thn Wednesday 27 January 2010

Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, unveiled

their latest creation, the iPad Tablet. OBilled primarily as a consumer device, Jobs

positioned the tablet somewhere between a

smartphone and a laptop and priced it from an

attractive US$499. But is there room for it in

b u s i n e s s , a n d s p e c i f i c a l l y w i t h i n

manufacturing?

The iPad is essentially an iPhone 'on steroids'. Weighing in at 1.5lb (0.68kg) it has a 9.7” multi-touch screen, speaker, microphone, compass, accelerometer, (so it knows if it's being tilted and rotates the screen accordingly), Wi-Fi (the

the OS is locked down to the point that each faster 802.11n standard) and Bluetooth. It third party application can only store comes with three storage capacities built in – information in their own 'sealed' area, unlike a 16GB, 32GB and 64GB, and is also available PC where 'My Documents' can contain every with 3G, allowing for internet access when file type and be accessed by all applications. It's outside of a Wi-Fi environment. It's powered by likely that the iPad will continue this tradition, Apple's own A4 processor which has been with Apple already confirming that it will rely specifically designed for the iPad/iPhone on iTunes for syncing with a PC. Also, due to a operating system and offers 10 hours of long running spat between Apple and Adobe, runtime and a month standby. Most the iPhone/iPad does not support Flash, which importantly, it's downwardly compatible with rules out access to any websites that rely on it. almost all of the iPhone's 140,000+ apps, which Apple has been criticised and applauded in means that if you already have an iPhone, as equal measure for ring-fencing access to their soon as you buy an iPad and plug it in all of hardware and software. While it considerably those apps will be available on there as well. restricts third party development flexibility, it Although it has an on-screen keyboard that does provide an extremely stable user may not appeal to many, it's not far removed in experience which, unlike a Windows machine, size to a laptop keyboard, and there is an does not degrade over time as more software is external keyboard accessory for use when installed.desk-based.

During Apple's launch it was clear that Apple's Let's start by covering what the iPad can't do. own 1GHz silicon was delivering quite a punch. It's not a PC or a Mac and doesn't run Windows Applications launched instantly and graphically or Mac OS, or offer multi-tasking (although the intensive tasks ran smoothly. Couple a fast rumour mill suggests that the latter may be processor with a large rotatable touch screen addressed in future updates). On the iPhone and you have a product that lowers the

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The Apple iPad in manufacturingWhat you need to know about Apple’s latest

creation and what it can do for your business.

By Martin Bailey

technical knowledge usage barrier and can VPN access. So for the majority of users it will provide an intuitive user interface which 75m tick the basic office requirements. iPhone users already know how to use. For example, recently I reverted back to my As a presentation tool the iPad excels. It can be previous smartphone – using the menu system connected to an external display, but would was like wading through treacle and it was equally be suited for one-to-one presentations, missing many of the additional apps that I'd ideal for sales presentations or board come to rely on. The biggest difference was meetings. Data retrieval is also a strong suit; it speed of information retrieval. For frequently provides quick access to document, image, performed tasks such as retrieving a contact, audio or video libraries, doing away with the checking email or a quick web search there is need for storing large amounts of paper. Expect no comparison. Tasks that I achieve with the to see estate agents with iPads under their iPhone within 15-20 seconds I would not have arms from April onwards! It would be equally at seen change out of a minute, if not more on the home in a design office, providing a quick other phone, and this is likely to improve on the method of viewing product images or technical iPad. information.

The iPad supports the popular ePub electronic The key here is to identify what it does as well, document format. Publishers will quickly move or indeed better than existing technologies . In books, magazines and newspapers over to the their launch event Apple demonstrated iPad format, so people will soon become versions of iWork, their office suite (covering accustomed to reading on the device as word process ing , spreadsheets and opposed to traditional paper-based media. presentations), with each application being This will provide companies with an easy way of available for just shy of ten dollars. While you creating large catalogues in a format that users probably won't get all of the extra templates, can digest in a traditional manner. Companies clipart and additional bloat that comes with that produce catalogues (such as electronic traditional Office suites you could argue that components or manufacturing consumables)

will no doubt warm to this as printed versions are very e x p e n s i v e t o p r o d u c e , a n d although they will already have full e-commerce on their websites, there is a reason why they still produce printed vers ion – many people still prefer to view information in a book-style format. This would also lend

most people don't use many more features itself well to stock control, providing stores than font sizing or basic formulae. The iPad staff with a simple checklist interface when ships with the same basic apps as the iPhone performing stock checks. e.g. Calendar, Contacts, Email (including MS Exchange support) and Notes, all of which will All versions of the iPad have the accelerometer sync with a PC or Mac through iTunes. The and compass facilities, and the 3G version iPhone configuration utility allows enterprise opens up further possibilities, as it includes deployment, providing easy configuration for assisted GPS. Many of us already take the likes individual business settings such as email and of Google maps on our mobiles for granted, but

What tasks could the iPad perform?

