bit of peace and quiet or privacy. Once you get this facility, you won’t want to change back, it’s useful and convenient.

The other great use for wireless broadband is where you can access the internet at public places such as cafes, restaurants, airports, train stations etc. The way this works is that a business such as a cafe for example broadcasts a broadband signal in its local area, which you can log onto using your. This method of connecting to broadband in public places is known as Wifi. The places with these facilities are known as Wifi hotspots.

How Do I Get Wireless Broadband Access?

To set up wireless broadband in your home, you will need to have a broadband connection already set up, you will need to buy a wireless broadband router which is the device which sends the wireless broadband signal around your home and you will need to buy a wireless network LAN card for your laptop or second computer which receives your broadband signal. Once you have the network set up, you will also have the added advantage that as your computers are networked together, you will be able to send and receive files from one computer to the other, read files off any of the computer hard drives from any computer in the network and print documents directly from any computer in the network. You will have to leave your main computer on for all of this to be possible though. However you don't need to leave your main computer on to use your broadband wirelessly around your home as the wireless broadband router will still send the broadband signal around your house even when your main computer is switched off.

If you only want to use your laptop in Wifi hotspots when you are out and about then you will only need to buy a wireless LAN card as a broadband router is not required in this case (you will only need a broadband router if you were to use your laptop or computer wirelessly at home). The other thing you will need is an account with a Wifi service provider to give you Wifi access.

Wireless broadband routers and wireless LAN cards can be bought in most offline computer stores or you can buy them online too.
Make the most of your broadband provider and choose the right provider for you.

Several broadband service providers have several packages available and now include Wifi products, such as wireless kits, wireless minutes, LAN cards etc.

Browse broadband packages available to you by visiting moneysupermarket.com.

Choose the right Broadband Provider for you.

Access Skype via your browser on your Cell Phone with M+ for Skype, an optimized mobile IM client.

IM+ for Skype is a fully mobile application and enables voice and text communication with other Skype users and provide cost-effective calling to mobiles and landlines.
To use IM+ for Skype you don’t need WiFi. The application works in any network. It takes just 2 minutes to get up and running.. To send messages is as simple as typing SMS messages.

IM+ for Skype runs on these devices

• Palm OS
• Java devices
• Windows Mobile Pocket PC
• iPhone
• BlackBerry handhelds
• Symbian S60 v3 mobile phones

IM+ for Skype is a service and permits you to call for low rates. See which of your friends are online and chat with them.

Use IM+ for Skype at

• ANY wireless network
• ANY destination

IM+ for Skype is from SHAPE Services, a Germany-based company, well-known for making mobile IM clients. They charge a small fee for the application, and no recurring monthly subscription fee. By purchasing IM+ users are entitled to all your software updates and upgrades.

Voice over IP is an Internet technology and perfected over time. It is basically a technology that allows you to make telephone calls through the Internet instead of directly through wires, which is the way that telephone calls have been made for decades, in fact since inception of the telephone.

VoIP makes business travel easy
The type of technology that Voice over IP brings suddenly makes life much comfortable not only for business people. Install IM+ for Skype onto your Palm OS Device and receive all your cellular phone calls and messages directly through your mobile device.

Join the Voice over IP and Cellular Phone Blog to be always informed.

Jim Price writes articles for

Credit-Card-FAQ.com

Voip-voice-over-ip.com

Now, Bluetooth is facing stiff competition from new wireless technology. Referred to as UWB or Ultra Wideband, it promises data transfer of up to 480 MB a second - while most current Bluetooth devices transfer data up to 721 KB a second.

For the time being, Bluetooth devices are surely cropping up. Below, we will look at some of the accessories offered with Bluetooth technology.

Talking to the dashboard

When pairing it with a cell phone, the CCM Blue Warrior car kit becomes a great speaker phone that plugs into the power adapter of your vehicle. The noise cancelling microphone will reduce background noise efficiently, with the large buttons making adjusting the speaker volume a snap. Although the Blue Warrior is far from sexy or sleek, it's very practical.

