Latest News from Ian Thain

iPhone vs. SatNav: Another Device Bites the Dust for iPhone Users?

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:15:00 EST

What is a SatNav? I would define it as a small pocket sized computer, with a built-in GPS receiver, running navigational software on a lightweight but efficient Operating System. Indispensable in today's age, but adding to the number of small technological marvels that need to be carried on your person. Unless you have a utility belt or do not worry about carrying a rucksack, then it won't be an issue.

The Information Worker

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EDT

Let me set the scene for my fictitious organization... My insurance company needs to speed up the flow and turn around in claims. Currently Assessors are given their appointments in the office at the start of day and then go out on the road. With them, they may take a paper notebook, a set of claim forms, dictaphone, diary, camera, mobile phone and a set of street maps for the local and surrounding area of responsibility.

Are We Close to the Saturation Point for iPhone Apps?

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:15:00 EST

In a conversation last week I was asked my point of view with regard to the number of applications on the Apple App Store and what I believe to expect next. Here is a portion of my reply... I am not even going to state the current number of applications available, as this will be out of date immediately, but one can easily predict that this number will continue to grown rapidly, even with the large number of application on the App Store already. Some would suggest that saturation point is near for the App Store?

Proof Point for Information Worker Vision

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:05:00 EST

At the start of October I wrote a 'story of problems overcome', which set the case for a field worker and how Converged Mobile Devices or Smartphone could be used to solve problems in productivity etc. This was my vision of the Information Worker and I was happy to see an interesting article from Ryan Kim at the SF Chronicle on how more users are shifting their computing workload to their mobile devices instead of their laptops.

Farewell Old Tech, Hello New Tech

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:30:00 EST

It was only a matter of time, especially as with the SDK 3.0, developing for an accessory was made possible. Now within the next few weeks Apple Retail will withdraw the Symbol based devices running Windows CE and replace it with an iPod Touch based device with custom credit card reader. Is that a cheer I hear? I've always wondered when this will happen and initially the roll put will be in the US, but other countries will follow soon after.

Hot Event in Santa Clara Becomes Cool with the iPhone

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:00:00 EST

This week just saw the SYS-CON iPhone Developer Summit come to the West Coast on November 3rd. Along with the unseasonal warm weather... it was a HOT event! The sessions were well attended by a good number of professional developers etc who were eager to learn, discuss and take the iPhone to the next level...the Enterprise. I would like to take this moment, to thank the presenters. During the event Sybase made 3 announcements that will advance iPhone adoption in the enterprise... New Device Management, Relational Database with Synchronization, and mBanking Solutions, all for the iPhone. Let me investigate them further...

Managing and Securing Enterprise Mobility?

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:47:21 EDT

Following on from my articles on thoughts and findings of Enterprise Mobility, I have decided to delve again into the challenging areas of Management & Security.

Five Days to SYS-CON's iPhone Developer Summit

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:15:00 EDT

We are now only 5 days away from SYS-CON's iPhone Developer Summit in Santa Clara, CA. On Tuesday November 3rd the Santa Clara Convension center will be the place where you can hear nine presentations, most related to developing and using the iPhone in the Enterprise.

Balsamiq Taking Traditional Storyboards All the Way to Cool Mockups

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:01:00 EDT

I published an article in July 2009, which stated my thoughts and findings on Mobile Application User Interface design etc... Traditionally the actual GUI design Phase has probably been about 25% of the whole project time, but now with the iPhone and the nature of the beast that is the App Store, the demanding iPhone Users and the cool device itself... Apple and developers in turn, are pushing this initial design phase to about 60%. Apple's definition of the design phase, is that it consists of four sub phases focusing on...

Skill Set of an Enterprise Mobility Developer?

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:50:00 EDT

Following on from my articles on thoughts and findings of Enterprise Mobility, I have decided to delve a little deeper into the area of development. In particular I thought it would be fun to put down what I believe could be the skill set or attributes, of an Enterprise Mobility Developer.

Gartner Identifies the Top Ten Strategic Technologies for 2010

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EDT

Gartner has identified their Top 10 Strategic Technologies for 2010 and Mobile applications have finally made it onto their radar. Fellow blogger Philippe Winthrop of Enterprise Mobility Matters brought up a good observation, that for some reason Gartner missed mobility completely last year and though they added mobile applications for 2010...

Steps for Success in Enterprise Mobility?

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:45:00 EDT

This is the last in a series of five initial articles, in which I'm going to put my thoughts and findings on the subject of Enteprise Mobility. For this final article I have decided to sum up the thoughts and findings of the previous articles to form an initial set of 'Steps for Success' for an Enterprise Mobility Strategy.

