Visibility - Mobile Software on PDAs & Handheld Computers

My PSO (professional services organization) team has been assisting several organizations around the world this month on projects with a common theme - visibility. Let me explain:

Managers are often responsible for field work in locations where they are not physically present. They are personally accountable for the work delivered, but often have limited visibility into it. This is ALWAYS a challenge and a big risk.

In the last few days we have been working on mobile solutions that provide the following benefits:

• Help a large Paintless Dent Repair franchiser track the quality of work through mobile and onsite customer surveys, work orders and inspections
• Track the shipping and delivery of medicine throughout Africa and South America using mobile handheld computers that synchronize to a central database
• Help a construction manager document construction project inspections for many projects in different geographies, log each issue, assign a contractor to fix the work, reinspect and document
• Help a pharmaceutical company monitor their customers and any change of conditions in the USA and Canada
• Help a service company track their work orders, the time each service ticket takes to resolve, and the location of every service technician
• Help a shuttle service dispatch vans and track pick-ups and deliveries

Each of these examples demonstrate how companies that have work locations distributed over wide geographic areas can have better visibility into the work being done in the field.

Here are some of the tools that mobile handheld computers provide to help remote managers better track the work:

• GPS - vehicle and technician tracking
• Date and time stamps integrated with GPS to show the time a vehicle or technician was at a specific location
• GPS/Date & Time Stamp/Connected to Work Order or service ticket to provide evidence of work completed at a location and time
• Onsite customer survey - get real-time customer feedback on the quality of work performed so issues can be resolved immediately
• Digital images of before, during and after work performed. Photographic evidence associated with digital signatures, customer feedback and GPS coordinates are powerful tools for remote managers
• Inspections - upload and synchronize inspection data to the remote manager. The remote manager can then assign people/organizations to fix issues discovered on the inspection and monitor the repairs. This enables remote managers to effectively have "eyes and ears" at the jobsite and manage resolutions.

In summary, the collection of field data through human input on mobile handheld computers, plus technology like GPS, digital photography, mobile synchronization, digital signatures, mobile forms and shared websites to show real-time reports enable talented and experienced managers to effectively manage their areas of responsibilities remotely. This reduces risk, promotes field accountability, quality work and peace of mind for the managers and their companies. The ability to use and scale the talent and experience of your best managers over more projects located in more areas is a huge asset.

These are the kinds of mobile solutions MobileDataforce helps companies design, develop, deploy and support worldwide every day. If you would like to brainstorm about how a mobile solution might help your project or company please email us or call 208-384-1200.

Pipeline Construction & Inspection and Handheld Computers

We are working with a large civil engineering firm on a 500 mile pipeline construction project. The engineering firm is using the PointSync Mobility Platform to do environmental impact data collection in the field. If there is a negative environmental impact, then remedial plans and efforts must be implemented. They first collect data on a location before the pipeline is installed, and later conduct follow-up data collection once the pipeline has been constructed to monitor the impact on the environment.

Hospitals and Mobile Data Collection on Handheld Computers

My wife and I spent Saturday evening visiting a friend in the hospital here in Boise. While in the hospital I quickly became distracted by the nurse. Not the nurse specifically, but by the handheld computer she was carrying around. She was doing the following:

1. Scanning a bar code on the wrist band of the patient
2. Scanning a bar code on the applied medicine
3. Capturing the date and time stamp on the handheld computer
4. Synchronizing the data to an enterprise software application
5. The collected data activates business rules
6. The business rules prompt the user with questions
7. The system alerts user if there is a problem with the treatment or treatment schedule
8. Ask for response to alert

This was a fascinating example of a handheld computer and a mobile data collection system that is integrated with an enterprise database. These same 8 steps can be implemented with many different assets. Let's consider a large piece of manufacturing equipment and a plant maintenance technician:

1. Scan a bar code on the side of the equipment
2. Scan a maintenance service bar code to designate the service you are performing
3. Capture date and time stamp on the handheld computer
4. Synchronize the data with your Asset Tracking or CMMS system
5. The collected data activates business rules
6. The system's business rules prompt you with questions about the service
7. The system sends you service alerts based upon stored data
8. You respond to the alert and verify you read it

These 2 data collection systems work the same from a mobile data collection technology perspective, but serve 2 completely different industries.

MobileDataforce develops mobile software applications that help companies improve their field services operations.

