MobileDataforce, Home Healthcare & XV6700

My consulting team received this new XV6700 Pocket PC Phone this week from a customer. Our customer (in home healthcare) selected it to run our PointSync software on. They are using our PointSync software and a customized application we developed to monitor, remotely, the health condition and medicine that their 500 patients are using.

The bottom-line, my team loves this Pocket PC phone. It slides shut into a very comfortable phone, and the keyboard is very usable. The landscape screen gives you very readable emails and other data.

This particular phone is sold by both Sprint and Verizon.

MobileDataforce is being engaged on more and more of these home healthcare related projects.

Automated Business Processes on Handheld PDAs

A long time friend of mine, Bryan Larkin, was fond of saying that electronic data collection forms on handheld PDAs are much more powerful than simply digital versions of paper forms. When an end user creates a PDA data collection form using our Intercue Mobility Suite, they can control the quality of the data and the business process that the form represents. Let me provide some examples:

• Form 1 has a question with 3 possible answers (a,b,c). If you answer the question with "a", the electronic form on the PDA jumps you to another page to answer additional questions related to answer "a". The form is now customized to ask only questions related to your previous answers.
• If a question asked for a unit of measurement in meters, and you answer with a "yes", it can pop-up a message saying - "Invalid answer please use numeric answers"
• If you select a data collection form called "Phase 1 Site Assessment" the form can be configured to walk the user through each data collection process in the order desired. For example - first enter data from a "Nuclear Density Compaction Test", second collect soil samples, package and document them in a zip lock bag with a printed client label, third collect a water sample, place in a bottle with the client's label attached.......

The opportunities to creatively build work flows and business processes into electronic data collection forms on handheld PDAs are powerful and endless. The immediate values are improved quality assurance, process standardization, better data, controlled processes and normalized procedures.

Heavy Construction & Handheld PDAs

We have recently provided a mobile software solution to a large highway/roadway construction company in Ireland to address their need to document safety inspections on scaffolds and cranes. Ireland has safety regulations that require each work shift to inspect the scaffolds and cranes before using them. The purpose of these regulations are to avoid accidents like this recent one on Boston.

For those not geographically challenged - yes I took this photo in Spain, not Ireland, but it looks good and matches this topic so no complaints.

This customer has the requirement to document and store all safety inspections in case they are audited or there is an accident. Since many of their construction projects have 2 work shifts per day, this can mean up to 10 safety inspections per job site per week.

In order to keep all of these inspection forms organized and stored, they required the use of handheld computers on each job site that would synchronize the data from each safety inspection with a centrally managed database at their headquarters. The handheld PDAs were low cost iPAQ Pocket PCs from HP connected to a SQL database. The PDA version of the safety inspection forms were created using MobileDataforce's Intercue Mobility Suite.

Underground Cable Layers, Utilities & Handheld PDAs

A few months back we created a mobile work order management system for an "underground cable laying" business. I did not even realize this was an "industry" category, but soon learned it even has its own annual conference in Las Vegas.

Our customer works on behalf of utilities and phone companies to lay cable primarily along roadways. Our solution was delivered using Pocket PC handhelds, MobileDataforce's Intercue Mobility Suite software, and uploading to an MS-Access database application.

Recently this same customer has been pondering an upgrade to our PointSync solution which would allow for bi-directional database synchronization and a full RDBMS on his handhelds.

Bluetooth Adopts New Radio Technology: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

Here is an interesting article that describes how Bluetooth is evolving:

Bluetooth Adopts New Radio Technology: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

Currently, Bluetooth works only for low-speed uses like headsets and wireless keyboards. UWB, which has yet to appear in consumer devices, enables wireless transmissions at speeds equivalent to USB or FireWire cables at distances up to 10 feet.

Paper Data Collection vs. PDA Data Collection

A friend of mine works at a company that supplies temporary and contract labor. They recently supplied an electrical utility with a dozen workers to act as data collectors. They were given the task of counting the number of lines coming off of each electrical transformer. They were suppose to walk to the transformer, count the lines connected to it, and identify where each of the lines terminated.

