Towards a framework for mobile knowledge management

Mobile devices as PDAs evolve rapidly from digital calendars and address books to hosts of more complex functionality. Screen quality, processing power and mobile networks allow for full-blown mobile information systems. However, mobility and down scaled technology lead to specific limitations in contrast to the usage of desktop computers. These restrictions are absolutely crucial to consider for the development of usable mobile applications. In this paper we are going to derive basic requirements for mobile knowledge management and present a first approach to possible solutions within the area of project management work. Underlying technical and human constraints are drawn from a general discussion of mobile information access and processing. We are pointing out focal components and problems to address. Finally our main concept of context-aware KM is sketched, building on the idea of Knowledge Portals and prototyped as the "BuddyAlert"-system.