New Rugged Handheld - Trimble Nomad

The new rugged handheld from Trimble & TDS is quite impressive. Follow this link to the full description:

The new Trimble Nomad packs even more functionality into the most powerful and full-featured rugged handheld computer available. Start with an 806 MHz processor, 1 GB of Flash storage, a long-life battery and integrated wireless capabilities like GPS, 802.11g, and Bluetooth. Then select an optional integrated laser bar code scanner and color digital camera. The Nomad also features a high-resolution, sunlight-visible VGA display that shows graphics and maps in crisp detail. And it's fully rugged and just as tough as our other handhelds which means the Nomad offers a lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) than consumer-grade handhelds.

In the past I have been disappointed with the lack of muscle and speed in the TDS Recon (a predecessor), and the need to add external GPS, barcode, digital camera assessories, but this new product line seems to have resolved most of those issues. I am a big fan of the rugged, easy grip, water resistant case, and I just think the Tonka Truck yellow is cool!

Many of MobileDataforce's customers work in rough and tumble environments (utilities, construction, asset tracking, inspections, environmental assessments, etc.) and a rugged handheld device like the Nomad is a great choice.

Here is a link to a blog on the Trimble Nomad.

What Don't I Know About Mobile Software Solutions & Deployments?

This is always a difficult question. How can you know what you don't know. Well I guess the answer is you find someone who has been there and done that and learn from them. When it comes to mobile software design, development, deployments, and support, etc., MobileDataforce has a great deal of experience around the world. I am going to dedicate this blog article to some of the things we have learned.

This blog article from March 14, 2007 is a good starting point. It identifies 51 questions the helpdesk team will want to have answered before large mobile software deployments.

Let me highlight a few of the questions you will want to have answered:

1. Do you anticipate only needing one specific mobile software application, or many mobile applications over time? Can you start with a mobile software platform that supports all of your mobile needs, or will each mobile application be a separate IT project and use different technologies and infrastructures?


2. Do you know your exact solution and data requirements in advance, or do you anticipate needing to edit and adjust your mobile application as you learn from your field experiences and users? This will impact both design and schedules.


3. Do you have an in-house software development capability, budget and helpdesk infrastructure to enable you to customize your own mobile software application(s)?
4. Do you want to contract your mobile software application design, development and deployment to an experienced mobility company, or build it internally?


5. Will you be synchronizing your field data with one back-office database, or multiple database applications?


6. Do you know how to integrate field data to your database applications? Do you have your own DBA that can do this?


7. Mobile solutions are often used on laptops, Tablet PCs, Smart phones, PDAs, etc. Do you know your exact hardware requirements? Will you be supporting just one device, or all of the above?


8. If your internal IT staff are developing your mobile solution, do they know how to do the following: support GPS, Barcodes, RFID, Digital Signatures, Digital Image integration, synchronize data across multiple databases, provide helpdesk tools to support large deployments, etc.


9. Do you have an IT development team that is experienced in designing, developing and deploying mobile applications, or is this their very first mobility project. Can you afford the steep learning curve, time and money developing a mobile application in-house with no experience?


10. Have you considered the support effort required to manage large mobile software deployments? Do you have software in place to manage this?


11. The biggest challenge with complex mobile application development is to create the right data model for your mobile application before you start development. Often an appropriate data model for a simple mobile application, is not the appropriate data model once you start adding features in future versions.

We, at MobileDataforce, have to manage these issues daily. I would invite you to discuss your projects with my team (208-384-1200) before you start developing in-house. Often we can give you advice that could save you months of development time and pain.

Mobile Inspections in City Government

MobileDataforce has worked with a lot of municipal governments on mobilizing inspections. Here is a list of the departments in a typical city that conduct regular inspections:

• City Engineering


• City Land Use


• City Forestry


• City Historic Development


• City "Right-of-Way"


• City Traffic Engineers


• City Building Inspectors


• City Fire Marshall


• City Electrical Inspectors


• City Mechanical Inspectors


• City Plumbing Inspectors

Many of these departments may have multiple inspections they must perform. In the Fire Marshall department alone they have quite the selection:

• Fire Alarm


• Cooking Equipment


• Wall Rating


• Wall Penetrations


• Above Ceiling


• Exit and Emergency Lights


• Sprinklers


• Panic Hardware


• Standpipe


• Emergency Extinguishers


• Many more...

