Wireless and Mobile Technology
Wireless technology is characterized as electronic systems and products that interact with one another through the use of electromagnetic energy to transmit information. Traditional computers and other non-mobile devices can access this network because the technology relies on radio waves. Technology that was formerly cabled is now wireless thanks to the router, making it available to both mobile and non-mobile devices. A mobile or fixed endpoint can access a distributed network thanks to wireless technology (May, 2001).
Mobile Technology
Mobile technology is characterized as electromagnetic energy-using portable devices and systems. The network in the devices is not limited to coverage or distance because the devices carry their own mobile networks. Mobile network offers all the resources that a distributed network provides but to a device that can be taken anywhere without necessarily being in range of local reception or area of coverage.
Wireless and Mobile Technology Application in Business
The world of business has gradually experienced drastic changes through the years through the use of mobile and wireless technology which come in place because of the great success of e-commerce. The many businesses that have implemented the internet and related technologies have grown both in profits and productivity. This is how efficient use of mobile and wireless technologies has changed businesses. In order for companies to effectively compete with the companies that have embraced technologies it has been necessary for them to have an edge over the others and these have called for massive application of the technologies in order to improve service delivery. Companies have applied the technologies in accomplishing many tasks and services such as filling applications, making orders, accessing documents and downloading documents through their phones while doing their routine activities (Financial, 2004). Companies that have wifi and other wireless technologies end up having more customers because the customers can do various tasks at the same time. An example is that of a business that sells coffee to its customers and still provides the customers with wireless connection to the internet as well as using an application to make orders which then is brought straight to the customer at their table. Such a company ends up having many clients who require the internet for other purposes such as business, education and even entertainment. This gives the business a competitive edge over the rest of the companies. Companies that use the mobile and wireless technologies in many of their activities in the world today end up having employees that are more efficient and productive. This is because their work is made easier as they can communicate and collaborate using the technologies and also interact with the customers. Mobile technologies have drastically enhanced business because employees can get access to company data at various locations. Employees can also have meetings and share ideas even without being confined to the same area (May, 2001).
Mobile and Wireless Technology at Delta
Delta is an airline company which has been ranked the best tech friendly airline in the U.S. by PCWorld recently because of the way the company has used wireless and mobile technologies to improve services to the customers. This involved operation the customers would accomplish on the ground such as tracking their luggage. Through the various technological improvements in the company by connecting the customers to those improved services, there has been improved customer satisfaction in the customer services provided by the company and this has resulted to improved efficiency and profitability. A number of Delta airports have been upgraded and they now have charging stations that are Delta-branded. This has led to massive changes in the number of outlets available and the USB ports that are found at the gates. Delta has also made impressive improvements by installing iPads in some of its airports such as JFK in New York and LaGuardia airport. The company is also planning to install the iPads at Minneapolis International airport. The company also offers onboard Wi-Fi on all of its domestic aircrafts and thus the technological applications do not just end at the gate. Apart from the large domestic aircrafts which have been installed with onboard Wi-Fi, the company is also putting up measures to install the onboard Wi-Fi to the other international aircrafts. This is because cogo, which is the ground, based service that is used by the company can't reach more than 100 miles offshore. The company has an app that offers more than just the normal airport services such updates on flights, seat maps, boarding passes and many more. The app by Delta enables passengers to track their bags with their phones and the reviews by users on the service are generally positive. The airline also has the strongest customer presence on social media sites such as twitter and Facebook thus increasing customer loyalty to the company and profits.
Company Other than Delta Which Uses Mobile and Wireless Technology
Apart from Delta another company that has improved in the way it embraces technology in the business so as to market and improve services is Alaska. Alaska is also an airline company which is tech-friendly and thus has put up services that connect the customers and the staff with each other and amongst themselves. The airline works in an environment with many internet kiosks and outlets that connect the clients to the internet. What make the company tech conscious also are the lively and interactive social media pages such as twitter and Facebook where the airline reaches out to customers in the form of providing support and other services. The airline mainly uses twitter as a method of reaching out to the customers and thus having first access to the customers both individually and as a group (O'Reilly & Pfeffer, 2000). The company also regularly updates customers on new information through twitter and thus it becomes worthwhile to follow the company on twitter. Since improvement of e-technology has improved the business tremendously, the company has been very aggressive in providing onboard Wi-Fi to its customers. The company has thus been very progressive in making the technology available in all its planes and through this initiative up to 92% of their fleet of planes have been installed with onboard Wi-Fi service.
Delta and Alaska's Use of Technology
Delta and Alaska have both used technology to improve their services, but Delta has utilized technology more strategically than Alaska. Delta has branded tech amenities in the majority of their terminals, while Alaska does not. Delta has also improved its application in carrying out activities that are necessary to the customers, such as tracking their luggage and many more features that are not available in the app used by Alaska passengers.
Operational and Enterprise System That Support Mobile and Wireless Technology
Delta has enhanced NFC (near-field communication) that has made customer activities at the airport fast, thus reducing delays and improving customer satisfaction. Delta has also tried to improve key issues namely, operational pipeline, customer experience employee-management relationship, and business reflexes. All these are systems and operations in the company which have been linked to the technology in order to boost profitability and production (Pagiavlas, Stratmann, Marburger & Young, 2005).
Alaska has also improved some of its operations such as staff-customer interactions, installing devices to be used by the staff, and having technology-friendly systems such as those that provide information to the staff and the passengers in order to support the use of mobile and wireless technologies (O'Reilly & Pfeffer, 2000).
References
May, P. (2001). Mobile commerce: opportunities, applications, and technologies of wireless business (Vol. 3). Cambridge University Press.
Financial, S. (2004). Assessing m-commerce opportunities. Information systems management.
O'Reilly, C. A., & Pfeffer, J. (2000). Hidden value: How great companies achieve extraordinary results with ordinary people. Harvard Business Press.
Pagiavlas, N., Stratmann, M., Marburger, P., & Young, S. (2005). Mobile Business-Comprehensive marketing strategies or merely it expenses? A case study of the US airline industry. Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, 6(3), 251.
