In early 1999, The Open Group membership identified the growing importance of wireless and mobile computing and initiated a study to identify key areas where The Open Group could make a significant contribution towards enabling the emerging market for corporate wireless data applications.
The first stage was the creation of The Open Group wireless computing web portal, www.openwirelessdata.org, to categorize and analyze the large number of existing wireless standards efforts.
Subsequently, The Open Group embarked on a six-month study of the wireless computing market, involving in-depth interviews with leading wireless vendors and early adopters of wireless technologies. The interviews have served to refine and validate The Open Group’s views on its role in accelerating the adoption of wireless data solutions into the enterprise environment. These meetings took place in both Europe and North America and were conducted by Gregory Gorman, Director of The Open Group’s Wireless and Mobile programs, and Peter George, Principal, Wheatstone Consulting (UK), a UK-based consultancy company that provides strategic advice on mobile data solutions.
The Open Group’s essential conclusion is that the enterprise and wireless markets are converging but still face serious obstacles. Integration of wireless data devices and applications into the enterprise environment is seriously impeded by the lack of interoperable standards and solutions.
Sections of this document highlight the major findings of the research and identify concrete proposals for action by the new Open Group Mobile Management Forum.