These departments and their associated inspections represent a lot of field data collection activities and internal office data entry. It is easy to see why MobileDataforce provides a lot of mobile inspection software to these agencies and departments.

Hawaii & Customized Mobile Software Solutions

Greetings Folks,

I am back from a wonderful and relaxing family vacation/holiday on the Island of Maui, Hawaii. I tried to forget mobile software solutions for a few days, but alas, there are people carrying mobile handheld computers everywhere I go!

Let me give you an update on some of the mobile software solutions my team has been working on over the last few weeks:

• Paintless Dent Removal - mobile auto/vehicle inspections, services and repair business solutions
• Bridge inspections
• Mobile work order management applications for ATM service technicians
• Electric Utility - mobile inspection & work order applications
• Building inspection applications for a county government
• Clinical trials - mobile applications for healthcare service providers
• Asset management/conditional assessments and preventative work orders
• Much more...

The key value propositions for many of these solutions are the following:

1. Accountability of work and workers in the field
2. Accountability of company assets and inventory in the field
3. Efficient use and dispatch of field service technicians
4. Documentation of work completed in the field
5. Efficient and timely synchronization of field data to the enterprise database
6. Fast processing and invoicing of work completed
7. Inspections and documentation of inspections - for just about everything
8. Faster and better customer service leading to happier customers and greater profits

Toilets and Handheld PDAs

This is a first - MobileDataforce is developing a solution for inspecting toilets. Our team in Newcastle, England is working on a project called WaterSmart. This application is for Water Utility companies to use to help homeowners conserve water and save money.

This is how it works:

1. Inspectors swarm into a homeowner's bathrooms and start flushing their toilets, using their showers and filling their bath tubs.
2. They measure outputs, water pressure, and the overall water use of a house.
3. They use handheld PDA applications to collect all of this data and synchronize it back to headquarters
4. The data collected results in recommendations for the installation of water conservation equipment in the home, which kicks-off a work order process
5. The work order is dispatched to a service technician that travels out to the home and installs things like; balloons in the toilet to reduce the water in the tank, shower heads that reduce water volume to a dribble and many other clever things...

Casio Enterprise PDA

It looks like the term "Enterprise PDA" is catching on, at least within the marketing organizations of both Casio and Motorola. Casio has the new IT-10 (the name doesn't exactly roll off the tongue does it?) Pocket PC. You can use it in the shower and drop it from 3 feet to the soap covered tile floor. It is also shock resistant. Now that is thinking ahead! No one likes getting shocked in the shower, dropping their Pocket PC and having it break all in the same morning. Now that is a unique marketing angle! If you don't take showers, the IT-10 is also dust resistant and doesn't have a nose.

Casio describes the IT-10 as a "new rugged PDA designed and built to be used for vertical applications in severe business environments." If I read that right, it is not intended for horizontal applications in good business environments. Hummm...Seems like you could make more sales if you sold products to companies in good business environments.

Another Plane Another Victim

I was on another plane today and a senior engineer was unfortunate enough to be seated next to me. The engineer manages the building of highways and bridges. Hummm.... We do a considerable amount of work for companies involved in highway construction and bridge building. In fact the largest engineering and construction firm in Australia has asked us to work with them on a number of interesting projects.

I love working with engineers. They have to collect data on everything and they often work on very strange projects.

Trimble is a ruggedized handheld vendor that develops a lot of solutions for this industry.

MobileDataforce provides a data collection software platform for rugged mobile handheld computers that allows engineering companies to quickly develop field data collection applications that are specific to the requirements of their customer's projects.

Rent a Mobile Handheld Computer

Ryzex now offers rugged industrial handheld computers for rent. How is this helpful? Many organizations need rugged handheld computers only for a specific 6 week period of time for year-end inventory, annual inspections, or a one time limited time project.

MobileDataforce sees a lot of these projects because our mobile software platform, the PointSync Mobility Platform, enables companies to quickly design, development and deploy these simple mobile applications.

Another important set of considerations is the ability to immediately synchronize and review the data that was collected on the mobile applications. In an earlier blog article I wrote about the challenges with using poorly trained, temporary workers for important data collection in the field.

Mobilized Work Order System

What does a "mobilized" work order dispatch and management system look like? It consists of a number of business processes integrated together to create an efficient and profitable process that satisfies the requirements of your customer. Let's explore a mobilized work order process now:

A customer calls in to report a broken heating system. The office staff takes the phone call, enters the relevant information into the work order database application on the desktop computer which creates a unique work order number. The work order database application, with GIS integration, can compare the location of each service technician to determine which service technician is closest to the work location. This is accomplished with GPS tracking on the service vehicles or handheld computers used by the service technician.

