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Showing posts from March, 2008

32 Questions to Ask Before Developing a Mobile Software Application

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There are a lot of complexities involved with developing an enterprise class mobile software application for use on smartphones, handheld PDAs and industrial grade and rugged handhelds. At MobileDataforce , we have developed mobile software platforms and mobile application development tools to help eliminate, or at least reduce, many of these complexities. The following list will help you understand some of the issues to be prepared for the task: 1. Do you have the resources available to: · Collect all business and technical requirements for the application? · Design, develop, test, deploy and support a mobile software application? 2. Do you have the time and people available to: · Review all the possible mobile handheld computers? · Do these people have the knowledge to support the unique buttons and hardware drivers on the handheld computer? 3. Do you have experienced mobile application designers? Mobile applications cannot be designed in the same manner as a desktop application. 4.

Questions to Ponder when Considering a Mobile Software Strategy

Should you purchase mobile software for handheld PDAs from every vendor that supplies enterprise software applications to your company? What if you have 16 enterprise applications? Are you willing to buy 16 different mobile software packages for handheld PDAs in order to mobilize these processes? If so, you will need a very big budget and IT department. If you chose to buy 16 different mobile applications, you would need to punch 16 different holes in your firewall, learn 16 different synchronization technologies, and use 16 different application development environments. Should I buy an "Off-the-Shelf" mobile application, or develop a customized mobile application to fit my specific business? The answer depends on if your business is set-up as an "off-the-shelf" business. Do you conduct your business in the exact same manner as many others in your market? Do you use the same business processes and the same accounting package as many others? Is your product or servi

Sybase iAnywhere, Mobile Handheld PDAs and Mobile Software Applications

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The attached newsletter from Sybase iAnywhere and Gartner includes many different case studies of companies that have implemented enterprise mobile solutions for use on mobile handheld PDAs. One of the articles is on MobileDataforce's customer Janssen-Fritzen. They used MobileDataforce's PointSync Mobility Suite to customize a wireless work order system for use on mobile handhelds that run on Windows Mobile. Sybase-iAnywhere-Newletter-V1.pdf

QuickBooks and Mobile Handheld PDA Software Applications

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MobileDataforce provides mobile business applications for use on handheld PDAs that are integrated with QuickBooks. These applications are highly popular with field service technicians and contractors that use QuickBooks in their office and work orders in the field. Mobile applications include: Mobile Service Tickets, Work Orders, Service Requests, etc. Mobile job estimates Mobile time tracking More MobileDataforce provides a wireless work order management system called FieldSync that integrates mobile handheld devices with QuickBooks. Work orders can be wireless dispatched to the field service technicians, once they are completed they can be directly synchronized with QuickBooks in the office. MobileDataforce offers both off-the-shelf mobile business applications and customized mobile business applications to fit their customer's specific requirements. For more information please visit their website or contact by email .

Best Places to Live and Launch - A Mobile Software Company

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For those of you interested in articles about best places to live and start a business > CNN's website covered the best places to live and launch this week. Boise, Idaho was listed at #19, we were #2 on Forbe's list last month. Fortune Magazine's Small Business Edition also published an article this week on MobileDataforce and Boise's quality of life. MobileDatafore develops mobile software solutions for PDAs, iPhones, handhelds and Smartphones.

Buy vs. Building Mobile Software Applications for Handheld PDAs

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Several times a month companies call me to discuss the merits of buying a mobile software platform , to develop software for mobile handheld PDAs, with a development environment vs. attempting to build their own. My first answer is you can build it! MobileDataforce did. It tooks us 4.5 years and over 40 engineering-man-years to develop the PointSync Mobility Platform. It can certainly be done by others. The key questions are: How much time do you have to develop the mobile software application? How many software engineers do you have available to develop the mobile application? Do they have any experience designing, developing and deploying enterprise quality mobile applications? What is your development budget? It is hard to develop your very first mobile application...are you patient...is the business unit sponsoring the project patient? Are your software developers mobile application security experts? Do you have software developers that eat, sleep and breath synchronization? What a

