Mobile Computing Then and Now: From Windows CE to Android

Welcome to the first installment of a brand new series here on the Barcoding Blog—Geek Tank Tuesdays! Each Tuesday for the next five weeks, we’ll be throwing it back to our Android in the Enterprise workshop series by sharing an interview between some of our #SupplyChainGeeks. Keep reading for more and stay tuned for next week’s post on Modernizing your Mobile Computing Applications!

This Week’s Speakers
The first interview, titled “Mobile Computing Then and Now: From Windows CE to Android,” features three Barcoding, Inc. #SupplyChainGeeks Greg Henry, Vice-President of Client Solutions, Martin Jack, CIO of Barcoding, Inc. and Brian Harvey, Senior Systems Engineer.

A Brief History Lesson
Mobile operating systems have come a long way since their beginnings in the late 1980s. Windows CE was the standard through the 20th century, until the rise of smartphones, when Android and iOS became more popular. Now, Microsoft has decided they will no longer be supporting Windows CE past 2020, and so the widespread shift to Android has begun.

Leveraging for the Enterprise
Since it was built with the original intention of being a mobile operating system, there are many benefits to Android that were impossible with Windows CE, such as over the air software updates, smoother management of applications, utilization of GPS and Bluetooth, and much more.

However, there are certain hardware limitations as new versions are released faster than ever. This means more hardware refreshes for businesses, and so, as Martin Jack said, “we rely heavily on Enterprise Mobility management tools to manage Android devices.” All-in-all, these new changes present exciting opportunities for growth.

Still curious?
See the full transcript from this interview and the rest of the series here and contact us for all of your mobile computing needs!

Learn More
To stay in the loop about everything new in the supply chain world, check back for more posts on the Barcoding Blog. You can also keep up with us and our fellow #SupplyChainGeeks through our social media pages on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram!