Muffled Voices in Your Pocket PC

We are working on a large inspection project in the UK for a water utility. In the course of supporting this effort one of the inspectors sent a problematic handheld device in for service. Seems it had run out of memory. Upon closer inspection we found a 30 minute voice memo of the inside of his pocket. For the curious - not much of interest in the recording.

Voice memos? These are useful when you need to record your findings while keeping your hands free (dangling from a 40 story building, climbing a ladder, crawling through a pipe). These voice memos can be wirelessly synchronized to a database and someone back at the office can type them into the database if needed.

MobileDataforce's PointSync Mobility Platform enables you to attach voice memos to a database on the device and to have this voice memo synchronized with the enterprise database application in the office.

Hand Held Computers & Rugged PDAs

When you walk the halls of MobileDataforce you will see desk's covered with PDAs, rugged handheld computers, bar code scanners, cradles, satellite domes, etc. On a pass a few minutes ago I saw the following:

• Intermec CN3
• Psion Teklogix's WorkAbout Pro (different sizes)
• Socket SoMo (and Socket Bar code Scanner)
• Symbol MC70
• Palm Treo 750 (700, 650...)
• HP iPAQ
• Dell Axim
• Symbol 9000
• T-Mobile MDA
• Samsumg
• Casio
• Mobile Mapper CE
• Itronix Duo-Touch
• TDS Nomad
• Mobile Printers of all kinds

A paradise of gadgets, cradles and cables that we are testing or deploying at sites around the world.

Two weeks ago one of our senior engineers had a Psion Teklogix WorkAbout Pro on his desk. It was sent to us from a customer in the UK, shipped from the Netherlands and manufactured in France. It contained a specialized RFID radio in it that we configured to work with the PointSync Mobility Platform. This solution was going to be used on RFID enabled "wheelie bins" or large trash containers. What could be more fun?

For those of you pondering how to choose the right hardware for your company's needs, please follow this link and download the document called, "Selecting Appropriate Handheld Computers."

Printek's FieldPro Printer

One of MobileDataforce's customers operates a parking garage management company in the SE of the USA. In addition to operating city parking garages, they also contract with municipal governments to issue parking tickets when vehicles are illegally parked. This customer required a mobile printer like the Printek FieldPro pictured here. It is designed to be used out-of-doors in the dust and the rain and to operate on batteries. Since most of our customers operate in these environments this is a very appealling design! Our customer's employees walk around the garage and the city filling out electronic forms on their rugged handheld computers and printing citations. They needed a rugged, mobile printer that operates on batteries and connects to the handheld computer via bluetooth.

MobileDataforce's PointSync Mobility Platform printing module enabled them to connect via cable or bluetooth to these kind of rugged mobile printers.

Other MobileDataforce customers need a portable mobile printer that prints on standard sized paper forms and often turn to mobile printers that are designed to stay in the vehicle like the HP 450. The big difference is this printer is portable and lightweight, but is not designed to be wearable on a belt and suffer the effects of rain and dust. Here is HP's description -

• High-performance printing virtually anytime, anywhere with photo-quality resolution, minimal, user intervention and a wide range of wired and wireless connectivity options, including Bluetooth wireless technology.

Often our customers want to leave a paper forms at their customer's location such as a completed "service request" or a "proof-of-delivery" form. If their vehicle is close to their worksite, an HP 450 may be sufficient, but if you need a ruggedized mobile printer that operates on batteries, fits on your belt and is connected via bluetooth with your handheld computer, then the Printek FieldPro is a great option.

Intermec CN3 Mobile Computer

This week I have written about several new "light industrial"
handheld computers including the Dolphin 7600 and Symbol's MC35. Today I want to highlight another new handheld device, this time from Intermec. It is called the CN3 and is pictured here.

The trend is readily apparent - the ruggedized handheld hardware manufacturers have recognized the need to develop specialized hardware for mobile field workers. Workers that need a light weight device with a combined mobile phone and a handheld PDA so they can communicate both voice and enterprise data from their handhelds while working at remote locations and jobsites.

These categories of handheld computers align nicely with MobileDataforce's focus on the mobile worker that works outside-the-four-walls and needs access to enterprise database applications.

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.

Ruggedized Cases for PDAs

In our office here at MobileDataforce in Boise, Idaho we have several tables covered with ruggedized handheld computers and ruggedized cases for PDAs on display in our executive briefing area. Recently we received a new box full of ruggedized PDA cases from a company called Otterbox. I must say there are some very impressive and appealing cases for PDAs and PDA phones. These cases can keep the majority of water and dust off your devices and can provide you with a much greater level of protection from common bumps and drops. They don't offer industrial grade protection, but they do offer a much higher level of protection than a standard exposed phone or PDA.

My sales team is now using the Otterbox for the Palm Treos they carry. The above picture shows how they look. The keys on the Otterbox case work surprisingly well, and a lens on the back allows you to take digital photos without taking the phone out of the case. Good job Otterbox! I drop my PDA phone about once every couple of months and a protective case like this can mean the difference between picking up a working, or non-working PDA phone.

PointSync Mobility Platform 4.0 for Automotive Inspections and Services on Handheld Computers

MobileDataforce Launches PointSync Mobility Platform 4.0 for Automotive Inspections and Services on Handheld Computers

New version features over 220 pre-built functions to help quickly design, develop and deploy customized mobile solutions for the Automotive Industry

Boise, Idaho - January 05, 2006 – MobileDataforce® today announced the release of the latest version of the PointSync® Mobility Platform for Automotive Inspections and Services, the next generation of the company’s award-winning mobile software solutions for handheld computers. This major release includes over 150 new features, innovations and enhancements to support the needs of the automotive industry.

“This is a significant development for the automotive services industry,” said Kevin Benedict, CEO of MobileDataforce. “PointSync Mobility Platform 4.0 will change the way mobile solutions are developed for the automotive industry and will reduce the time it takes for our customers to recognize a return on investment by reducing the time it takes to design, develop and deploy new automotive services solutions on handheld computers.”

Key new features and enhancements include:

· Enhanced graphical user interface tools, including interactive SPLAT diagrams
· Built in support for VIN scanning and decoding
· New Visual Debugger to quickly debug mobile automotive applications during customization
· New Data Mapping Wizard speeds integration with existing back-office tools such as financial, CRM, HR, scheduling, and many other software packages
· New SQL Builder speeds up business rule development for mobile automotive applications
· Enhanced library of over 220 pre-built functions for mobile application development
· Expanded support for multiple PointSync applications and databases in a hosted environment

To learn more, visit http://www.mobiledataforce.com/Solutions/auto.asp

About PointSync Mobility Platform

The PointSync Mobility Platform for Automotive Inspections and Services is an enterprise class solution used to rapidly design, develop and deploy mobile applications for the automotive services industry. It is architected to provide database centric mobile applications that can be deployed and synchronized from the field.

The PointSync Mobility Platform is popular with companies providing mobile services such as vehicle inspections for insurance companies, auto auctions, auto lease returns, mobile dent repair, detailing and other repair services.

About MobileDataforce

MobileDataforce is a global leader in the development of enterprise class mobile software solutions for the automotive services industry. MobileDataforce has offices in Europe, North America and in Australia to support its expanding customer base and sales channels. Privately held, MobileDataforce has been mobilizing business solutions since 2000. For more information, please visit our website at http://www.mobiledataforce.com/.