Despite my valiant sales effort to convince them to use our PDA based data collection solutions, they decided to accomplish this task using paper forms on clipboards (my arch rival). The other day I met up with my friend and he shared that the project had been a disaster. Why? Large amounts of the required data collection fields were left blank, or were unreadable. Random testing of the data uncovered a great deal of inaccuracies. To add to these issues, the mistakes and problems were not discovered until the project was completed and the workers dismissed. Bad data in - bad data out.

How could MobileDataforce had made this project a success? Our data collection solutions for handheld PDAs can do the following:

1. Validate the data at the point of work
2. Ensure required fields are completed
3. Synchronize the data to a database for real time review and quality assurance
4. Tie the data collection process to individuals for quality assurance (pay only for quality)
5. GPS coordinates can be automatically captured and tied to the data collection

To send a group of temporary and unproven data collection people into the field with paper forms is expensive, time consuming and often a total failure. By automating the data collection process, and engaging in real-time quality assurance, you can ensure you are getting accurate data and the results you require.

Inspection Services on Handheld PDAs

Inspection services is a very popular category for MobileDataforce. We have hundreds of end users who are using our mobile software solutions to do facilities inspections, asset management inspections, quality assurance inspections, pharmacy inspections, animal inspections and more.

The process of inspecting an asset is quite similar across many verticals. An electronic inspection form on a handheld PDA needs to be created. The questions and data need to be customized to fit the exact requirements of the process. The data needs to be validated to ensure quality data is gathered, and a method for synchronizing and integrating with a back-office database needs to be configured. Both of our mobile software suites can accomplish this, Intercue Mobility Suite and PointSync.

The Intercue Mobility Suite saves the data gathered on the PDA as an XML file, and MobileDataforce's PointSync saves the data to a RDBMS on the handheld PDA that is configured to integrate with a back-office RDBMS.

PDA Based Vehicle Testing Application

This week one of my professional services teams (mobility gurus) are working on a very interesting mobile application for testing Hybrid cars. This application involves a handheld PDA using Windows Mobile connected to the automobile's diagnostics using a plugged in RS232 adapter. All cars manufactured after 1995 have this plug-in. This adapter is connected to an inline device that interprets the codes coming from the engine and feeds them to the handheld PDA. Once the data is fed to the PDA, our mobile software application, Intercue Mobility Suite, displays the data in an electronic form where additional human gathered data can be added. Once the data is gathered it can be uploaded directly to a database or spreadsheet for analysis. We seem to be working on a lot of vehicle inspections, analysis and other automotive solutions lately.

32 GB Flash Disk for Mobile Computers

This announcement may enable handheld Win CE or Windows Mobile devices to have up to 32 gigabytes of storage on each device. Anyone want to load SAP or Oracle on their Pocket PC?

Samsung launches 32 GB Flash disk for mobile computers TG Daily

More on Fleet Management & Handheld PDAs

My PSO (professional services team) is rolling out a fleet management solution next week that will involve up to 1,200 vans using Win CE mobile applications from MobileDataforce. These vans will pick up and deliver rail crews to different locations at the yard, hotels, airports, etc. The handheld PDA solution has the following requirements:

• Integration with a international dispatch system
• Integration with a GPRS and Satellite
• GPS and mapping
• Dome magnetically connected to the van roof and plugged into the handheld computer for dispatch synchronization
• ID of driver, van, rail crew
• Elapsed time from pick-up to delivery
• Driver Status
• Van Maintenance status
• Odometer and fuel status

This is a fun and challenging solution since it involves synchronizing over both GPRS and Satellite depending on the availability of the GPRS networks.

This solution uses our PointSync software, and Psion Teklogix handheld computers mounted on the dashboard, and a Satellite/GPRS dome from Wireless Matrix.

The architecture involves a database driven dispatch system in Canada, that communicates via GPRS or a satellite uplink with the van based handheld computers in the USA using a Win CE mobile software solution for fleet management from MobileDataforce.

PDAs on the Farm

The other day I put on my farm clothes, and headed off to a calf raising farm. Why? I wanted to see handheld computers in action. Farming is not done the same way as it was when I was a young dairyman. Now days as a result of "Mad Cow and Hoof-and-Mouth" diseases large buyers of meat (grocery stores, Japan, Europe many more...) want a meat seller to be able to track exactly where a steak originated, and they want it in 48 hours.

