The Enterprise Distributed: Symbol Technology

From MobileDesign

Symbol Technologies has come a long way from the days of simple hand-held barcode scanners which stored data until connected via serial cable and ordered to dump strings back to batch applications. By embracing the latest PDA OS's, and wrapping them in highly-ruggedized, task-specialized hardware, Symbol has greatly expanded the ways in which these units serve the enterprise, while taking advantage of the large and growing pool of developers for Palm OS and PocketPC 2002.

The 'PDT' in the Symbol PDT 2800 and PDT 8100 stands for Portable Data Terminal devices. Running Pocket PC 2002 (tm), and with generous processing, memory, display, and connectivity capabilities, these systems allow a large and growing number of options for architecting end-to-end solutions for supporting workgroups while integrating with the enterprise. Let's look at some of the architectural models enterprises can implement with these devices:

• Capture and batch upload: A one-way transfer of information, used by generations of inventory applications. The only improvements offered by advanced products solutions using this model is in how much can be stored, and how the batch transfer happens.
• Portable data terminals: This treats the device as a small, limited capability terminal running a classic "time sharing" type application. This model requires constant connectivity with the device, a somewhat more capable device, as well as (generally) a custom application on the enterprise side. At least data can flow both ways in this model. Also, with these newer devices, the capabilities of the "terminal" pretty closely match the terminals of 20 years ago, meaning that integration with legacy applications may not be that difficult.
• Browser-based presentation: Given reliable WLAN (Wireless Local Area Networking) connectivity, this approach is a good fit with the general trend towards web delivery of enterprise applications. Pocket Explorer on a handheld isn't the same user experience as Explorer on your web department's 20 inch monitors. Don't let the developers forget that in the frenzy to achieve the holy grail of "write once run anywhere". Remember, this is all about supporting workgroup productivity.
• Distributed processing with synchronization: Here is where the PDT 1800 (Palm OS), 2800, and 8100 begin to show their full strengths. Given that full-time WLAN connectivity may not be desirable or achievable, these devices have enough memory and processing power to support the workgroup with local applications and data. This allows the workgroup to always have that data locally while continuing to capture and update data. Synchronization occurs when the device comes back into the range of the enterprise WLAN, and may be triggered manually or automatically.
• WLAN - WWAN Distributed processing: What about geographically dispersed workgroups? Truck-based central processors provide WLAN connectivity to teams in the field. These teams, as in the previous pure WLAN model, may wander in and out of range of the truck. The truck uses WWAN (Wireless Wide Area Networking) technologies to connect the enterprise to the WLAN field units. As WWAN bandwidth tends to be low, intelligent synchronization is a hallmark of successful design for this model.

The final piece to the puzzle is this: Symbol uses a software management tool called Airbeam to wirelessly and automatically perform device updates, including application installation and updates, updates to the operating system, even microcode updates to the wireless card. This ensures the devices within a workgroup remain functionally identical and allows them to be updated in a controlled and trackable manner.