Mobile Computing And Social Networks

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Words: 3509
Pages: 15

TERM PAPER: MOBILE COMPUTING AND SOCIAL NETWORKS

Term Paper: Mobile Computing and Social Networks
Matthew T. Wurdeman
9 September 2012

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TERM PAPER: MOBILE COMPUTING AND SOCIAL NETWORKS

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Abstract
This term paper will assess the effectiveness and efficiency mobile-based applications provide to capture geolocation data and customer data based on case studies of State Farm insurance,
Mitek insurance company and Lufthansa airlines (Deutsche Lutfhansa AG). The specific benefits provided by these mobile apps regarding the ease of access to customers’ data will also be discussed. Furthermore, this paper discusses the real and the perceived challenges of developing applications that run on mobile devices because of the small screen size as well as potential
Adobe® supported software solutions and “responsive design” methods for solving these challenges. Specific methods for how IT departments and mobile app developers and designers can decide on supporting different mobile platforms like the Apple iPhone, Apple iPad,
Windows Phone, or Android supported smartphones and tablets will be discussed. Other topics addressed in this paper include the issue of “high availability” for mobile app users’. This paper will also address how this technical issue of “high availability” can be solved by potentially utilizing Amazon’s AWS and EC2 services. Lastly, this paper will address the high rate of hacking for mobile devices as well as ways to make mobile devices more secure.
Keywords: Responsive design, Adobe Dreamweaver CS6, Adobe PhoneGap, high availability, mobile apps, smartphones

TERM PAPER: MOBILE COMPUTING AND SOCIAL NETWORKS
Mobile Computing and Social Networks
In regards to the issue of how effective and efficient mobile-based applications are at capturing customer data and tools that utilize geolocation technology, let us begin with the current state of smartphone app usage and specific processes made in correlation with mobile devices. Experts predict that by 2020 there will be more than three billion mobile devices making 450 billion mobile transactions. (Chordas, 2012) Because of this key set of projections made by experts concerning future trends in the mobile space, many companies are taking note and preparing to use mobile based apps using tools like geolocation and customer data usage to their advantage. For example, in the insurance sector, companies like State Farm are creating apps that allow young drivers and parents to study driving trends, utilizing young drivers’ smartphones with mechanisms like accelerometers. Indeed, State Farm just released its Driver
Feedback app for use on Android devices. (Chordas, 2012) However, State Farm did not just focus on the Android smartphone platform for publishing their apps, the Apple iPhone was also part of the focus regarding their market expansion.
State Farm published this unique app for Apple iPhones to engage broader smartphone markets. And [i]n 2011, the carrier launched an application for iOS devices that tracks driving behavior. This app as Chordas quips, offers teen drivers and their parents access to nonbiased feedback so families can have constructive conversations about safe driving. (2012) Furthermore, [w]hen activated during car trips, a mobile device's accelerometer measures acceleration, braking and cornering. All measurements are then put through the app's special algorithm and gives users a score out of 100, along with a log of potentially dangerous driving activities.
(Chordas, 2012) The benefits of the State Farm app is that [u]sers can also record trips and get feedback on driving performance from their last five trips, map where dangerous activities

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occurred and compare scores with other drivers. (Chordas, 2012)
Other insurance companies are using the smartphone photo capturing ability to record property and casualty claims such as the