The Handheld Services Spin

David Dadian, owner of Powersolution.com, a Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J.-based solution provider that delivers Internet, network and security solutions, said his company takes a different approach when delivering solutions to customers who need access via handset.

On how difficult it is to educate the customer about accessing data via a handset:
From our end, it's not too difficult to educate them and spell out what their needs are. Most [clients] are connecting back to an Exchange Server and grabbing their mail that way. The difficulty is not explaining what needs to be done, but one of the obstacles is the cost associated for our smaller clients to put certain things in place to make sure they have security and connectivity.

On one key toward delivering an enterprise service solution from inside the firewall to the handset:
What we try to tell them, for the most part, is to standardize, pick one platform, so for configuration needs we can configure all the devices to connect to mail servers. We don't partner with RIM or Motorola, for example. Usually, our clients come to us; they tell us they have this need. And, usually, with an end user, it's all personal preference. We know what devices work better. We let them select the device. We tell them, if it's a sales force, for example, "Make sure you guys take a vote, and you all go with the BlackBerry, or you all go with another device."

On how services and technical issues will be changing as smartphones, PDAs and handsets develop more functionality:
You're going to start to see more people connecting to back-end applications. You'll start to see a more aggressive approach to security. And then you'll see more security issues and firewall issues taking place—once you're accessing company data across the Internet like that. Most of it now are customers looking to replace a cellphone, and get text messaging with a BlackBerry device so they can get e-mail on the go.