Developer Subcommittee Report Kim Spitznagel, Chair 3252004 kimspitzoutr.net 561.586.3847

1
Developer Subcommittee ReportKim Spitznagel,
Chair3/25/2004kimspitz_at_outr.net561.586.3847
2
What is the Developer Subcommittee?

• YAHOO group started in July 2002
• http//groups.yahoo.com/group/PTC-PWG-DeveloperCom
  munity/
• There are 250 members
• Stated Description
• To foster the development of 3rd party solutions
  that add value to the paging community
• Files on FAQs, Protocols, Industry Awareness,
  Resources, Training Docs

3
What Can Software Developers(Handheld and
Telemetry) Do For Paging?

• Create New Value Propositions
• Beyond basic messaging gt streamlining
  data-oriented business functions
• with Growth Potential
• We are just beginning to penetrate huge available
  markets.
• and Leverage
• A win in one area or division of a company can
  automatically generate new opportunities.
• and Differentiation
• The ReFlex network is unbeatable for a large
  class of business opportunities
• and Stickiness
• Once a customer has built a core business process
  around your technology, they wont switch

4
Todays 3rd Party Paging Developer

• Handhelds
• One device (Timeport), now discontinued and
  unsupported
• New programmable devices coming, but not yet
  released
• Relatively small number of experienced,
  self-sufficient application developers
• Telemetry
• Three module manufacturers today (Advantra,
  SmartSynch, Percomm), others reportedly coming
• Medium-sized community of embedded developers
  using CLP, UAR, FlexSuite, sub-community doing
  apps flashed onto CreataLink
• Some commonly used design houses for embedded
  firmware apps
• Getting technical support from the module
  manufacturers and carriers
• WCTP
• Emerging group of developers migrating to WCTP
• Support tools available from carriers and
  SmartSynch

5
Yahoo! Group Activity(25 each)

• 1. Technical or licensing questions
• (Ex. Mar 5 UAR questions)
• 2. Notification of new files or updates to
  protocols
• (Ex. Nov 23 presentation of last PTC meetings)
• 3. Information on PTC-PWG events
• (Ex. Mar 15 Agenda for this weeks meetings)
• 4. Group issues, polls, etc.
• (Ex. Jan 15 commentary on security)

6
Yahoo! Group Challenges

• Spammers trying to gain membership
• New membership changed from open to approval
  required
• One got through, just after last meeting
• Out-of-office Autoreplies can trigger an
  infinite loop of email messages to the whole
  group
• Monitor group after a new message is posted
• Avoid holiday periods

7
Business Trends(Software Developers
Perspective)

• Investments in IT
• Interest in telemetry solutions
• Re-emergence of Entrepreneurs
• Focused apps for dispatch, field service, order
  entry, timesheets
• Outsourcing of IT software development taking off
• Increasing focus from carriers on core messaging
• Increasingly difficult to sell Timeport as a
  mobile data platform

8
Issue Developer Relations for Upcoming Handhelds

• Value
• Small team of experienced developers that
  represent cross-section or 3rd party community
• Provide some feedback on strengthening developer
  relations programs
• Provide a coordinated release of public
  information
• Findings
• Still early to get involved
• Device launch dates
• Carrier interest
• Recommendation
• Back-burner this until beta is completed

Previous Platform
Upcoming Platforms
You are here
9
Issue Security

• Value
• Healthcare and Federal Markets
• Findings
• Great feedback from Alan Angus, Brad Dye, Brian
  Gilmore, Jay Moskowitz, Mike Ramsey
• Past rumors and urban legends, nothing very
  public and specific to paging, but could be
  ongoing
• Primary challenge front ends of networks,
  basically same as any nationwide TCP/IP based
  network
• Secondary challenge encryption/decryption
  solution that spans from device to enterprise
  server
• Different networks have addressed these issues
  mostly on their own, as part of IT diligence
• Recommendation
• Given downside and upside, PTC should make
  security an industry-wide priority
• Angus threat analysis, likelihood vs.
  penalties, security policy, implementation
• High-level support, low-level profile

10
Developer Subcommittee ReportKim Spitznagel,
Chair3/25/2004kimspitz_at_outr.net561.586.3847