[thechat] Flow of Company Information

[Salvatore Palmisano]

Does anyone have any experiences with handheld devices they can share?  Ive
overheard many of my users talking about how they 'have that number in their
office' or 'I have it in Outlook but not here in the car with me' and
various other sorts of I-Wish-I-Had-That-Information-Right-Now stories.  I
hear such things and I cant help but want to develp some way for them to
have not only access to the same information regardless of location, but
also have the most updated information available.
Ive built a portion of our web site that allows certain on-the-road managers
to log in and access any portion of company related information they can
possibly need, but they're either not always near a computer or are in the
car.

Im envisioning a handheld-type device they can always have with them that
not only allows them access the web site, their contact info, and any other
related company information they'd want.  I know some handhelds do this
already: synching with Outlook for PIM data, connecting to a cell phone for
Internet access, et cetera, but it pains me hear my users call me from their
cell phone and go "Um, Im in the car, I dont have my list of phone numbers
handy, so can you look up so-and-so's pager number for me?"

I know our BOD wont spring 300$-500$ per device just to allow out of the
office managers the opportunity to have a contact list handy...the ROI would
have to be huge.  I think a scenario like this would have to be apparent
before they would listen seriously:

Handheld device that stores PIM data,
allows user to make a cellular call *right from the device*,
synchs with desktop/laptop PIM and with corporate database
(company DB information exchange would probably be through some sort of
application that Id have to write, but thats expected),
remote Internet (and email) access, and
the ability for me to write any other proprietary applications that a user
of ours would need (sales calculations for salesman, et cetera),
full colour,
VERY upgradable (RAM and HD space).

I can think of two fictional devices that mirror what Im talking about:

The Padd - Star Trek (Personal Access Display Device) - Basically its a
wafer-thin pad that allows access to all the ship's data, et cetera.
Obviously this is 100x past what Im referring to, but its a similar analogy.
The Virgil - Tom Clancy's "Op Center" books - The Virgil is more like what
Im describing above: Telephone, PIM, GPS locator.  One is assigned to each
important character in the books and they use it as their primary
communication/information device.
(Fictional devices are just that, I know, but the similarities are what Im
referring to.)

I cringe everytime an employee tells me they dont have a specific piece of
company information; I want to be able to hand new managers (not basic
employees, just those who need this stuff) one device and go "Here, you
concentrate on doing your job, and I'll make sure you have every bit of
information you need to do that job."

Is this too Star Trek for today's technology?  Do devices like this exist,
and if so, are they pratical?  Does anyone out there have any needs like
this or any experience with handhelds (good or bad) within a company?

Thanks all.

--Salvatore Palmisano
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