The History Of Mobile Computing Computer Science Essay

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Chapter 2

Literature Review

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2. Literature Review

2.1 Overview

This chapter will be the door to understand this project and the basic principles behind it. Section 2.2 reviews briefly the history of mobile computing. Section 2.3 reviews and discusses mobile based applications. Section 2.4 describes the concept of the Workflow and its history. Section 2.5 reviews and evaluates current workflow systems.

2.2 Mobile Computing

Mobile computing is the discipline for creating an information management platform, and it is a form of human computer interaction that allows transmission of data via a computer, which is free from spatial and temporal constraints. Such as a user can continue to access and manipulate desired data while traveling on plane, in car, on ship, etc. having to be connected to a fixed physical link. (Michael Gallagher and Randall Snyder, 1997)

1964 AT&T offered Mobile Telephone Service using radiotelephones. The devices were bulky and consumed high power and the network supported only a few simultaneous conversations. The first portable handheld police radios made by Motorola for the Chicago police station. (Woodill, 2010)

Motorola worked on developing portable products, including the first portable handheld police radios, made for the Chicago police department in 1967. Motorola in the early seventies were in a race to incorporate the technology into portable devices. ( Mingtao ,2007)

In 1992 is such recent history that it barely qualifies as history. When it comes to portable gadgets, when the apple introduced Newton, which was the first Personal Digital Assistant. The first touch screen phone was the IBM Simon, launched in 1992. After that, Nokia launched 9000 in 1996; it was both a phone and PDA. In 2007, Apple Inc unveiled the Apple iPhone, which was the world’s first advanced touch screen Smartphone. It’s the first phone to have an operating system; which is the iOS. (Woodill, 2010)

These were the starters of today’s smart phones and recently cell phones have become a necessity. Many people refuse to leave their house without their cellular device. (Sparks, 2011)

2.3 Mobile Based applications

"Mobile based applications" is a term that is used to describe Internet applications that run on smartphones and other mobile devices. Mobile based applications usually help users by connecting them to Internet services more commonly accessed on desktop or notebook computers, or help them by making it easier to use the Internet on their portable devices. A mobile app may be a mobile Web site bookmarking utility, a mobile-based instant messaging client, Gmail for mobile, and many other applications.

Businesses are increasingly incorporating mobile and wireless solutions for their business processes to reduce time and improve performance. Mobile phones have become a vital part of everyone's life. Nobody can imagine his live without it. Mobile phones are required for many activities like chatting, connectivity, games, internet access and various applications. People are buying smart phones so they can have everything in the palm of their hand. Mobile applications enable businesses to proceed without any interruptions, no matter where they are located.

The importance of mobile computing has been highlighted in many fields of which

Navigation or GPS:

GPS systems are primary but not the only means of establishing the location of your handset. They help the users to keep a track of their location. Routing technology or GPS technology in smart phones having digital cameras can enable you to ‘geo-tag' pictures taken from the cameras. GPS is a vital application which allows people to send data where they are right now just like they are moving around in the real world. (Zapp 2009)

2.4 Workflow and Workflow Management System

Workflow

First what are the components of workflow, what is a process and what is a task?

A process consists of number of tasks that need to be carried out and set of conditions that determine the order of these tasks.

Task is a logical unit of work that is carried out as a single whole by one resource.

In 1996, the Workflow Management Coalition (WFMC) published a glossary of all useful terms related to workflow. It defines workflow as: "The automation of a business process, in whole or part, during which documents, information or tasks are passed from one participant to another for action (activities), according to a set of procedural rules." (Glossary, 1996)

A participant may be:

A person or an automated process (computer system).

Local or in a separate remote organization.

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Workflow Management

Goal

The goal is to manage the flow of work so that the work is done as fast as possible at the right time by the proper person.

Definitions

A workflow management system (WFMS) is a software package that can be used to automate and support the definition, management and execution of workflow processes, whether it is computer software or mobile application.

A workflow system (WFS) is a system based on a WFMS that supports a specific set of business processes through the execution of computerized process definitions, to support integration of existing applications ensuring global integration of people and programs in the framework of business process.

With Workflow Management System

Work doesn't get misplaced or faltered; it is rarely required to recover from errors or mismanagement of work.

The managers can focus on staff business issues, such as staff performance, optimal procedures that a staff can do, and other things, rather the routine assignment of tasks.

The person who delivers and tracks the work is no longer required because the whole process is automated.

Parallel processing, where two or more tasks are performed concurrently, is a lot more practical than in a traditional, manual workflow.

Benefits of Workflow Management System

Direct cost savings:

Better use of staff (or staff reduction).

Hidden Savings (cash value hard to measure):

Better Control of work

Best person handle each task

Prioritize the work

Better management

Assignment automated

Status, analysis, quality

Intangible benefits (cash value not known)

Improved service

Employee satisfaction

Security (no misplaced work; priority enforced)

Privacy (Access control)

Thus, the business can perform more effectively, costs are minimized and the service to the customers is generally better. Therefore workflow management system is good for company, customers and users.

2.5 Current Workflow systems

To improve the current workflow systems of the university we need to first analyze these systems by conducting a comprehensive study to better understand the strengths and weaknesses.

The significant of this study is to maintain the strengths of the current systems while eliminating the weaknesses which will improve and facilitate the whole process that is to be automated.

The current workflow systems in the university are manual and paper based, these systems are prone to errors, also they waste a lot of student’s time and effort. Moreover, these systems involves a level of complexity, for example if a student is wanting to withdraw from a course for the first time, the process will be ambiguous and unclear for him, so he will need to refer to someone with a previous experience about the process in order to be able to complete his part smoothly.

Michael Gallagher, Randall Snyder (1997).Mobile Telecommunications Networking. London: McGraw-Hill.

Woodill, G. (2010) The Mobile Learning Edge: Tools and Technologies for Developing Your Teams, McGraw-Hill Professional

Mingtao (2007).Technology Base of mobile cellular operators. Univerlagtuberlin 

Sparks, D. (2011) IPad at Work, John Wiley.

G. Kappel, S. Rausch-Schott, W. Retschitzegger (2000). A Framework for Workflow Management Systems Based on Objects, Rules and Roles.

Workflow Management Coalition (1996). Terminology and Glossary. Winchester: Workflow Management Coalition.

W. Aalst (1999). Process-Oriented Architectures for Electronic Commerce and Interorganizational Workflow.

F. Leymann and D. Roller (2000). Production workflow: concepts and techniques: Prentice-Hall.

Zapp. (2009). Mobile Application. Available: http://www.vincentit.com/mobileapp.html.