Comments on: ESRI’s Mobile Platform of Choice

By: Brett

Brett — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 21:09:06 +0000

There may be a state/local government influence here. Blackberries run into sunshine law problems (in some, not all states) because of how their email is handled. Sprint will hand out windows mobile phones for nearly free to governments while AT&T hits the up for full retail on iPhones. End result? State and local governments run on windows mobile.

By: Lefty

Lefty — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 16:02:15 +0000

I say this with a WM device in my right hand, but the WM platform is falling apart. Sales are down, developers are leaving, and enterprise customers are moving toward the iPhone (mine is testing to replace our crappy MotoQ devices with iPhone). I'm not sure why ESRI can't continue to support WM devices and support J2ME/iPhone/Android as well. I'd like to think they would be ahead of the wave on this, instead of behind.

By: James Fee

James Fee — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:29:00 +0000

Choice by who? I’ve never worked for a company that has ever chosen WM as a platform. I think in this case JW, YMMV.

You can concentrate on WM and continue doing whatever you wish, I and others will focus helping those visual information using whatever tools these choose.

By: JW

JW — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:18:24 +0000

oh and BTW:

http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/18/samsung-blackjack-ii-tops-consumer-reports-list-of-best-smartph/

I don’t make this stuff up, there is a reason why WM is the platform of choice.

By: JW

JW — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 03:30:22 +0000

no, the Iphone is a “me too” device. neither my VP, or most people around him, are getting them because they deliver data and decisions better, they get them because it is “cool”. That is it. WM is not “cool” but it works. ESRI sees that. It is also ridiculously simple to deploy an app, or even update an app, by pushing it out via Exchange.

By: me

me — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 18:38:42 +0000

The VP (& most other decision makers) will almost never understand the data, they are more likely to oversimplify and jump to conclusions. How could upper management, several steps removed from any of the nuances, make informed decisions. Most data is best summarized by analysts that know the real estate. Do we really want to enable micro-managers, and give them even more distractions during meetings (& driving). The first false thought a VP would have is “I guess I don’t need them anymore.” All that being said, if I were in the VP role, I’d want to see everything from my BlackBerry as well.

By: atanas entchev

atanas entchev — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:10:31 +0000

My link was meant to be sarcastic (“Run ArcGIS Server on a Storm? Come on, get real!”), but it didn’t work as such, apparently.

By: ChrisW

ChrisW — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:03:14 +0000

JW: Did you see Atanas Entchev’s link to this story about ArcGIS on the Blackberry? ( http://www.freeance.com/mobile )

No idea if it really works, of course, but at least the pricing structure looks to be right in line with ESRI…

By: atanas entchev

atanas entchev — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:00:46 +0000

I don’t know. The announcement sounds too similar to a politician announcing he will step down “to spend more time with his family.” It’s never about his family.

By: ChrisW

ChrisW — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 16:58:14 +0000

Don’t count on it – the press release says “He will continue to work for ESRI as Chief Science Advisor…”.

But I reckon we’ll probably see more money flowing from the UK university education budget into the coffers of ESRI and Microsoft…