Tiny tuning box

Part MP3 player and part hands free phone, the compact and lightweight Sony HBM-30 is an attractive gadget that lets you accept calls with minimal interruption of your tunes. When you get an incoming call it will automatically pause your music, then you speak into the built in microphone that you can wear around your neck or clip to your clothes.

The pen

With Nokia's SU-1B digital pen, you can doodle and make hand written notes in ink on a special pad then transmit them from the pad to your Bluetooth phone. Being an alternative to typing on a cell phone keypad, the pen is very handy, although a pricey tool from MMS fans.

Snapshots

If you want to make slide shows with your camera photos, the Nokia SU-2 image viewer will let you disply your pictures on a TV or projector. Simply hook this square gray device to your TV's input with the built in cable, then beam the pictures to the SU-2 from your Bluetooth enabled phone and the photo fest will begin.

This device is a snap to set up and use, although it displays resolutions of up to 640 by 480. If you have a newer phone that takes high resolution photos, you won't be able to use the Nokia SU-2
Image viewer.

Keep in mind, the 640 by 480 pixel photos will appear blocky on TV screens, no matter what you do. If your phone can send batches of photos, you can create a slide show - although Nokia claims you can use sequentially beamed shots as well.

Even though UWB is on the rise, Bluetooth technology will remain a force in the market for years to come.

Gregg Hall is a business consultant and author for many online and offline businesses and lives in Navarre Florida. Get computer hardware at http://www.advancedtechnologystore.com

·Garmin Nuvi 360
·Garmin StreetPilot 2820
·Garmin StreetPilot C550
·TomTom One (Tri-Lingual)
·TomTom Go 510
·TomTom Go 910

Bluetooth wireless provides hands free availability to a wide variety of technology products. Bluetooth is all the rage with computers, cell phones, PDAs and other handhelds, printers, and now GPS systems.

Bluetooth Wireless technology has the ability to do a wide range of things. With Bluetooth, you can use a Treo Smartphone for wireless headset calls, connect to the internet with a better connection through your cell phone, connect your computer to the internet through wireless technology, and send messages to others. These things have nothing to do with your GPS system, unless it works through a laptop or PDA.

One of the primary GPS functions with Bluetooth enabled is wireless productivity when you download maps and directions. With Bluetooth, gone are the days of having to connect to the Internet the old-fashioned way (through a computer). You can now browse for the map of your choice and download it directly through your GPS unit. That is just one of the many marvels of Bluetooth technology.

Additionally, some of the Bluetooth-enabled GPS units, such as the Garmin Nuvi 360, have the ability to make phone calls. The GPS unit has a built in speaker and microphone. With Bluetooth technology enabled on the GPS device, the user can make hands free phone calls through the mobile phone service. On the Garmin Nuvi 360, making calls is a piece of cake. All you have to do is touch the Nuvi screen, dial the number, and speak into the microphone. It is as simple as that.

The Nuvi has a phonebook as well as a phone call history storage area. You can use this to dial if you prefer to use a number you have stored in your GPS system. However, there is more to Bluetooth than simply using it to make phone calls and download directions.

Your ability to connect multiple devices to one another has become increasingly simple. Maps from your GPS can be sent easily to your computer, cell phone, palm pilot, and even another GPS system with Bluetooth! When you enter your home, your Bluetooth enabled cell phone emits a signal, which allows your home phone to “sense” your presence. All calls from your cell phone are re-routed to your landline now that you can answer the phone. With all your technological devices working together thanks to Bluetooth, your life can run a lot smoother. You no longer have to flip between computer, phone, PDA, GPS Unit, and so forth, with little to no effort or worry about losing information.

Essentially, Bluetooth makes your life easier, and your GPS capabilities are extended beyond anything you thought was possible for a GPS Unit.

Catherine Tower an associate Gottronics is in charge of the research department, where she gathers information and reviews different Portable GPS Units, whether it be good or bad and stays up to date with all of the latest developments of the products.

