You Should Not Develop a Mobile Application - Just Because You Can

We often receive calls from software developers asking about our mobile software development environment. The developers often ask the question, "Why should I use your development platform when I can develop my own mobile application?" That is a good and fair question. I will usually follow their questions with my own:

1. How many mobile applications have you already designed, developed, deployed and supported successfully? Is your employer comfortable with having you learn on the job or are they risk adverse? Are they willing to be patient with your learning curve? If it takes you 4 months longer to develop your own, does the business suffer?
2. Have you created a full synchronization engine successfully in the past? This is very complicated and software companies like MobileDataforce have spent years optimizing these. What are the chances you will get it right and optimized on the very first project?
3. Do you have experience developing and configuring a variety of connectivity options such as cradle sync, wireless sync, satellite sync, bluetooth, etc.? Does the business manager know which one is needed in every case? Should you develop one, or develop multiple methods? Are the business requirements likely to change in the next 3 years?
4. Have you developed a full database integration manager for mobile solutions? Do you need an API or will your DBA allow you to directly populate the database? If you can directly populate the database, then the data better be validated in the mobile software application on the handheld pc. Did you set aside time for that?
5. Do you have experience designing scalable and reliable mobile applications? This is simply an experience thing. You don't know what you don't know.
6. Do you have support for a Pocket PC 2003, Win CE, Microsoft Mobile 5 & 6? How are you going to upgrade and support next year's mobile OS from Microsoft? Is this built into your project plan and budget?
7. Have you developed mobile applications that run on a large variety of different mobile handheld devices? This takes a lot of work and thought. Every week new mobile handheld devices are being delivered with new technologies and add-on components. The device selected today, will likely not be available next year at this time. How do you keep current?
8. Do you have experience developing interfaces for third party hardware? Mobile applications often need additional third party technology integration like bar code scanners, RFID, GPS, Digital Cameras, etc.
9. Have you thought through and developed dashboards for managing mobile application security, users, applications publishing, etc?
10. Do you have a development environment set up exclusively for mobile applications development that may include short-cuts, libraries, screen designs and scripts?
11. Do you have experience creating a helpdesk dashboard for sync logs, users, applications, device management, etc.?

Most often the developer was only interested in creating the screens for the mobile application, not a complete mobile application platform and support system. They had not considered the full end-to-end solution requirements when volunteering to develop a mobile handheld application.

MobileDataforce in India

MobileDataforce announces expansion into India with their new partner HiFX.

HiFX focuses on providing business extension through field force automation for continuous synching of business critical data in the HO and field force. These solutions provide up to the minute information to all employees guaranteeing consistency of data. We are also able to provide services that escalate existing legacy applications, ERP and CRM solutions, workflow applications to seamlessly integrate with mobile applications. With all expertise fundamental to mobile solution development, HiFX rolls out
Enterprise mobile solutionsCustom business solutions for midsize to large enterprises

Appforge Strategy vs Mobile Software Platform

Appforge provided software developers with pre-built code scripts, code libraries, and developer tools as opposed to MobileDataforce's PointSync Mobility Platform which is a "mobile software platform" for designing, developing and deploying data-centric mobile applications. What is the difference? The PointSync Mobility Platform comes with the following:

• Graphical development environment for designing and configuring mobile applications
• Embedded mobile databases
• Embedded synchronization database server
• Embedded synchronization technology
• Database integration manager
• Deployment manager
• User manager
• Application manager

With the PointSync Mobility Platform, you do not need additional third-party mobile databases, third-party development environments, third-party integration tools, third-party synchronization tools. All of these are included in the software platform.

I recognize that some Appforge developers prefer programming mobile solutions from scratch, but many companies simply want to get a powerful, proven mobile solution running in the field as fast as they can. So if getting a powerful, proven mobile application deployed in the field is your priority, I would encourage you to consider using an existing mobile software platform.