Just last week a cow in Alabama was found to have Mad Cow, and officials were not able to track the cow's origins beyond the auction yard. This is a big problem. There may be other exposed cows, but no one can tell. So healthy cows and clean farms all fall under suspicion. This becomes not just farmer's problem, but an industry's.

We are very involved in developing solutions for the cattle industry here at MobileDataforce. Our software enables a handheld computer with attached RFID readers to immediately and uniquely identify a calf with an RFID ear tag. So any movement of the calf from one pen to another, or from one farm to another can easily be tracked by reading the passing ear tags as the animals are moved or loaded onto a truck.

In addition, any health issues that the calf experiences as it grows can be identified by reading the RFID ear tag, and identifying the health problem and any treatments associated with that animal. This information stays with the calf through life and death.

So in effect - this solution is a "chain-of-custody" for animals. It tracks their movement, any associated farms, health issues and other animals that they have been in contact with them and the data is stored for "track-back" in the event of a disease outbreak.

This is a very interesting application of mobility. It is also an application with global health significance.

RAD Tools for Mobile Applications

My definition of a RAD tool is a Rapid Application Development application that allows a user to rapidly create mobile applications. What is the significance of a RAD tool? It is absolutely required if you are trying to quickly build a mobile business application.

No one wants to spend months or years of expensive time and energy developing synchronization features. No one wants to spend months or years figuring out how to integrate mobile applications with backend databases. No one wants to spend months developing connectivity with Satellites, GPRS, integration with RFID, Bar code, GPS, Digital cameras, etc. No one that is, except a few crazy mobility gurus and developers here at MobileDataforce. We have spent over 24 man years designing and developing a RAD tool for mobile applications called PointSync.

The purpose of this application is to do all the boring, time consuming work on your behalf, so you can spend your time configuring mobile applications to give you the best "return on investment". Our customers often say that over 80% of their mobile application requirements are already available in the RAD tool, PointSync. These users can reserve their time for configuring their mobile business processes, not optimizing C++ code for use on a large variety of different mobile handheld computers.

Cars Featuring Windows Mobile Inside

Today at the 2006 Geneva International Motor Show, Microsoft Corp.'s Automotive Business Unit introduced Windows Mobile for Automotive, a software platform and hardware reference design that helps the automotive industry speed the development of in-car infotainment systems for drivers and passengers worldwide. Concurrently, Microsoft and Fiat Auto Group unveiled Blue&Me, the first in-car infotainment system based on Windows Mobile for Automotive.

Blue&Me allows motorists to use voice commands and a push-to-talk button to operate their mobile phones, digital music players and other devices in a safer, more convenient manner in the car. The system supports hands-free communication for more than 140 types of mobile phones via a Bluetooth connection, and through a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port it can connect with a wide variety of personal music players and other devices. The software is upgradeable, so it can be refreshed to accommodate consumers' changing needs supporting future devices and new industry standards. The system supports nine languages and is available to drivers and passengers throughout Europe in the company's Fiat Grande Punto, Alfa Romeo 159, Alfa Romeo Spider and Alfa Romeo Brera models.

