Showing posts with label rugged handhelds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rugged handhelds. Show all posts

Mobile Expert Video Series: PSION's Gregg Anderson

As much as we like to talk about smartphones and tablets on this site, there remains a huge market for ruggedized and industrial grade mobile handheld computers.  Gregg Anderson, with PSION, shares some of the latest developments in this area in an interview that I recorded with him last week at the SAPinsider Mobile2012 conference.




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Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile Industry Analyst, Consultant and SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict
Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility analyst, consultant and blogger. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.
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Thinking about Mobile Devices for Field Services?

Boise Foothills
It is interesting listening to mobility vendors today.  Many began as recent start-ups and their entire mobility careers have been focused on supporting white collar workers using powerful smartphones integrated with ERPs.  However, mobility vendors that started a decade or more ago see the world in a different light.  They are more sensitive to the needs and requirements of the field service technician, the lineman and inspector.  These users are in the field, on remote job sites and subject to the weather and harsh working conditions surrounding them.  These workers appreciate the term, rugged, especially as it relates to mobile devices.

PSION EP10
There is a big difference between working environments, which should be considered and influence the kinds of mobile devices selected for use by your mobile workforce.  When I am jogging outdoors it is very hard for me to stop in the bright sunlight of Boise, Idaho and read the screen on my iPhone.  It is very dim in bright sunlight.  What if my entire work was dependent on me using an iPhone app in these conditions?  It would be bad.  My eyes would suffer.  Different working environments absolutely need different kinds of screens, batteries, barcode scanners, RFID, keyboards and different levels of ruggedness.

Syclo, a mobility vendor with many utility and field services customers, has recently published a useful FAQ paper for organizations considering the merits of different kinds of devices.

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Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile Industry Analyst, Consultant and SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict
Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility analyst, consultant and blogger. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.
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Mobile Expert Video Series: Onyeka Nchege

I had the good fortune to interview CIO Onyeka Nchege with Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated this week at the Enterprise Mobility Exchange in Las Vegas. Onyeka gave an insightful presentation in which he warned IT organizations to become the owners of enterprise mobility or else.



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Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile Industry Analyst, Consultant and SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict
Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility analyst, consultant and blogger. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.
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Mobile Expert Podcast Series: Apacheta's Don Grust, Part 1

In this two part segment I interview mobility expert and Apacheta's CEO Don Grust on issues related to cloud computing, ruggedized handhelds, field services and enterprise mobility.  Don Grust has more than 28 years of experience in the high-tech industry, including 17 years in wireless and mobile computing. Listen to Part 2 here.




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Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict
Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility analyst, consultant and blogger. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.
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Best Channel Products 2011 - Handheld Computers

Remember handheld computers?  They are ruggedized, often black, and sometimes come with a pistol grip that people can use for specialized tasks.  Often they are used in situations where bar code scanning, RFID reading and other specialized tasks are needed in high volume.  Today it is easy to forget about this category of mobile devices because there are so many new and spectacular smartphones available.  However, smartphones cannot replace ruggedized handhelds in many different roles. 

I stopped a Home Depot employee in an orange apron last week and asked him about the handheld computer he was carrying.  My wife just kept right on walking for some reason.  He said they could nearly run the entire store from the handheld.  He showed me how he could check products in his store inventory and all the other Home Depot stores in the area from the device.

I read an article today in Business Solutions magazine called Best Channel Products 2011.  Business Solutions magazine surveyed VARs (value added resellers) to learn what they thought were the best channel products of 2011.  In the handheld computer category the VARs chose the Omnii XT10, ultra-rugged, modular handheld computer from Psion.  I looked up the Omnii to learn more and here is how they describe it, "It is targeted at demanding users, such as ports, airports, supply chain and logistics operations. It is designed to be almost completely re-configurable in the field.  It can be adapted for new technologies or even be re-purposed as customer needs change. The upgradeable and interchangeable modules are not only developed by Psion, but also by an expanding network of more than 200 developer partners around the world.

