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Open Kernel Labs Blog
May 11, 2011
Which dual-persona interface would you choose? A question of user experience
With new technologies and new devices being introduced at the rate of a Twitter feed, it can be difficult to imagine what a new superphone or tablet will look like, until it is in your lap, on your desk, or in your hands. In the case of a device like the iPad, the designers who created the device provided a totally new canvas with which to explore communication, gaming, and personal productivity. But, before they did that, they needed to imagine how a user would experience the distinctive display before they could create such an innovative form factor and handy touchscreen.
I thought about the importance of imagination recently as the topic of “dual-persona” handsets hit the discussion boards of CIOs and IT managers responsible for enterprise mobility in their companies. Dual-persona mobile phones, made possible by mobile virtualization, are handsets that have two separate operating systems (OSes) to isolate the applications an employee would use for personal enjoyment from those he would use on the job. Rather than carry two devices, a worker would be able to simplify his life, get rid of that extra mobile phone and use one device only for both personal and business use.
Mobile virtualization, using SecureIT Mobile Enterprise or SecureIT Mobile Government, makes this scenario possible because it takes care of the needs of the worker (privacy and freedom to browse the web and use their favorite applications) and the corporation (security for everything in the business domain).
With growing popularity of the open Android OS platform in handset design these days, IT management worries about how they can keep corporate mobile devices safe from infections that can be spread by downloading a consumer app like a favorite game or useful tool. They now are looking to phones and tablets that incorporate mobile virtualization, which can separate the two domains and secure the business environment.
These types of virtualized smartphones are currently being designed by handset manufacturers, and one of the questions that has come up from end users, the media, analysts, enterprise IT, operators, etc., is “what will the experience be for the end user?” While OK Labs is not in the business of designing interfaces, I think it can be experienced in two ways:
- A seamless experience similar to the smartphone you are currently using, where you can access an application from either the personal OS or the business OS without knowing or caring which it is. The user is not concerned about what is behind the screen. She just knows that the device is flexible and that her productivity just increased because of the ease of navigating between her personal and professional lives.
- An experience where the personal and business worlds are clearly defined. Imagine if one icon opens up the personal domain, and another icon opens up the business domain. Both icons are accessible from any screen. Or, with the gesture of a finger, you enter the other domain. In this case the mobile worker has a clear intention of changing the domain and his mindset. A business persona, after all, behaves differently than an individual persona.
So, one could make the argument that the first option is acceptable for the enterprise, and the second option is acceptable for government (where knowing what mode you are in would be critical in ultra-security environments). Personally, as a mobile worker for a technology company, I still like the second option. I appreciate the idea of extra security and feel that moving from one domain to the other could be easy, fluid, and practical. Much like switching from phone to email mode on the phone I have now. What do you think?
We set up a poll for you to choose. Just curious what you think. We will share the results with you and the mobile phone designers who are pondering this question. The first five people who complete the survey AND send an email to blog@ok-labs.com will get an OK Labs black T-shirt. Please include name, street address, and email address.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QHTH7JM
Posted by Marti Konstant on May 11 at 09:33 AM
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About Marti Konstant:
Marti Konstant, Vice President of Marketing, leads the brand building effort and is responsible for corporate and product marketing. Marti has always been passionate about technology and loves working in a space where she can combine her creative talents with her love of technology. Marti is currently training for another marathon, which keeps her in such great shape that you would never know she uses lunch breaks to search for the ultimate chocolate-chip cookie.