Can you run your company from the palm of your hand? Perhaps not entirely, but there are many functions today that can be performed using an iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, or other mobile handheld device.

The BlackBerry used to be the favorite mobile handheld for business because it was optimized for e-mail and messaging, with strong security and tools for accessing internal corporate systems. Now that’s changing. Companies large and small are starting to deploy Apple’s iPhone and iPad as well as Android mobile devices to conduct more of their work. They are enhancing their security systems so that mobile users can remotely accessing proprietary corporate resources with confidence.

For some, these handhelds have become indispensable. Eric Jackson is a champion kayaker who spends half of each year following competitions and events throughout North America. He’s also president of Jackson Kayak, the leading whitewater kayak manufacturer. It’s essential that he participate in athletic events, monitor industry trends in the field, and meet directly with dealers and customers. Jackson’s strong customer focus has helped the company expand successfully worldwide, with distributors on six continents. With the iPhone and iPad, Jackson claims he can run the entire 120-person company from afar.........

1. What kinds of applications are described here?
What business functions do they support?
How do they improve operational efficiency and decision making?
2. Identify the problems that businesses in this case study solved by using mobile digital devices.
3. What kinds of businesses are most likely to benefit from equipping their employees with mobile digital devices such as iPhones and iPads?

4. One company deploying iPhones has said: The iPhone is not a game changer, it’s an industry changer. It changes the way that you can interact with your customers and with your suppliers.
Discuss the implications of this statement.