Introduction to Mobile Technologies

Mobile devices are no longer simple voice communication devices. They have become a medium to create voice, music, text, video, and image communications. Importantly, these various interactions can be created and shared on demand by the mobile user. In addition to communication methods, mobile devices are also a tool used to access the Internet, view television and movies, interact with GPS (Global Positioning System), play games, and read and respond to barcode and augmented reality messages. The reach and functionality of mobile devices depends on their underlying network infrastructure and the capabilities of the mobile device or handset. Mobile communications also rely on specific access methods which operate on top of the physical wireless architecture. There are generally three types of access methods in use: FDMA, TDMA and GSM, and CDMA. Although mobile devices are most commonly associated with mobile phones, there are many types of mobile devices. Some have broad usage such as smart phones and mobile tablet devices, and some are very specific such as telematic devices in vehicles and devices that monitor vital signs in healthcare. “It’s all about the apps” is a common refrain we hear in the world of mobile technology. Not only are mobile applications the key to innovation and customer expansion, it is also a high revenue business. There have been over 300,000 mobile applications developed over the last 3 years, and these applications have been downloaded 10.9 billion times. Whether the applications are used for communication, entertainment, socio-economic growth, crowd-sourcing social and political events, monitoring vital signs in patients, helping to drive vehicles, or delivering education, this is where the mobile technology has been transformed from a mode to a medium.