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when GPS is embedded into a device more niche products are unlikely to have implemented at enterprise level this stretches iPhone/iPad sibling products, as the take up the boundaries further. Imagine an application rate would not warrant the development costs.that provides relevant information to a user when they arrive at a specific location; perhaps What if you cannot develop or obtain an app to a salesman visiting a prospect/customer, or connect to an existing software system? There branch data when HQ staff visit. Devices that is a third option; we have already ascertained 'know where they are' could also be used to that the iPad is a competent web client (if Flash direct the user to items of interest/relevance around them, although the sensitivity is not good enough for this to locate items on a s h e l f , f o r

example, and GPS does not always work inside isn't required). Invariably the system you want buildings. to connect to will have a database, which in

turn will have ways of getting data in and out (generally using common connectors such as ODBC), so a relatively simple solution would be If you walk through the stages of production to build an intranet that communicates with within a manufacturing organisation and the application. Windows Server comes with analyse the role of software at any given part, IIS (Internet Information Services), and any of most of these relate to the supply of the web centric languages (PHP, Cold Fusion, information; either to or from the user. .NET/ASP etc) will be able to connect to a Whether it be in the store room, by a machine database easily. The iPad (or any other device) tool, booking goods out or back in from could then interact with the software using a subcontractors, despatch and through to web browser. Although this still requires a accounts. This information will either be fed considerable level of technical skill, it's likely to into an enterprise system (MRP, ERP) or to a be a far easier and more cost-effective skill set more localised system (stock control database, to source than developing an iPad-specific app machine tool control software, order and will result in a more flexible solution that management etc), and this is where the work other devices can take advantage of. It would needs to be done if the iPad is to be of any real also be easier to manage from a security use. Many software companies are using aspect, as the network administrators take Apple's software development kit (SDK) to care of user access control to any given data develop apps to interface with their products. resource on the local network. Although these apps are often lightweight

versions of their PC cousins and optimised for If Apple is serious about the business angle of the iPhone it is likely that these will be the iPad they will need to provide companies reworked to take advantage of the iPad's with more information on controlling user display. We can expect apps covering all access, tracking usage and locking down mainstream software applications, however

Integrating the iPad to custom requirements

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features on it (which, to be fair they have done spotless this could be seen as the device that with the iPhone), otherwise no doubt the wide makes them look just that little bit more cutting range of available games will find their way edge than their competitors.onto it and eat into productivity. Another major concern is that they will be a target for theft. It's likely that you will be able to password protect The debate is raging fiercely in the it and, as with the MobileMe service on the blogosphere as to whether the iPad is a 'game iPhone, locate it if stolen (3G only) or remotely changer' or not, but in my opinion it is. Apple wipe it, but that's little consolation. said that they would not release anything

equivalent to a tablet or a netbook until they In recent years Apple products have become could deliver something that did everything über chic and this is something many well. Given what is already known about the businesses will want to harness. It's more likely iPhone and what we currently know about the that iPads will find homes in the boardroom iPad, reasonable assumptions can be made than on the shop floor, due to environmental about the iPad's suitability for a given task. factors alone, but for manufacturing facilities There will be of course many tasks that will that already keep their production areas always be faster or indeed only possible on a

desktop/laptop than the iPad, but as a high speed, highly portable (and highly desirable) 'media consumption device' the Apple iPad will set the benchmark by which all others will be measured.

Summary

This white paper was provided by 123 Insight Limited, producers of the 123insight

Manufacturing Enterprise Management software. If you are interested to see what

123insight can do for your business visit and book yourself

on one of our regular Evaluation Workshops around the UK.

www.123insight.com

AdvancedSimplicity ®

123 Insight Limited10 Mill Court, The Sawmills, Durley, Southampton, Hants SO32 2EJ

Tel: +44 (0)1489 860851 Fax: +44 (0)1489 861209 Email: info@123insight.com Web: www.123insight.com.