A new wireless protocol, 802.11N, should be released later this year, which will allow wireless networks to connect over longer distances, and at faster speeds. With this new advancement companies will be able to allow all of their users to connect to the network wirelessly.

This new protocol, coupled with recent advancements in secure connections to wireless networks, will allow businesses to perform tasks wirelessly that they have never been able to do before. Companies utilizing this new protocol will also be able to save quite a bit of money trying to hard wire their offices, by using less wireless routers to do the same task that wired routers did in the past.

Wireless networks have become a very important part of many businesses, because you can construct a wireless network that is separate from your main network that only allows visitors access to the internet and not to any of your precious information. This will also allow you to setup places for visitors to connect to the internet that do not require a desk to be setup or a dedicated computer setup for their access. Instead you can utilize a sitting area and a laptop to achieve the same functionality, without the security risks of someone connecting directly into your network.

Many of the reasons why wireless networks were a faux pas in the past have been addressed and now wireless networks are looked at more and more as a viable alternative to a hard wired network. The best thing about wireless networks is that many new technologies are being released every year that extend the functionality and availability of this fascinating new technology.

The new technologies that are available to construct, and connect to wireless networks is unbelievable. You can connect to a wireless network with a laptop through Wi-Fi, GSM, and even through satellite data cards. Many businesses are creating free hotspots that allow their patrons access to the internet to conduct business, or just send a friend an email.

Many car manufacturers are now offering satellite broadband internet access from within a certain distance of the car, so that people can get an internet connection while they are traveling. Many new types of cell phones and PDAs will allow you to check your email, get your contacts, your calendar, and even access certain web pages right from the phone.

Right now many web pages are not easily viewed, or fully functional on a cell phone or PDA, but many programmers and web designers are working on making their web sites more accessible from all forms of wireless devices.

Many other forms of wireless devices are now being developed that will allow information to be obtained in real-time over great distances. RFID has revolutionized process chain management, because now businesses can track their product from manufacturing to delivery, and everywhere in between. New technologies have been developed recently that allow RFID wireless networks to be formed that can calculate distances between the different devices contained within the network. This will allow a sort of "smart" network to be formed that will allow the devices to "know" when one is on the move, or if one has been lost.

Another very important development in recent years is the use of GPS tracking and navigation. Now we have the ability to know exactly where our products are, and where they are going so we can ensure shipment delivery in a timely manner. When all of these wireless networks are tied together an efficient and productive business can be sure to follow. Wireless networks are a must in this new on-demand world that we live in. If you do not keep up with the times, then you will be quickly left behind.

For more information: UK Broadband Supplier, Wireless Broadband Modems, UK Broadband Deals

As of 2005, there are over 2.14 billion subscribers of mobile phones in the world. Presently, Africa has the highest growth rate of mobile phone subscribers in the world, its mobile phone market expands nearly twice as fast as their Asian counterparts. The accessibility of prepaid services where subscribers are not bound to long term arrangements have boosted the sale of cellular phones.

Current mobile phones can perform tasks such as text messaging, e-mail, web browsing or Internet access, and sending and receiving photos and videos. Internet access through mobile phones are now available in many countries. In fact this type of service is preferred by my many personal computer users, a lot of them have been turning to cellphones to access the net. In Europe alone, many countries have 30% - 40% of Internet users are now accessing to the Internet through their mobile phones. Because of additional services like weather information, e-mail, and instant messaging web browsing is preferred by mobile phones users than the traditional computer. Web browsing are preferred by people who are in a hurry or are always in the field.

With the development of Internet faxing, faxes can now be sent online. Additionally, they can be sent and received through mobile phones or Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs). Internet faxing is a generic term which refers to the sending and receiving fax messages over the Internet. This type of faxing has combined the efficiency and speed of the Internet combined with the clarity of faxing. Internet faxing, however is more economical than conventional faxing because this type of service does not require the purchase of an additional fax machine. It therefore frees consumers of buying papers, inks, and toners for the fax machine. Internet faxing does not require additional configurations or software. An active e-mail account and a computer or a mobile phone with Internet connection is required to avail of this service.

