Mobile Water Bottle Delivery Solution

My team is working on a mobile water bottle delivery solution for a Portuguese company that delivers water in Africa. The solution includes the following:

• Route delivery information
• Barcode scanning
• Mobile Inventory of water/water bottles
• Delivery details
• Mileage of vehicle
• Mobile printer and printing support

MobileDataforce is delivering an increasing number of these kinds of mobile route delivery applications. If a company is currently using paper, the ROI is very easy to document. Not only can the basic business processes associated with deliveries be mobilized, but CRM information, competitive data collection, new order processes, service details, etc., can all be mobilized using the same mobile software platform and the same handheld computer.

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.

Mobile Solution Integration

Mobile software solutions have limited value, unless they are synchronized and integrated with business applications back at the office. To that end, MobileDataforce's mobile applications are integrated with many of the world's most popular database applications including:

• Sybase & iAnywhere


• Quickbooks


• Microsoft SQL


• Microsoft Navision


• Microsoft's Great Plains


• Microsoft Dynamic


• Microsoft Access


• Oracle


• AS 400/DB2


• MRO Maximo


• Many more...

The integration with these database applications enable bi-directional database synchronization between the mobile field users and the office business software applications. This empowers the mobile user to have the same kinds of visibility to enterprise data as someone sitting in a cubicle in the office. In addition, the office can receive near real-time data from work being done in the field. The efficiencies that are available through mobilization can be enormous.

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.