Once the appropriate service technician is identified, the work order is dispatched to the handheld computer used by the service technician. Included in the electronic work order is driving directions from his/her current location to the next job location. In addition to the work order information, warranty, repair, users manual, maintenance history and product information on file can also be dispatched to the handheld computer for reference.

Once the service technician arrives at the location - he opens the work order on the handheld PDA. Opening the work order automatically captures the service technician's name, the date/time stamp and GPS coordinates and enters them into the open work order.

Once the service technician examines the broken heating system and determines which parts need to be replaced. He can pull out his handheld computer and check whether he has the needed parts in his vehicle inventory, if not, it automatically searches nearby service vehicles for the needed part (GPS tracking enables this). If another service vehicle is located that has the part in inventory and is nearby, then driving directions can be sent to describe how to get there in the most efficient time.

When the service technician arrives at the service vehicle with the needed part, the part is scanned using a bar code scanner in the handheld PDA to remove it from the vehicle's inventory and assigns it to the appropriate work order number.

Once back at the work site, the service technician runs into a challenge. He has never worked on this model before and needs advice. He snaps a digital photo of the equipment and synchronizes it back to the office. His supervisor reviews the photo and calls him with advice.

Once the work is completed, the service technician signs his name on the handheld computer screen, and has the customer sign the work order screen as well. The service technician prints an invoice on a mobile printer and collects the payment from the customer. The collection is noted on the mobile work order and synchronized back to the office for immediate processing.

As soon as the work order is completed and synchronized, the work order system reviews work order locations and priorities and assigns the next optimized work order to the service technician.

Faster and Faster Wireless Networks

In this article T-Mobile and Vodafone announce faster mobile data service offerings that will be available later this year. What does this mean? Larger amounts of data in the form of maps, photos, audio files, video files and VoIP will be able to be sent at faster speeds. This has a lot of relevance for companies dispatching work orders, CAD files, blue prints, Maps, etc.

Visitors will be able to test HSDPA service at data speeds up to 7.2M bps (bits per second) and HSUPA at speeds up to 1.45M bps at the T-Mobile and Vodafone booths. That compares with the operators' current 3.6M bps HSDPA and 1M bps HSUPA.

Around the globe, enterprise users of mobile data service seek higher speeds to send and fetch large PowerPoint presentations and e-mail attachments as well as for using company intranet services more effectively.

T-Mobile plans to offer 7.2M bps HSDPA service later this year, according to Deutsche Telekom CEO René Obermann.

Vodafone, which is currently testing 7.2M bps HSDPA in a handful of cities, plans to launch commercial services in several large metropolitan areas in the coming markets, a company spokeswoman said.

51 Questions the IT Department Wants Answered when Supporting Mobile Solutions

Often the focus of a mobile software project is on gathering the functional requirements, designing, developing and deploying the mobile solution, but little or no focus is given to the question of how to support it once it is deployed.

Here are some of the support issues to consider:

