The decision by giant communications equipment maker Motorola to buy Symbol Technologies, a marquee name in automatic identification products, has cast a spotlight on an idea that has been percolating for some time -- the mobile enterprise.
Simply put, in a mobile enterprise every asset is connected and accessible from anywhere. In a position paper published last year titled, "Achieving the Promise of the Mobile Enterprise," Motorola, quoting Forrester Research, describes it this way: "The ability for an enterprise to connect and control suppliers, partners, employees, assets, products, and customers from any location."
Given that competing technologies must collaborate to make this happen, connectivity and accessibility will be hard enough to achieve. Getting "control" is another matter entirely, and may simply be the kind of notion that is found in the hype stage of an otherwise sound business idea.
Stages aside, the broad idea of the mobile business is becoming more than just a catchy phrase used by some companies -- or a supposed positioning statement in the form of a corporate tagline. Symbol, for example, has called itself "The Enterprise Mobility Company." What may have started out in many companies at a grassroots level -- individuals with cell phones, portable computers, and personal digital assistants -- has now become a business strategy complete with many hoped-for bottom-line rewards. You can bet good money that Motorola/Symbol will soon be emphasizing those rewards -- more integrated business processes, higher employee productivity, cost savings, greater supply chain visibility, and the list goes on.