Volume 3, Issue 1

A Conversation with Laura Nuhaan, Executive Director of the International BlackBerry User Group
"BlackBerry" has entered the business professional's canon much like "Kleenex", "Band-Aid", and "Tivo" have for consumers. In our predictions for 2005 last month, we forecast increased enterprise penetration for

The Siemens SK65 With BlackBerry Built-InTM

CLICK TO VIEW - Siemens SK65
the BlackBerry platform as usage extends beyond wireless email. This month, we sat down with Laura Nuhaan, Executive Director of the International BlackBerry User Group ("IBBUG"), to discuss this rise of BlackBerry and enterprise mobile solutions:
  1. AP: How is the mobility software market evolving?
    LN: Mobile data is finally real. And it is reaching a critical tipping point. First we saw mobile phone penetration increase, followed by wireless email. Mobile applications beyond email are next. For mobile operators, applications that drive data usage continue to be a major growth area.
  2. AP: What types of applications are driving the market for mobile solutions?
    LN: Number one

    In This Issue

    is of course email and calendar applications followed by Intranet access, CRM, time billing, sales force automation, and field service automation. Dispatch and logistics solutions are also increasing in popularity.
  3. AP: The global market for mobile solutions has matured more slowly than expected. What do the next eighteen months have in store?
    LN: US operators have highly restrictive data policies that have constrained growth. It will take time for carriers and users to switch from a voice-centric to data-centric view of how mobile devices are used. That is happening, though. What I see on the horizon: wi-fi hotspots will become ubiquitous, carrier-driven mobile content will continue to proliferate, and the popularity of next generation games and mobile video will increase. Enterprise applications will remain strategically important.
  4. AP: Are customers likely to see the BlackBerry operating system on other devices?
    LN: Yes, indeed. Nokia (the Nokia 9500, for instance), Ericcson (the Sony Ericcson P910), and Siemens (the Sk65, see above) already are using BlackBerrry ConnectTM and BlackBerry Built-InTM. More will follow.
  5. AP: Which mobile solutions yield the best ROI?
    LN: The ROI model is very clear for sales force automation and field service automation. These high-ROI applications are driving up valuations for firms that compete in these spaces, fueled by increasing competition among VC firms for deals.
  6. AP: How does the IBBUG fit into this market evolution?
    LN: The International BlackBerry User Group's main objective is to maximize productivity for BlackBerry users worldwide and minimize IT staff's support efforts. The IBBUG wants to assist users in increasing the productivity and use of new and existing BlackBerry applications and help to discover the full potential of BlackBerry handhelds and enterprise solutions. See www.ibbug.org for more information.
Aeroprise Index Of Wireless Activity
IOWA opens 2005 down 11.96% at 167.73. Uncertainty in the broader market coupled with uncertainty in the wireless sector pulled the stocks of leading carrier and software makers lower. In February's IOWA, we'll see the impact of January's top wireless news story, the unexpected resignation of FCC Chief Michael Powell.

Upcoming Events
Meet an Aeroprise representative at the upcoming Help Desk Institute Annual Conference & Expo
  Venetian Hotel
  Las Vegas, NV
  March 6-10

Industry Buzz
IT Week: 10 IT Spending Trends for 2005: Increased Usage of Voice/Data Devices

Tip of the Month: Fort Knox, Eat Your Heart Out
To receive all-important approval from your company's data security team, you must first convince them that wireless applications pose no greater security threat than do wired ones. Rest assured. There's a powerful suite of wireless security features under the hood of your Aeroprise Mobile Gateway.

You can administer your security settings by clicking 'Wireless Security' from the Actions menu of your Administration Console. Here are a few of the settings you can adjust:

1) Specify valid IP address ranges for the devices that access Aeroprise. This will prevent rogue devices from accessing your Mobile Gateway. It will also deny access to rogue users if devices are lost or stolen. Only authenticated users from authenticated devices get in.

2) Specify how frequently user passwords need to be changed. You can also specify format types for passwords by requiring them to be at least a certain length.

3) Specify how many incorrect logins you'll accept before disabling a user's Aeroprise account.

Trivia Question: Wireless Email Gaining Popularity
Question: How much was spent on wireless email in 2004?

(a) $125 million (b) $231 million (c) $378 million (d) more than $1 billion

source: Red Herring Magazine
[answer in next month's newsletter]

Last month's question: Which of the following is closest to the actual number of voice and data minutes used by US wireless subscribers in 2004?

(a) 500 million (b) 1 billion (c) 100 billion (d) 500 billion (e) 1 trillion

Last month's answer:

We used nearly (e) 1 trillion voice and data minutes last year, an increase of 35% that was supported by a 14.5% increase in total subscribers. Imagine what the overage charges on that bill would look like!

Resources
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Mobilizing Your Applications: A Primer
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Aeroprise Partner Portal

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