1. Who does the field worker call if there is a mobile device problem?
2. Who does the field worker call if their mobile application is not synchronizing?
3. Who trains new hires on how to use the mobile application?
4. If there is a mobile software problem, who fixes it - IT, consultant, contractor, systems integrator, software provider or your cousin Howie?
5. Who does the field worker call if the mobile application needs edited?
6. Who defines the business process you are mobilizing? They may need to approve any changes to the business process.
7. Who controls the security of the device? How do you set-up a new user to securely access the enterprise database? What kinds of security rules must the field user follow? Do different users have different security profiles?
8. Who controls access to the enterprise database application (a DBA)?
9. Will the Database Administrator allow you to synchronize data directly to their enterprise database application, or do they want a "staging database" or API layer to review all data before it is loaded to the enterprise database application. They will likely be involved in any future changes to the mobile application.
10. How many different enterprise database applications are synchronizing with a mobile device? If there is a sync problem, how do you know what database application may be impacted?
11. If you hire an additional field worker, how do you order an additional mobile device? Whose budget covers this?
12. Who decides if the new mobile device needs to be ruggedized or a consumer grade? What level of ruggedness is required?
13. Do different job functions require different devices, carriers and wireless data service plans?
14. Who decides what brand of mobile devices are going to the company standard?
15. Where do you purchase your mobile devices if one breaks or you need to add one to your inventory? Do you have a corporate discount or volume discount?
16. How do you control the variable costs of using a data plan from a local wireless carrier? What happens if the costs of the data services gets out of control? Who pays for it?
17. Are the mobile devices or the mobile software solutions under warranty?
18. Is there a yearly support contract IT needs to know about? How much? Whose budget?
19. What is the account number the warranty is under?
20. How do you set-up a new data plan with your wireless carrier? Who does that in the company? What is the account number so you can add subscribers? Whose budget pays for it?
21. What happens when Microsoft releases a new Windows Mobile operating system and you can only purchase mobile devices with the new OS on them? Who is going to upgrade your mobile software solutions so they work with the new OS?
22. What happens when the field engineer tromps off across 2 miles of muddy field to work at a construction site, but the battery on his handheld computer is not fully charged and it dies about 10 minutes after he gets there?
23. What happens when text messages, music, and 97 saved solitaire games claims all the memory on the PDA and the Construction application becomes either too slow or unreliable because of low memory?
24. How do you know when your mobile workers are synchronizing the latest information? You don't want mobile workers going days without synchronizing their device.
25. When you send an updated software application to your mobile workers, how do you know who is using the new application and who is still on the old?
26. How do you disable synchronization on a lost mobile device?
27. How do you kill and/or protect your data on the mobile device if it is lost or stolen?
28. How do you keep track of which workers are using which mobile devices? If there is an operating system update, or firmware update, how do you know who needs it?
29. If you are taking care of many different mobile field workers and many different mobile devices with a variety of operating systems and screen sizes, how do you know who gets what?
30. If you have a project manager that requires visibility to more data than other workers, how do you manage different views on the handheld computer?
31. Some mobile projects require different levels of security, for different levels of data visibility. How would you manage and track that?
32. Some applications require barcode, RFID, GPS, digital camera and other specialized data collection accessories, while others don't. How does the IT Helpdesk track the brand, version and other details of these accessories?
33. If a dump truck backs over your supervisor's $1800 ruggedized computer and crushes it into hundreds of unidentifiable pieces, how do you get a replacement out to the supervisor with the exact application and data that is required?
34. If a mobile device needs repaired - what is the process for keeping your field workers operating without it? Do you have a stock of spare mobile devices?
35. How do you deploy new mobile applications to your 1,300 mobile device users? Must they bring all their devices back to the IT department, or can you publish new applications directly to the handheld computer?
36. How do you support the mobile device, when the user has limited computer knowledge and is sitting on the top of a utility pole? What tools can the IT Helpdesk use to help diagnose problems?
37. How do you recognize a defective mobile device that is being shared by 12 different mobile workers? Do you have a method of identifying which problems are being reported on a particular device, or are you logging support calls only by users?
38. What is your process for dispatching work orders to service technicians when they are disconnected or out of range of cellular and wireless networks? A process needs to be defined.
39. What is your synchronization plan for each mobile worker? Can they sync in the morning and evening at their office desk, or do they need to sync every 5 minutes or in real-time?
40. What is the synchronization plan for a service technician that rarely has wireless network access? Does it justify a satellite up-link? (Sears Service Technicians use both)
41. How do you know when information was successfully synchronized with a mobile device in the field? Are you depending on Wilbert to know what the word synchronization means, or can you see determine the success of the synchronization from the IT Helpdesk?
42. What is an acceptable synchronization time? Is it 20 seconds, 2 minutes, 20 minutes? Does the IT Helpdesk know what times are acceptable so they can consider this when configuring a new user?
43. How much data can be synchronized in a given period of time on the chosen connectivity option? Is that an acceptable speed for the task at hand?
44. Who determines the hardware requirements that support the mobile application and desired synchronization speeds?
45. When a new mobile software application is developed - who tests its operating speed on different devices, processors, memory levels and connectivity options to determine what is acceptable and what is not?
46. When you are updating or reconfiguring an enterprise database, how do you know what mobile applications and mobile users will be impacted by these changes? How do you manage this update process?
47. How does the IT Helpdesk know which one of the 17 mobile applications on the handheld computer is having a synchronization problem?
48. If you are supporting 174 work crews and their mobile devices around the globe, how do you know where they are located, and who is responsible for them? How do you know the devices are being sold on eBay?
49. How does the IT Helpdesk know if a mobile device is using a cradle, modem, bluetooth, wireless, USB, satellite or Cellular connection to synchronize? The IT Helpdesk really wants to know before they begin working on the issue.
50. What wireless carrier, technology and through-put speed is the mobile device using? Is it GPRS, GSM, CDMA, Edge or some other network configuration?
51. What do you do with old and retired mobile handheld devices? Companies like Ryzex buy back old handheld mobile devices and recycle them.
    