"The digital lifestyle is about staying connected with people and information, and enjoying digital entertainment, wherever you are — even in the car. Working with Fiat we have delivered automotive-grade systems that extend the digital lifestyle into the car at a price that is affordable to most car buyers," said Robbie Bach, president of the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. "Windows Mobile for Automotive provides performance, reliability and flexibility for a new generation of in-car communication and infotainment solutions." "By partnering with Microsoft, we've been able to design, test and deliver a new in-car infotainment system to market in less than two years," said Giuseppe Bonollo, vice president of Product Portfolio Management at Fiat Auto. "We look forward to offering similar Microsoft-powered systems to our customers in every new Fiat, Lancia and Alfa Romeo model over the next few years." Microsoft Windows Mobile for Automotive provides the industry with an open, standardized platform for in-car infotainment system development. Automakers developing in-car infotainment systems using the platform can tailor functionality for specific models or desired price points. For example, a navigation system in an economy car might only provide voice prompts and a heads-up display, while a luxury model may offer a full-color LCD display featuring maps and real-time traffic information. As a result, Windows Mobile for Automotive helps the industry achieve the following: — Fast time to market. Manufacturers can move quickly to market with a standards-based, ready-to-install electronics gateway that gives consumers hands-free digital access to cell phones, music and information in their cars. — Low development costs. Windows Mobile for Automotive frees OEMs from the need to develop proprietary software - with its associated high development costs. This entry-level solution is based on a familiar Microsoft programming model and supports industry standards for reliability, power consumption and temperature variations. — Flexible implementation. Available in two versions, Windows Mobile for Automotive can easily be tailored to meet automakers' needs across a variety of models, vehicle types and price points. Because the software is upgradeable, support for new devices, applications and industry standards can be added to increase functionality for drivers and passengers over the life of the car. Software upgrades can be easily deployed by the dealer via the wireless connection or USB port.

Meter Maintenance Applications on Tablet PCs

My team is completing an application for a company that contracts to electrical utilities on the East coast. They are involved in meter maintenance and repair. The unique part of this application is that they asked for both a PDA version of their mobile application, and a Tablet PC version. I have included a screen shot of their Tablet PC version. We developed and configured this application using PointSync software. They also required us to integrate their mobile application with GPS and their backend database.

PointSync allowed us to build one application, and publish it to 2 different formats, 1) Pocket PC and 2) Tablet PC. The application did not change, just the way we layed out the screens. Since the Tablet PC has bigger screens, we could display more information on it.

Safety Inspections at Power Generation Plants

We have recently completed a project for a very large fossil fuel power generation plant in the SE. It involved safety inspections to conform to OSHA requirements. A sample of the Pocket PC application is displayed here.

This project involved labeling equipment and breaker boxes with bar code labels, so inspectors could quickly scan then to determine the date of last inspection and maintenance cycles. This data was then synchronized with a central safety compliance database for storage and auditing purposes.

This safety and maintenance inspection application was customized and configured using MobileDataforce's PointSync and used Dell Axim Pocket PCs using bluetooth Socket Scanners for reading the bar codes.

PDA Based Work Order Management System

Our professional serivces team has recently completed a very successful project with Kane Furniture that involved mobilizing their work order management system. Tim Cerami, our PSO Manager has written up the details for your reference.

The Challenge:
Since 1948, Kane’s Furniture has become one of Florida’s fasting growing furniture retailers. Along with this growth came the challenges of managing an efficient service order organization. Kane’s knew their existing paper-based service order system was costing them valuable time everyday due to costly data reentry.

By introducing mobile technology in the field, Kane’s and MobileDataforce engineered a custom solution that allows technicians to completely eliminate paper, respond to customers with more complete information and eliminate costly data reentry entirely.

The Solution:
MobileDataforce developers and engineers worked with Kane’s management and technical team to build a custom mobile application (similar to the one seen in the picture above) and data transfer process that streamlined the process of getting data from the field to their backend database.

Kane’s chose standard Dell Axim handheld devices for its mobile service technicians. Devices are brought back to the office where they synchronize to the PointSync Server using standard USB cradles. At the heart of the mobile solution is the MobileDataforce PointSync mobility tool. To build a simple, easy to use mobile application, PointSync Developer was used to quickly build the user interface and business logic. To facilitate device connectivity and synchronization logic, PointSync Server and Manager where deployed. To seamlessly integrate with Kane’s existing backend database design, customized file exports were also integrated into the PointSync configuration.

The Results/Benefits:
With PointSync mobile technology being used in each service technician’s hands, Kane’s saves over two (2) hours per day for each of their store locations. With this glowing success in their services organization, Kane’s is looking to mobilize other aspects of their business, including a large furniture delivery organization.

Handheld PDAs & Waste Management

I am often surprised. MobileDataforce's original business plan did not list waste management as an industry we were going to target with our mobile software solutions for ruggedized handheld PDAs, however we find ourselves delivering mobile waste management applications monthly.