MobileDataforce Achieves Microsoft Gold Certified Partner Status

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Boise, Idaho - March 18, 2008 – MobileDataforce , a leading provider of mobile business applications for PDAs and handheld computers, announced today that it has earned Microsoft Gold Certified Partner status in the Microsoft Partner program, the highest level of partnership available. As a Gold Level partner MobileDataforce has demonstrated expertise in the use of and integration of enterprise mobile software applications with Microsoft technologies. As a partner of the highest level MobileDataforce will receive a great deal of benefits, which includes software, training, support, and access to many assets available only to Microsoft Gold Certified Partners. “Achieving the Gold Certified Partner level represents a lot of enterprise mobile software implementations,” says MobileDataforce CEO Kevin Benedict. “Our mobile business applications integrate with a large number of different Microsoft platforms and business applications. Achieving the Gold level will give our customers additiona

Visiting MobileDataforce and Talking Mobile Software, PDAs and Handhelds

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There are significant benefits gained from visiting MobileDataforce in Boise, Idaho. A recent visit by a team researching our enterprise mobility software platform, PDAs, Handhelds and mobile application development expertise included a fly fishing excursion to the South Fork of the Boise river. Many fish were caught and fun had by all!!! By the way did you see that Boise is #2 on Forbes Magazines new best places for business and careers!

Mobile Applications, Handhelds and PDAs and Hog Feeding

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Last month I watched an episode of "Dirty Jobs" that was about a pig farmer outside of Las Vegas that fed his pigs the food scraps from area casinos. I admit this is one of my favorite shows on TV now days, and this was one of my favorite episodes. The pig farmer had a great sense of humor and Mike Rowe got completely covered in food scraps and slop. How does this relate to mobile software applications, handhelds and PDAs? We received a call yesterday from a company wanting to implement a mobile handheld PDA software application for the drivers of trucks hauling food scraps to hog farms. Imagine my excitement!!! They wanted to integrate GPS data capture into the handheld software applications so they could track the location and status of each truck. My mobile software developers were all over this...like a pig at a......

QuickBooks, PDAs, Smart Phones and Handheld Computers

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MobileDataforce provides mobile work order software to a lot of small to medium sized services companies with field service technicians. Many of our customers are using QuickBooks for their accounting software. As a result, MobileDataforce has integrated a variety of different mobile applications for PDAs, handhelds and Smart Phones directly with QuickBooks. Using MobileDataforce's integration with QuickBooks, field service technicians can download parts and services lists, dispatched work orders, customer lists, inventory and more to the handheld computer. When work orders are completed, the handheld computer can wirelessly update the information directly into QuickBooks. This makes for a very efficient administration process.

Gartner & Sybase Discuss Mobile Software, PDAs and Handhelds

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In this just released newsletter , Gartner and Sybase discuss enterprise mobile software applications, PDAs, Handhelds and mobile computing and a number of case studies on mobile applications from around the world. I particularly like this newsletter because it highlights MobileDataforce :-)

Mobile Data Collection on Handheld PDAs in Africa

MobileDataforce has just completed a mobile software application for use in AIDs research throughout Africa. This mobile software application for use on handheld PDAs and smartphones will be used to gather research data in AIDs clinics (and then it will be wirelessly synchronized with research databases throughout the world). The data will be studied and analyzed to help develop strategies to fight the spread of AIDs. MobileDataforce is involved in many very interesting and large mobile software development projects around the world, but there are times when a project has a greater purpose than just good business.