These are just a few of the support issues that companies must consider once their mobile applications are deployed. There are several companies that have designed software applications specifically for this purpose. iAnywhere / Sybase's market leading Afaria application is designed for managing and supporting mobile devices. MobileDataforce's PointSync Mobility Platform has mobile application support designed into its PointSync Manager.

Mountain Tragedies & Modern Mobile GPS & Data Solutions

This last week I have been captivated by the tragic mountain climbing accident that took place on Mt. Hood in Oregon. Three experienced mountain climbers were caught in 100 mph winds and temperatures below zero on the very top of Mt. Hood at over 11,000 feet. It took over a week to find the snow caves that the climbers had used. Tragically it appears that they all may have succumbed to injuries and the cold. One of the climbers had been able to make a mobile phone call asking for help, but then went silent.

As a person involved in the mobile data collection software industry, I began to think about the software tools and technologies that could be used to help find missing climbers, hunters, hikers and other outdoorsman faster.

Today, many mobile Smart phones can be purchased with GPS receivers built in. Software companies like MobileDataforce can easily create data collection applications that would automatically report the location of the user at specific time intervals, distance covered, speed, and distance remaining to target destination. The GPS receiver captures the GPS coordinates, the data collection software pulls it into the database and connects to the internet at specific time intervals and uploads the data to a web based map. The user could also capture additional information such as the weather, supplies remaining, physical condition, status (resting, digging a snow cave, setting up camp, injured, etc). This is the same technology we use today for fleet tracking applications so fleet owners can know the location of each truck at any given time.

One of the necessary ingredients for a tracking solution like this is a wireless network (wireless mobile phone network or a satellite uplink). In the recent tragedy on Mt. Hood, there was indeed mobile phone connectivity available. If the climbers had had a mobile solution like this with them, their location would have been displayed on a map for the search and rescue teams to view. This would have saved hundreds of man hours devoted to searching, and would have quickly directed the search and rescue teams to the location of the Smart phones as soon as weather permitted.

The technology exists, although it remains to be seen how it would have worked in the fierce cold and rugged conditions these climbers experienced. I know batteries would be an issue, although spares could be carried. Conceptually, it seems that a simple data collection application could be configured, rented out or made available for purchase to climbers. They could register themselves with a unique ID on a website. Thus, family members and other folks interested in their location could view the web based map from any computer in the world.

This needs to be done.

RFID Not Quite Ready for Vendors

We have implemented several very nice RFID projects this year for tracking assets, but these customers seemed to find us, we did not find them. I have tried several times this year, with various online ad campaigns, to find a market for RFID related software products. However, when I ran my ad campaigns they seemed to generate a large numbers of PPC (pay-per-clicks), but the online visitors were only interested in reading not buying.

I found this article today that seems to support my findings:

Frost & Sullivan recently reported that the total North American RFID market for manufacturing and logistics is predicted to grow at a compound annual growth rate of nearly 20 percent over the next six years. Yet, about 75 percent of the technology companies responding to a CompTIA survey earlier this year said there are not enough people trained in the field. Eighty-percent said they believe that a lack of talent will hinder RFID adoption.

Several points to note - 1) when you are starting with nothing, 20% growth is not a lot, 2) Comptia offers training and certification classes - so to say the slow adoption of RFID is because of a lack of training is a bit self serving, 3) If you know of someone interested in RFID software solutions, please send them my way....a bit self serving I admit.

Palm Treos and Grabba Card Swipers

We are working on a very cool Smart Phone solution at this time. It involves Palm Treos using the Windows Mobile OS and a Grabba Magnetic Card Reader. This allows mobile sales people and route delivery personnel to take credit and debit card orders as they walk through crowds of shoppers, concert goers, delivery routes and outdoor venues.

My team is using MobileDataforce's PointSync Mobility Platform to design, develop and deploy the mobile software solution.