The Implementation Of Mobile Computing Computer Science

Mobile computing is the use of mobile and wireless devices that is suitable and beneficial. One of the specific aspect that mobile computing has is portable access. This involves accessing a network or other communication partners without the use of wires. By this mobile computing, many applications system being used, such as vehicles, emergencies, businesses, replacements of wired networks, infotainment, and enabling technologies for example UMTS, GPS, WLAN, and GSM. This mobile computing introduced to people to change their computing power and access to be easier and more flexible. A company must be consider this, especially when they want to have a computing program system that easily to be access and portable for their customers. They have to think about the effectiveness of this mobile computing that really helpful in their work process in supply chain.

In DHL Company, many systems were applied as long as it helpful and work well to the company. They have to satisfy the customers by giving them some easy ways to access their shipment information. One of the systems in DHL Company that they applied in is tracking system. Tracking system is a system that created to detect the shipment's location and its condition inside. To run this system, they have connected to website provider to find their shipment. This case automatically asks the customers to access to internet that can be more comfortable if it provides in portable system network, such like wireless network connection. In this tracking case, mobile computing is very useful. Many aspects of mobile computing that suitable with this system, includes GPS (Global Positioning System), interference resource for example Radio Frequency, and how the communication's system run tracking behind the mobile computing. By these kinds of aspects, it proves that mobile computing very supports the tracking system that DHL held. Tracking system is getting easier for customers to be accessed, more reliable, and sophisticated. No

wonder, there are some similarities and differences in some aspects of mobile computing through the fact that we face in reality. There should be any advantages and disadvantages of mobile computing in tracking system.

Picture available from: http://tracking-tracing.com.au/veh_track.phpAccessed on 21.10.12SimilaritiesA. the implementation of Mobile Computinga. Principle of mobile computing

In tracking system of DHL, many aspects of mobile computing was supported this tracking system way. One of the real things that show the mobile computing system works in tracking is the principles work. It works behind the mobile computing systems. In principles of mobile computing system, it explains that mobile computing provides many layers that use to complete its principles, such as in application layer; there are wireless access use portable device and transmission characteristic, transport layer; quality of service, network layer; routing, device location, handover between different networks, and physical layer; frequency selection and signal detection. All these principles related to tracking system in DHL. Tracking system devices work as what the principles of mobile computing provide, for example GPS devices in vehicle or freight owned by DHL and the RFID tag that works in the shipments. GPS related to network layer, where GPS function is to detecting the route and the location that the shipment stands in. moreover, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) that puts in every shipment delivery works as physical layer, whether it depends on the frequency selection and signal detection that find in RFID to detect in dept the condition of the shipment contains as what the customer's requests.gps.jpg

b. Easy to use

This tracking system that applied nowadays in DHL makes the customers easier to access and know their shipments located place and its situation. DHL provides the program called DHL ProView in DHL website, so that the customers can be able to looking for the information directly by accessing through the internet. This way is similar to what the mobile computing applied in their 'commercial success of wireless network', that mobile computing is very helpful for the tracking system by its easy way to be used.

DifferencesInterference

One of the issues affecting in mobile computing is interference that consist of wireless system. The sources of interference system include Radio Frequency (RFI) and Electromagnetic Frequency (EMI) interference. The wireless connection system that applied in tracking system was input in their shipment. It uses Radio Frequency that applied in RFID system. This Radio Frequency uses to detect the status, location, contain, and the condition of the package that put in one microchip covered by its barcode. But, the differences that found in here is, the radio frequency system is a weak system. It uses wireless, where the quality of wireless depends on the field location and its distance. This is the weakness of wireless system. It portable, but the frequency of the signal is unstable. One of the examples is solar storms. The GPS be switch off temporarily to prevent the effect of this solar storm. Other example is if the sea freight across the ocean that has a difficult terrain, it will happen the lost of communication between the server and the driver in the ship. This terrible condition will affect to the information that is given to the server and customers in the tracking system. They mostly give wrong information about the shipment's status.sun-gps-disturbance.jpg

Picture available from: http://tamspalm.tamoggemon.com/2010/02/10/gps-vs-sun-disturbances-upcoming/[Accessed on 21.10.12]b. Cost

The easy way to directly access to internet to track the customer's shipment is the function of tracking system. A very simple and accurate access through DHL ProView can help DHL to solve the worried of the customers, how's their shipment, where their shipment position now, especially for the company who do the export and import through DHL. They need the current information where their good stay at. In here, DHL has provided the tracking system as mentioned before. DHL faces many challenges to run this system, because this system is easily to be misused. To have this system successful, DHL has to take few steps that can solve these problems. To create the tracking system, DHL have to recruit a professional programmer to create the system, an expert cyber security to secure their system from the hacker's account, and also high technologies of tracking devices. These ways of thinking will make DHL has to pay more costs to complete this target.

8.0 Provide recommendations/proposals

DHL has largely improved its information technology systems through delocalization of information which can now be accessed worldwide via simple code which will usually be sent via e-mail. Compared to years ago, where DHL had to constitute a lot of local databases, now using delocalization, the process of data sharing has been increased. One further improvement would be to make package status available to mobile phone, via the use of SMS. In the age, of globalization DHL will have to compete with other logistics companies and thus should increase its protection against industrial spying, i.e the theft of information and technology organized by competing companies or group of hackers, which will sell the sensitive information. Lastly, DHL should use better mean of organization for delivery by using a better software which will automatically phone the customers or send an e-mail, to allocate the proper delivery time. This will save time, fuel and ultimately financial resources

9.0 Conclusion

From all the explanation above, we can conclude that DHL Company is the best company in shipment division. It put some successful program that uses the IT system to complete it. Tracking system is one of facility which provides by DHL to track the customer's shipment. This tracking system was supported by high technology devices, such as like GPS and RFID that have a function to detect and identify the shipment's location and condition. Even DHL has its weakness point, like the interference problem in this tracking system, but we believe that this company will fix this problem by improving more its technology devices and expert human resources. In the future, DHL has planned to decrease the tracking problem system by create many new innovations that make people easier to access and comfort to stay at their company.