An Overview of Mobile Technologies

Michael Wakahe on behalf of Computer Society of Kenya (CSK)

ICT TrainingNzoia Sugar Company

Dec 2011

Table of Contents

• Definition of Mobile• SMS• USSD• Mobile Applications• Mobile Websites• Other Mobile Technologies

Definition of Mobile

• User and not necessarily technology is mobile

• User is mobile - on the move

• User is interruptible and easily distracted

• Use of mobile service is contextual

• Definition: Short Message Service

• GSM standard

• Person-to-Person, Person-to-System, System-

to-Person

• Examples of Person-to-System & System-to-

Person: Bulk SMS & Short Code

SMS

SMS

• Short Code & Bulk SMS require access to operator SMS gateway

• Bulk SMS are prepaid while short codes charge subscriber

• Modems can be attached to a computer & programmed

• Many low level technologies involved in successful delivery of SMS

• Unstructured Supplementary Service Data

• Suitable for session based interaction

• Examples of applications include airtime top

up, mobile banking, Mpesa, network operator

service selection

USSD

• Service provider has to connect to operator USSD gateway

• Interactivity with USSD gateways is not yet standardized

• Billing is session based• Service provider hosts interaction logic in

software - similar to short codes

USSD

• Different frameworks and OS running on

phones

• Apps are installable software

• Programmable with developer toolkits

• Utilize Internet capabilities of handset (GPRS)

Mobile Applications

Mobile Applications

• Provisioning: WAP download, SMS Push,

Bluetooth, pre-installed

• App Store as a market place

• Examples: Nokia Ovi, Google Android Market

Place, Apple App Store

Mobile Applications

• Device capabilities are fragmented

• Therefore different interaction with Internet

• Mobile websites have device awareness &

content adaptation

• Adapt to context of handset

Mobile Websites

• Many standards involved including WML, XHTML, HTML5

• Reuse of traditional desktop standards• Content adaptation example: replace Flash

with static images• Best practices e.g. multiple navigation bars,

terse information, shallow click stream

Mobile Websites

Mobile Apps & Websites

• Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

• SIM Toolkit Programming

Other Mobile Technologies

• Java Mobile Application Demo

• App Store Demo

• SMS Demo

Demos

Shujaa SMS Gateway Schematic

Michael Wakahe, Software Developer & Entrepreneur

Shujaa Solutions Ltdwww.shujaa.co.ke

michael@shujaa.co.ke

Questions?

Credits