Jump Start your Enterprise Mobility Education Now!

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:15:00 EDT

Online classes from ‘Sybase Mobile University’ will provide you with the knowledge you need to make your organization’s mobile projects a success. Let our top instructor bring you up to speed on the latest mobile application developments and how to overcome common pitfalls. There is no cost for these online mobility courses.

Risks and Enterprise Mobility?

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT

This is the fourth in a series of five initial articles, in which I'm going to put my thoughts and findings on the subject of Enteprise Mobility. For this penultimate article I've decided to raise the Risks to be aware of before and during implementation of an Enterprise Mobility Strategy.

Opportunities and Enterprise Mobility?

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 06:30:00 EDT

This is the third in a series of five initial articles, in which I'm going to put my thoughts and findings on the subject of Enterprise Mobility. For this article I've decided to discuss the Opportunities that lie in front of companies that undertake an Enterprise Mobility Strategy.

Are Mobile Luddites Resisting Mobility?

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EDT

This week I had my attention drawn by a few interesting articles that seem to suggest that the increase into Enterprise Mobility has not occured yet. I am stating... 'Come into the Light of the Mobile Age or be DOOMED!', that is my call to the Mobile Luddites.

How's Business Viewing Enterprise Mobility?

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EDT

This is the second in a series of five initial articles, in which I'm going to put my thoughts and findings on the subject of Enteprise Mobility. For this article I've decided to tackle the way that Business is now viewing Mobility. This has definately changed over the last few years and has been caused by various factors.

The Economy and Enterprise Mobility?

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EDT

This is the first in a series of five initial articles, in which I'm going to put my thoughts and findings on the subject of Enteprise Mobility. For this article I've decided to tackle the Economy, which is effecting us all in various degrees, according to your geographic location.

Business Users Rank iPhone Highest

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:30:00 EDT

W. David Gardner who writes for InformationWeek has a very interesting article here. He states the J.D. Power's study of smartphone satisfaction, which reports that the Apple iPhone topped the Blackberry and other devices.

Samsung Mobile and Sybase

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 08:30:00 EDT

Today Samsung Mobile and Sybase announced collaboration plans to deploy, manage and secure Windows Mobile® powered smart phones for enterprise customers. The project will provide mobile knowledge workers with advanced access to business-critical applications.

Windows Phone from Microsoft

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:42:17 EDT

Yesterday Microsoft announced Windows Phones which use Windows Mobile 6.5. As well as the new version of software it also provides access to the new MyPhone service and the Windows Mobile Marketplace with 246 applications available.

I have got the Ultimate Mobile Device... now just for one small step further

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:52:12 EDT

In my last article, which set and solved the problems for an On-the-Road Information Worker (Insurance Assessor). I told what Enterprise Mobility could achieve with cool software and hardware.

Over the Air 2009, London UK

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:45:00 EDT

Last Friday I was lucky enough to stumble across and attend 'Over The Air 2009' in London's Imperial College, which was part of the London Digital Week 09. They said it could not be done in this economy, a free event for 200+ developers with sessions on development, design etc...

New Unified Communications Solution from Sybase & Siemens

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:45:00 EDT

Today Sybase and Siemens Enterprise Communications (SEN) Group (a leader in Unified Communications Solutions for the enterprise) announced a partnership that will provide customers with a fully integrated mobile and fixed line voice and data solution that supports and includes the management of a range of device types through a completely heterogeneous environment.

Senthil Krishnapillai of Sybase iAnywhere Speaks with SYS-CON.TV

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:45:00 EDT

Did you miss the SYS-CON iPhone developer Summit EAST in New York City which happened June 22-23 2009? Shame on you if you were not there, but do not worry as the guys at SYS-CON.TV recorded an interview with Senthil Krishnapillai of Sybase iAnywhere.

The Accidental Apple Tourist Hits Sydney

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EDT

Sybase's Mr iPhone... Mr iThain ;-) has been in Sydney this week & I have been keeping an eye on the Australian devices and checking out the Sydney Apple store. This has been totally accidental, as the main deal this week was to Evangelise about Enterprise Mobility in general and epecially where Sybase fits in the big picture, at Wireless World 2009.

Show Report: Good-Day Wireless World 2009

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 06:15:00 EDT

My last week has been hectic, to say the least... but hey that is just 'par for the course' of an Evangelist, especially an Enterprise Mobility one. Mobility in itself is an exciting place! I left a cloudy London on Friday September 4th in the evening and arrived in a sunny Sydney on Sunday August 6th, very early in the morning.