To avail of this Internet faxing service, all one has to do is visit an Internet faxing site and sign-up. By signing up consumers are allowed to gain access to incoming and outgoing fax messages. These messages are accessible to most parts of the world where there is Internet connection.

Business leaders, busy people, and people who are always on the field are raving about the benefits of Internet faxing. Because of this Internet breakthrough many individuals are able to receive fax messages even in remote locations. The Internet pushed telecommunications to improve drastically, studies say that technology specifically the net directly affects the business industry. Traditional approach to communication is slowly diminishing snail mail is replaced by e-mail and faxing by Internet faxing. Try Internet faxing and experience a fast and easy way of sending and receiving necessary information.

Free iFaxThe fastest growing provider of internet messaging services guarantees fast and efficient delivery of messages around the globe. Online Fax | Internet Fax Service

To guard against such eventualities, IT departments should begin drafting policies forbidding executives from connecting their Apple iPhones to company networks, said Rob Enderle, a principal analyst with the Enderle Group based in San Jose, Calif.

The device isn't secure enough, nor is it designed to run with corporate systems, he said.

Companies spend a lot of time getting RIM and Palm handheld devices up to par so they can be secure enough to connect to company e-mail, he said.

Before the iPhone is as secure as the BlackBerry and Treo, it needs a product such as Good Technology Mobile, which is designed to securely deliver enterprise applications to mobile devices. But now that Good Technology has been bought by Motorola, it's unclear whether it'd be interested in creating a product for Apple's iPhone, Enderle said.

And even if third-party developers were interested in making applications for the iPhone that would turn it from a consumer toy to a business tool, it's uncertain whether Apple wants to go that route. The phone is currently a closed platform, which means Apple hasn't invited independent software vendors to develop applications for its platform.

And because the platform is closed, it's not clear yet which applications are currently supported by the iPhone.

I think Apple's going to very tightly control the flow of applications onto this device, said Charles Golvin, principal analyst for Forrester Research in San Francisco. There are certain things that as a business user you need, and it's not clear if it's on the device yet. Is there support for Microsoft Office documents such as PowerPoint or Adobe PDF Without those things, it's usefulness as a business tool would be greatly reduced, but I think Apple recognizes that. I would be greatly surprised if those applications either didn't come bundled with the phone or quickly found their way onto the phone inexpensively.

Still, Golvin doesn't think Apple will go directly after the business market.

Those targeting that market, such as RIM, don't need to start worrying about Apple, said Brian Sharwood of the SeaBoard Group in Toronto. The two companies are going after very different markets and whereas Apple sells a piece of hardware, RIM sells a service, he said.

But because of the iPhone's attractive form factor, executives are likely to start buying it when it becomes available in June in the U.S., and tech departments need to head them off at the pass by issuing policies that forbid iPhones from being connected to networks, Enderle said.

If executives insist on connecting iPhones, then the IT department has a duty to report the violation since it could mean that Sarbanes-Oxley or other compliance rules have been broken, Enderle said.

But not everyone is as worried about iPhones finding their way onto corporate networks.

The iPhone is secure because it has built-in support for IMAP or Internet Message Access Protocol and POP3 Mail, Golvin said.

Most organizations run Exchange, which has IMAP support, which means the iPhone can automatically receive push e-mail, unlike RIM devices, which need a BlackBerry Enterprise Server to receive e-mail, Golvin said. IT departments, will, however, have to be on the lookout for vulnerabilities for the device, he said.

But, like Enderle, Golvin agrees that iPhones will find their way into the enterprise via executives looking to get their hands on the latest devices. Executives who don't have limits on what they spend are image-conscious and tend to buy Apple devices, he said. This is how the BlackBerry eventually found its way into the enterprise, he said.

The Toronto Wireless User Group is a member of the Oreilly User Group Program.

http://www.torwug.org/

RESOURCE:

http://www.torwug.org/Articles/newsletters/Feb7_2007/ar_02.asp