Here are a few additional articles that further discuss mobile software platforms:

http://www.mobiledataforce.com/ceoblog/2007/01/mobile-platforms-for-enterprise.html

http://www.mobiledataforce.com/ceoblog/2006/11/mobile-software-platform-thoughts.html

http://www.mobiledataforce.com/ceoblog/2006/11/managing-mobile-software-deployments.html

http://www.mobiledataforce.com/ceoblog/2006/10/mobile-software-platforms-and.html

MobileDataforce® Expands in Asia with New Singapore Reseller

Boise, Idaho— April 11, 2007 – MobileDataforce®, a leading provider of business critical mobile software applications, today announced a reseller partnership with NetCob Technologies Pte Ltd, in Singapore.

“MobileDataforce’s PointSync Mobility Platform will bring tremendous value to our target market in Asia,” says John Gong, Managing Director of NetCob Technologies. “Increasingly companies are looking to enterprise mobility solutions to more efficiently capture data in the field. MobileDataforce’s mobile software solutions offer the most flexible and innovative technologies to securely and cost effectively mobilize business processes.”

The PointSync Mobility Platform is an enterprise class solution used to rapidly design, develop and deploy business critical mobile applications. It is architected to provide database centric mobile applications with bi-directional synchronization, connectivity, security and enterprise database integration all within one software platform.

About Netcob Technologies Pte Ltd

NetCob Technologies Pte Ltd, http://www.netcob.com/, focuses on cutting edge technologies to help their customers create lasting value. Their charter rests on their capability to conceptualize and conceive IT solutions that will enable their customers and partners to maintain focus and grow their businesses.

About MobileDataforce

MobileDataforce is a global leader in the development of high performance software solutions for use on mobile handheld computers. Privately held, MobileDataforce was founded in 2000 and its software solutions are sold worldwide through direct and Value Added Reseller (VAR) channels. For more information, please visit our website at http://www.mobiledataforce.com/.

Dead - Dell Axim PDAs

It appears that Dell has quietly stopped making and selling the Axim PDA. Just like the Palm devices of old, Dell can not find a market selling a stand alone consumer PDA. Consumers want Smart phones and PDA phones and they are buying them in large numbers. Soon consumers will demand music, video and GPS in their Smart Phones.

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=38808

http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2007/04/dell_kills_pda_.html

Re-engineering Business Processes with Handheld PDA Solutions

MobileDataforce's professional services teams are working on dozens of mobile software projects globally at any given time. As a result, we have gained through experience in-depth knowledge about how mobile solutions can change companies, their business processes and the way they think. Let's discuss a few of the things we have seen and learned:

1. Companies rarely understand the full extent of the changes mobile software solutions will bring to their organization
2. Most mobile software projects start small and have a very limited user base and business focus
3. As the users begin to test and adopt the new mobile software solutions, they most often expand the project as they quickly recognize the efficiencies that can be gained by using mobile software solutions that are tied into corporate database applications
4. There is usually some point about 80% through the mobile software development project when there is a loud "AHA!" that echos the halls of our clients' offices - they get it. They can see beyond their immediate project to the potential of mobility
5. Mobility is a process - a company may start with mobile phones, then move on to email syncing & SMS, then full bi-directional synchronization of corporate data to mobile handheld computers and specialized mobile software applications
6. Companies may start with mobilizing their field service technicians, but rapidly expand to mobile CRM, mobile shipping and inventory status, mobile asset management, quality assurance inspections and reporting, real-time mobile business analytics for the management team, route accounting and proof of delivery for the truck (or lorry) drivers. The more the company learns, the more they realize the benefits of mobile data solutions
7. If a company has started down the path to mobilizing their operations and business processes, but have chosen to hardcode or custom program each of these processes as separate projects - they will quickly realize their error in not starting with a full mobile software platform
8. The mobile software platform - is a server based product that supports a standardized way of designing, developing and deploying multiple mobile software projects in a manner that is easily learned and supported by IT
9. Once the mobile software platform (the PointSync Mobility Platform is one option) is in place, all IT developers, consultants and technical support personnel can be trained on the same platform and method for efficiencies and speed of development
10. The mobile software platform supports the design, development, deployment, support, version control of applications, publishing of applications to mobile devices, data security configurations, database integrations and much more

The key concept in this process is to start with a mobile software platform - this enables you to build up and support large numbers of mobilized business processes and projects in the same efficient manner. If a company chooses to custom build every project from scratch, the efficiencies of development and support will never be realized.