Let me highlight some differences between smartphones and ruggedized industrial grade handhelds.  Handheld computers like the Omnii XT10 can be taken apart and adapted for different purposes.  You can replace the bar code scanner, insert an RFID reader, change the keypad, etc.  If one component is broken, it can be repaired or replaced.  If your needs change, you can re-configure the handheld to meet your new requirements.  None of those features are available on today's popular smartphones.  If you break it, you just buy a new one.

I am a big fan of smartphones, however, it is still important for all of us in the enterprise mobility space to remember there are times when a specialized and ruggedized handheld computer may be the better fit for the job.

***Remember the Build vs. Buy: Mobile App Development - Webinar coming up next Wednesday, August 24th at 1:00 ON EDT,  Read more here...



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Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer
Follow me on Twitter @krbenedict
Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility analyst, consultant and blogger. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.
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Mobile Handheld PDAs and Mobile Software Application Resources

If you are interested in information related to mobile computing, mobile handheld PDAs and mobile software strategies for your business, you may find this Knol (Google's name for a unity of knowledge) called Mobile Software & Handheld PDA Business Strategies valuable. It contains many useful articles on mobile computing, selecting the best mobile handhelds and advice on developing mobile software applications. Here is the table of contents for your reference:

The ROI in Mobile Applications
What ROI Can I Expect?
10 Steps to Implementing a Successful Enterprise Mobile Solution
Mobilizing and Automating Business Processses During a Down Economy
Mobilized Work Orders
Designing a Mobile Solution to Automate Business Processes
Learning from Mobile Solution Deployments
The Evolution of a Mobile Solution
Buying vs. Building Mobile Applications
Supporting a Customized Mobile Software Application
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Mobile Software, PDAs, Rugged Handhelds and SAP

SAP is one of the largest software company in the world, and yet, SAP cannot easily process a simple work order or field service ticket. Think about it! Millions of people use SAP and it has difficulty processing an invoice from a plumber that fixed your office toilet. Let's explore this more.

The poor plumber completes his work, pulls out his rugged handheld PDA and fills out the electronic work order. Once it is completed he has the customer sign the screen and prints an invoice on his mobile printer. The customer (SAP user) takes the invoice and gives it to the Accounts Payable department. The Accounts Payable department looks to see what purchase order the invoice is associated with and finds none. There is now an invoice dispute.

I see this challenge with companies receiving invoices from law firms and in the Oil industry (Upstream). Both industries submit many invoices to firms using SAP and these invoices are rarely associated with a PO. What's the answer? I invite your thoughts.

Even though the world of mobile applications and rugged handheld computers may permit faster invoicing for services, there still needs to be business process improve on the customer side in order for efficiencies to be realized.
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Interesting New Projects

It is never dull here at MobileDataforce. Every day has its own set of interesting new projects. Here are some of the latest business processes and projects we are reviewing or mobilizing:
  • Time sheets
  • Pet vaccination tracking
  • Tracking medicine shipping to Africa
  • Concrete testing
  • Government housing inspection projects
  • Subway system switch inspections
  • Tracking condom distribution to clinics
  • Beverage distribution and promotion system
  • Clinical studies on sever spinal injuries
  • Electronic Patient diaries for Hemophiliac patients
  • ATM repair and maintenance
  • Heating ventilation and air condition work orders
  • Electric company's work order system
  • Oxygen delivery
  • Propane delivery
  • Medical supply delivery
  • Much more...

MobileDataforce's PointSync Mobility Platform is used by companies around the world to mobilize a wide variety of business processes.

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RFID Solutions on Handheld Computers and PDA at MobileDataforce


Last year at this time MobileDataforce was receiving a lot of questions from companies asking about RFID for use on mobile handheld PDAs and rugged handheld computers. They wanted to know what was possible with RFID. It was an educational process, rather than a buying process. I am happy to say (as the CEO of a software company) that companies are now buying RFID solutions. Today we are involved in numerous RFID solution implementations and projects.

We have implemented RFID ear tags on cattle, we have implemented a number of asset tracking applications, and now we are reviewing a project to add RFID tags to shopping carts. How interesting!
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Interviews with Kevin Benedict