- http://www.mobiledataforce.com/ceoblog/2006/10/buy-vs-building-enterprise-mobile.html
http://www.mobiledataforce.com/ceoblog/2006/10/more-on-buy-vs-building-mobile.html
http://www.mobiledataforce.com/ceoblog/2006/10/more-on-buy-vs-building-mobile_06.html
http://www.mobiledataforce.com/ceoblog/2006/07/buy-vs-building-mobile-solutions-for.html
http://www.mobiledataforce.com/ceoblog/2007/06/off-shelf-mobile-applications-vs.html
http://www.mobiledataforce.com/ceoblog/2006/01/buy-vs-building-mobile-software.html
http://www.mobiledataforce.com/ceoblog/2006/01/reusable-mobile-frameworks.html
http://www.mobiledataforce.com/ceoblog/2006/01/mobile-solutions-consultants-nightmare.html
http://www.mobiledataforce.com/ceoblog/2006/01/enterprise-mobility-framework_12.html
http://www.mobiledataforce.com/ceoblog/2006/03/rad-tools-for-mobile-applications.html
http://www.mobiledataforce.com/ceoblog/2006/05/choosing-your-erp-mobile-client.html
http://www.mobiledataforce.com/ceoblog/2006/06/mobile-solution-that-took-24-man-years.html
http://www.mobiledataforce.com/ceoblog/2006/10/mobile-software-platforms-and.html
Kevin Benedict is a TCS futurist and lecturer focused on the signals and foresight that emerge as society, geopolitics, economies, science, technology, environment, and philosophy converge.
Enterprise Mobile Software Solutions, Buy vs Build
New WorkAbout Pro Rugged Handheld Computer from Psion Teklogix
The second generation WORKABOUT PRO, more rugged and more feature-rich than its predecessor, enables you to significantly change the wireless handheld device in the field, as your work requirements evolve over time. Psion Teklogix is leveraging existing expansion modules from our first generation WORKABOUT PRO, which are fully compatible with the second generation, providing our customers and partners additional investment protection. The new WORKABOUT PRO supports a variety of field installable expansion modules including scanners, imagers, RFID modules, Wireless LAN (WLAN) Wireless WAN (WWAN) radios, and more. Psion Teklogix takes flexibility to the next level by offering a Hardware Developer’s Kit (HDK) that allows you to develop your own custom expansion modules to address your unique business needs. Some recent developments include expansion modules that take fingerprints, read cattle ear tags, and scan passports.
MobileDataforce has seen many of these devices deployed in rugged conditions with excellent results.
Intermec CN3 Handheld PDA with Card Reader
MobileDataforce is testing a new Intemec CN3 handheld PDA with an attached card reader for one of our clients. It feels nice and balanced in my hand and seems to be a very viable hardware solution for our clients.
Our client wants to perform inspections out-of-doors with this windows mobile device and also charge for services, process a credit or debit card transaction and print invoices and receipts from a mobile printer.
VIN Decoding with the Socket SoMo Handheld PDA & Socket Scanner on GM Automobiles
Yesterday we tried to use the new Socket Pocket PC with an add-on Socket barcode scanner to read the VIN on a General Motors vehicle. No luck. GM automobiles all have their VIN number with barcode on the dashboard so you must scan through the windshield. The scanner is just not bright enough to penetrate the windshield under full sun. This is not unique since about the only device we have tested that does this well in the Psion Teklogix WorkAbout Pro with a laser scanner.
In defense of the Socket SoMo - we are very impressed with the speed of this device and it's PDA capabilities. Our Product Manager uses it daily in the office.
Electric Bikes and Mobile Handheld PDA Software at MobileDataforce
Barnes & Noble's and Handheld PDAs - Symbol PDT 3140
New Rugged Handheld PDA - 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.
This blog article 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:
- 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?
- 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.
- Do you have an in-house software development capability, budget and helpdesk infrastructure to enable you to customize your own mobile software application(s)?
- Do you want to contract your mobile software application design, development and deployment to an experienced mobility company, or build it internally?
- Will you be synchronizing your field data with one back-office database, or multiple database applications?
- Do you know how to integrate field data to your database applications? Do you have your own DBA that can do this?
- 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?
- 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.
- 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?
- Have you considered the support effort required to manage large mobile software deployments? Do you have software in place to manage this?
- 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.
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