EPA Underground Inspection Forms for use on Mobile Handheld PDAs

MobileDataforce has just finished developing a mobilized version of the EPA's ( environmental protection agency ) underground tank inspection form for use on tablet pcs . This same mobiel software application could also be used on a mobile handheld PDA . This mobile software application was developed for a region in the state of Washington. This mobile inspection application has over 400 data fields and allows the underground tank inspector to draw diagrams in the application and to wireless synchronize the inspection data and drawing back to a database in the office. This mobile software application was developed for a Tablet PC, which was the customer's preference because of the large numbers of data fields and desire to draw diagrams depicting problem areas identified during inspections. MobileDataforce mobilizes paper forms daily. We help our customers convert their paper processes to mobile software applications that can synchronize to office database application or

Mobile Handheld PDA - Socket Mobile Announces Antibacterial Handheld Computer

OK, I must admit that I had not considered the fact that I was buying a mobile handheld PDA infected with bacteria. I guess ignorance is bliss. However, now that I know I can buy a handheld computer that is an "Antibacterial Handheld Computer" I will no longer have bliss. In the past I just wanted a nice, fast and dependable handheld computer with a good screen and lots of memory. However, going forward I will add to my list of wants a handheld computer that includes - antibacterial additives that gradually releases microbe-fighting metal ions upon becoming moist or wet. Socket Communications, Inc., dba Socket Mobile, Inc., an innovative provider of mobile productivity solutions, recently announced a new line of products to be built with an antibacterial plastic targeted toward healthcare and other markets that involve hygiene-sensitive environments. The first product combination to debut in the new line is the SoMo 650 handheld computer and docking cradle, which will be on

Mobile Sales, Orders and CRM on Handheld PDAs

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My team has a lot of experience helping our customers develop world class mobile sales and mobile delivery software applications for use on handheld PDAs that use Windows Mobile. These projects include: Mobile sales orders - take orders in mobile locations Tracking the delivery of products to retail grocery stores Collecting in-store marketing information Collecting product price information Proof-of-delivery Water bottle delivery solutions to homes/businesses Post-delivery inspection applications (check product for shipping damage and get customer signature) Mobile retail planagrams (detail the shelf location of products and the re-stocking amounts) If you would like to brainstorm about how to develop custom mobile software or mobilize your sales, delivery or CRM solutions please contact us at MobileDataforce .

Mobile Handheld PDAs in the Healthcare Field

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MobileDataforce is working on a significant number of interesting mobile software projects for handheld PDAs in the healthcare services, pharmaceutical and medical logistics markets. The following links point to blog articles that describe some of these mobile software applications: Home Heathcare Services Mobile Clinical Trials Software Mobile Patient Monitoring Board of Pharmacy Mobile Software Mobile Software for Orthodics Clinical Research Medicine Logisitics, Transportation and Delivery

MobileDataforce Team Photos 2008

MobileDataforce has more than doubled in size in the past year. We are fortunate to have been invited to participate in some very large and interesting mobile software development projects in many different areas in the world. We want to thank our many mobile software customers for your faith and confidence in our enterprise mobility solutions for handheld PDAs, smartphones and industrial handheld barcode scanners. You have challenged us with the complexity of your IT environments and we have learned much as we have helped you achieve your ROIs !

Inc. Magazine on MobileDataforce's PDA, Handheld and Mobile Software Blog

Inc. magazine's online technology website published an article this week on the subject of - this blog (the one you are now reading). http://technology.inc.com/internet/articles/200803/blog.html?partner=rss-alert This very blog is used as an example of a company's CEO communicating with customers, partners and other parties interested in mobile software solutions. Thanks for reading!

Make More Sales by Using Mobile Handheld PDAs and Smartphones

I often talk to potential customers about the cost savings that can be achieved by mobilizing business processes and deploying them to mobile handheld PDAs or smartphones, however, for many of our customers increasing sales is also a key motivator. Let's talk about how mobile software applications on PDAs can help increase sales: Mobile applications can prompt service technicians to renew service contracts Mobile applications can prompt service technicians to offer additional and complimentary services. For example: Plumbers can offer to conduct a water conservation inspection in the house while they are there repairing the toilet. The inspection can identify various ways the customer could conserve water by replacing shower heads, toilet tanks, etc. Mobile applications can prompt service technician to offer products related to the needs of the customer. Plumbers could talk to customers about water filtration systems, and other products. Mobile applications can prompt service techn