Sybase and Verizon Team up to Manage Mobility Solutions For Enterprises Worldwide

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EDT

Today Sybase & Verizon announced they are teaming up to enable Verizon's multinational companies to effectively manage the deployment and ongoing support of their growing mobile workforces. Business requires that organizations connect partners, suppliers, manufacturers, remote offices and remote employees directly to their systems, applications and information so they can improve customer service, bring products or services to market quicker, make better decisions and increase their organizations’ overall productivity.

Enterprise iPhone Seminar in San Francisco

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:45:00 EDT

I want to let you know about an upcoming "iPhone in the Enterprise" seminar that is being held in San Francisco on September 24, 2009. If you're in the Bay area, plan to come hear experts from AT&T, SAP and Sybase, about key strategies and best practices for deploying the iPhone in the enterprise. You will also have an opportunity to network with others that are tackling the same challenges of maintaining mobile solutions within the enterprise.

PowerBuilder 12 .NET Review

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:30:00 EDT

Yakov Werde has just written an article on DevX, which looks at the new version of Sybase's long running and successfull RAD development tool... PowerBuilder. 'A dormant giant gets a new lease on life as a .NET-compatible development environment.' I dont know if I totally agree with him on the use of dormant, as there are still many customers continuing to use PB, but the rest of his statement...how right he is, as PowerBuilder 12 .NET includes new features such as...

Running Development Code on Your iPhone

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 07:30:00 EDT

As a new developer to iPhone Development, I am following my Seven Steps, that I wrote about in the past. As part of step #5/#6 combined you as a developer will need to overcome the hurdle of runninh your code on your device and the devices of your testers.

First Annual TechWave Regional Symposium Opens Today

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 12:00:00 EDT

This week marks the beginning of Sybase's first ever TechWave Regional Symposium. This two-day event, which will run Aug. 26-27, has over 700 registered attendees. Conference attendees represent 24 countries and 10 percent are traveling internationally to get to Washington, D.C. A high percentage of the audience is staying to attend the 2-day technical training, while some are coming exclusively for the first day's keynotes and business content.

My World for a Cable!

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 08:15:00 EDT

You can probably feel my pain, when I say that one of the worst things to do when you have such a great mobile device at hand, is to rely on a larger heaver device aka the laptop, to do things that are day to day necessities. For the average mobile worker, email and access to PIM data is the killer app, and any smartphone worth its weight (or lack of it) will be able to do that more than adequately.

Are You Hooked on Your Smartphone?

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 05:00:00 EDT

I would say that I am not really hooked on my Smartphone... unless you ask Mrs Thain, who I'm sure would give you a whole different answer. Yes...I'm Ian and I'm hooked on my Smartphone, LOL :-)

IT Training Through a Recession... Could Just Help You Out

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 08:45:00 EDT

Even in a recession training is a key aspect of a successful company. In fact I have been reading around on the internet and the real buzz out there is that companies need to train themselves out of a recession, rather than cut back.

Sybase CEO on the Future of Mobile Tech

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 05:15:00 EDT

Sybase Chairman, President and CEO John Chen on the potential for growth in the mobile technology industry. Following on from the earlier interview, here is the FOX Business interview, headlined 'Sybase on a Winning Streak!'

What To Do This Weekend?

Sat, 08 Aug 2009 14:45:00 EDT

I found this video on YouTube... its fun. Have a great weekend & remember.... Hug a Developer!

Multi-Layers of Security Encryption Is A Mobile Enterprise Necessity

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EDT

Today more than ever Multi-layers of security encryption is a Mobile Enterprise necessity. Lets face it, in work or our personal lives, when we leave a location we do not just shut and lock-up one lock, but we rely on maybe a secondary lock or security alarm system. We still even rely on the old faithful human security guard. Now that we are carrying around more and more personal & corporate data with us, we need to do the same and to be as vigilant.

CNN Fortune Brainstorm - Tech, Talks to John Chen of Sybase Inc

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 08:00:00 EDT

Sybase Chairman & CEO John Chen talks to CNN Fortune, about the risks associated and rewards associated with changing the tech company's core focus. John also talks about where he sees the current economy. John is a great believer of the fact that a "technology company needs to provide technology". That is now in effect as Sybase continues to provide innovation in the mobile space, after a lot of investment in time as well as money.

