Bring your own mobile device (BYOD) is gaining momentum and more and more companies are adopting the concept. Hence, to enable its employees — and eventually more of its trucker affiliates — to access business applications through their own mobile devices or BYOD, bulk-transport company Quality Distribution Inc. (QDI) has embraced HTML5 technology. A report on Network World site shows that QDI’s BYOD plan includes Google (News – Alert) Android phones and Apple iPhones.

The Network World report quotes QDI’s vice president of information technology Cliff Dixon, as saying, "We’re focused on providing solutions that can be accessed anywhere on any device."

As per this report, the bulk transport company has begun HTML5-based streaming of business applications because it not only supports Windows desktop and laptops, but also the Google Chromebooks that the firm recently began providing to employees, including operational managers in truck depots coordinating driver loads. “But more than that, it lets QDI staff get to some business applications over the Internet via their own tablets and smartphones,” wrote senior editor Ellen Messmer.

Dixon told CITEworld reporter Matt Rosoff that the Chrome devices were a part of a bigger strategic shift to web apps. And this move to HTML5 and BYOD was driven by the users, and not IT department, wrote Rosoff.  "Users were not necessarily saying ‘we should be working on apps that are HTML5. They were saying ‘Why can’t I do my workflow process on my iPad?,’” Dixon told CITEworld.

Furthermore, Dixon indicated that a password-controlled security model was adopted because the company did not want streamed HTML5 data to be stored locally on devices. Although, he said that this could change in future if the need arises. “By not allowing data to be stored locally, there’s less concern about employee-owned mobile devices getting lost,” Dixon told Network World (News – Alert).

According to Messmer’s report, QDI launched HTML5 streaming late last year by implementing the Ericom PowerTerm WebConnect server. It acts as a gateway that can take back-end data and convert it into HTLM5 Web traffic, wrote Messmer.

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