Mobile Computing On the Edge
The ability to make adhoc connections that make sense to you, late binding communities. Have seen evolution of platforms and technologies that make this work over the last few years. The edge is where unexpected things happen. The center is stodgy. Nothing dynamic and interesting happens at the center. At the edge you get communities coming together dynamically. In order to make the edge work they’ve been evolving technologies, like Java. We’re starting to see the ease of use that makes the edge available to everyone (mom). Reliability and robustness. Performance systems that can deliver the interactions required. Scalable solutioins, partly on the device, partly back in the server room. Also want to run disconnected. Management is bringing about tied together systems, no system admin needed, Mom can play with these things without having to be a PC expert.
Industry opportunities. Java, lots of devices and operators out there. Lots of vendors do. Distribution, you need to get your application out to the edge. Nokia has Preminet for that.
C++, Python, Java, Flash, XML stackup on the slide now.
Multichannel connections on the edge. Web service, Data sync, Peer to peer, Event/SMS. Bluetooth, GSM, WiFi. These should switch around as necessary. As a developer you should have access to all these, and you should be able to tell when you switch so that you can adapt. Security environemtns, like Liberty. SMS is tied into the programming infrastructure, you can tie into events in either direction. Most interesting right now is peer 2 peer. Bluetooth and IR he mentions.. but that’s NOT all. We want peer to peer over wide area connections! SIP! Please. Peer 2 Peer is not just local area.
Middleware on the edge. It’s made a big difference in the server so far. New is to do middleware on the device (gaming engines). You can create middleware services (API or background service) and load them directly onto the device. You can put connections to your systems right on the device. SAP is looking at this. “Exposee the value of the backend….” Game companies also looking at this (IR chat an example). This is a new marketplace.
Managing the edge. Complete management infrastructure. This is what frees mom from having to do admin. Real time monitoring. Push and pull software (you can push without user intervention). Reatime inspection. Remote provisioning.
Lots of opportunities at the edge. Go to forum nokia.
This was much more of a marketing pitch than I had hoped for. Awww man, I was hoping for more.
Tags: ETech2005