Check Out Ian Thain on Ulitzer

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT

For latest iPhone, Mobility & Sybase articles check out http://ianthain.ulitzer.com and at Twitter @ithain As one of the Sybase Tools Technical Evangelist, Ian regularly addresses technical audiences all over the world and his sessions are always very well attended. He also writes education classes, whitepapers, demos and articles for various Sybase products and publishes regularly in Journals such as SYS-CON's PBDJ and International Developer Magazine. He is also the Sybase Unwired Platform & PocketBuilder Evangelist and works closely with the team in Dublin, CA and Concord, MA on new features and demonstrations for the products. He is also Tech Chair of iPhone Development Summit 2009 - New York (June) and San Francisco (September). In his customer-facing Evangelist role, Ian is very involved with the design, production and testing of Enterprise class Unwired Solutions, that have been implemented using Sybase's Unwired tools for Sybase customers around the globe. In addition, Ian is a dedicated technical expert continually working with Sybase's key partners and clients to enhance the capabilities of the Unwired solutions that Sybase can offer to its customers.

Worldwide Mobile Middleware Market Continues to Grow: IDC

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:00:00 EDT

Today leading IT market research advisory firm IDC released its report on the Worldwide Mobile Middleware Market. In that report IDC recognized Sybase iAnywhere as a leader in mobile middleware software for the seventh consecutive year.

Google Latitude Hits the iPhone

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:45:00 EDT

Love the thought or loathe the thought, Google Latitude is now available for the iPhone in US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and I'm sure that those folks worried about privacy will be in the latter group. Google latitude runs in the iPhone's Safari Browser and can be saved as a Bookmark onto the iPhone's desktop. So updates to your location, via the iPhone, will only happen when that webpage is opened on the device (as there are no user background tasks in the iPhoneOS). Updating schemes are different for other supported devices such as Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Android etc.

iPhone Making Inroads into the Enterprise

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 08:45:00 EDT

For a while now, I have been stating and documenting the iPhone’s progress in the enterprise. This progress has not only been through Apple's efforts, with the iPhone 3.0 OS update that addressed some enterprise concerns, as well as the new iPhone3GS device launch, but companies that are Enterprise enablers such as my own company Sybase, with the enterprise enablement of email and device security & management. This week Apple’s earnings announcement revealed some interesting facts, that now show that this is happening for sure!

App Store Will Have to Evolve

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:00:00 EDT

This week I have been monitoring a few stories which all link together really nicely, with respect to the continued growth in Mobile Applications and developer education. It is my belief that the level of Mobile Applications will increase... as Apple state, "there's an app for just about anything'" and it is the 'just about' that in itself is driving iPhone users to demand more! I also think that this increase, in the level of Mobile applications, will also drive an increase in the usefulness of each application. I'm going to sound like a Grumpy Old Man and say that I will happily wave goodbye to a reduction in the numbers of the novelty applications. As the iPhone picks up speed in the Enterpise especially through 3rd Party companies such as Sybase, I think we will see applications developed that put an even sharper edge on this most sought after device, turning it into the ultimate business weapon.

Sybase Reports Double-Digit Growth in Q2

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:30:00 EDT

Sybase reported historical Q2 records achieved in operating, income, operating margin, net income, EPS, and cash flow. Revenue and EPS exceeded first call consensus. Management raised full-year guidance for revenue, EPS, and cash flow.

Executive View on Enterprise Mobility

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:30:00 EDT

Philippe Winthrop of Enterprise Mobility Matters has a great interview with Willie Jow of Sybase, called Executive View on Enterprise Mobility. From the interview: "Companies cannot afford to lose downtime caused by a delayed response if they are out of the office on travel, hence the need for companies to un-wire their enterprise and have the same capabilities available to employees on the go as in the office."

iPhone GUI Design... It's more important now than ever!

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 10:44:11 EDT

I was in a discussion a few weeks ago with some iPhone Application Developers and it became really apparent that Mobile GUI Design is now more important than ever.

Enterprise Mobility: Sybase to Present at Wireless World 2009

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 07:15:00 EDT

I'm really proud to announce that I have been asked to present at the Wireless World 2009 event, at the Sydney Convention Centre, 9-10 September 2009. During this two day event, which will be my first trip down under, I will be addressing the attendees twice on two different but, connected subjects

The iPhone Is Here To Stay!

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:00:00 EDT

I thought it fitting to make a bold statement today as this is my 100th article on Ulitzer... The iPhone is here to stay! Now the follow-on stement is more thought provoking... What's an Enterprise to do about it?

Sybase Recognized as an Enterprise Database Leader

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:00:00 EDT

As an employee of Sybase, I'm always surprised that folks I meet in my daya to day technical job & travels, still only think of Sybase as a Database company. Oh, how wrong you are!