In the next couple of weeks I am going to detail a very cool waste management solution we are just now implementing in Dublin, Ireland. It involves "chain-of-custody" for waste, and compliance with new EU laws.

The common threads in these applications are the use of MobileDataforce's PointSync software, waste hauling trucks/lorries, waste containers or bins, and documentation of all materials picked up and delivered.

PDAs in the Rail Industry

This is an interesting blog on the subject of mobile applications in the rail industry.

TelematicsWire.com -Rail

MobileDataforce is now working on a proposal to use RFID to inspect and inventory cargo in rail cars. This is quite interesting. The user walks up to a rail car and uses an RFID reader on a ruggedized PDA to see what is in it. This solution uses our PointSync software to integrate with the RFID reader, query a database on the handheld computer, and show information on the cargo in the car.

Ticket evaders targeted with PDAs

Westminster's parking attendants using PDAs to track motorists who fail to pay their fines.

Ticket evaders targeted

Palm OS Based Vibration Spectrum Analyzer

I love seeing companies put PDAs to work. The following links show how the power of Palm PDAs can be used for machine condition monitoring, predictive maintenance, and routine troubleshooting.

Datastick Systems, Inc., introduces the VSA-1212 Vibration Spectrum Analyzer, the first PDA-based vibration analyzer to use standard, off-the-shelf ICP®-type piezoelectric accelerometers for machine condition monitoring, predictive maintenance, and routine troubleshooting. Includes VSA-1212 Vibration Spectrum Analyzer, Datastick Spectrum handheld software, and Datastick Reporting System™ for VSA personal computer software.

Our Intercue Mobility Suite can be integrated with a large variety of testing equipment. The integration can be directly with the handheld PDA via USB, bluetooth or IRDA.

PDAs for Fire Brigades

Here is an interesting article about using PDAs in real time to convey information about an incident scene. The integration of real-time video, digital images and GPS information is particularly interesting.

Australian IT - PDAs for fire brigade (Kelly Mills, FEBRUARY 14, 2006): "
PDAs for fire brigade

Emergency management: Jason Catlin says the PDAs are being tested in counter-terrorism drills. The organisation is the first of a number of emergency services groups in Australia to give the nod to the counter-terrorism and emergency management system using PDAs.

MobileDataforce's PointSync software is an excellent platform for these kinds of solutions. We are receiving inquiries from Fire Brigades all around the globe. We are currently working on a relatively large project for a Fire Brigade in the UK.

We also get many inquires concerning fire safety inspections where they use PDAs to inspect fire extinguishers, compliance to fire code, etc.

Gartner Says Worldwide PDA Shipments Reach Record Level in 2005

Gartner Says Worldwide PDA Shipments Reach Record Level in 2005

PDA Shipments of 14.9 Million Units in 2005 Tops Previous Mark Set
in 2001

STAMFORD, Conn., February 14, 2006, Worldwide personal digital assistant
(PDA) shipments totaled a record 14.9 million units in 2005, a 19 percent
increase from 2004, according to Gartner, Inc. The 2005 results topped
the previous record of 13.2 million PDAs shipped worldwide in 2001.

Research In Motion (RIM) became the No. 1 PDA vendor based on worldwide
shipments in 2005 as it accounted for 21.4 percent of total shipments. Its shipments in 2005 increased 47 percent from 2004. These results do not include an estimated 858,000 BlackBerry smartphones shipped in 2005, which Gartner classifies separately because of their
voice-centric design.

'RIM does not appear to be losing much momentum despite its legal
problems and the threat of an injunction,' said Todd Kort, principal
analyst in Gartner's Computing Platforms Worldwide group. 'Generally,
BlackBerry users are staying put because of the high cost of switching,
lack of suitable alternative devices, and the low probability of
BlackBerry service being shut down.'

Palm shipped 2.77 million PDAs in 2005, down 25 percent from 2004
shipments. These results exclude Palm's Treo smartphone shipments
of 1.95 million units in 2005.

Palm regained the PDA market lead in the fourth quarter of 2005 with 1.04 "

RSS Primer

I have been interested in RSS for sometime and recently found a good primer by Simon Dickson from the UK. If you are interested have a read.

RSS primer for your line manager

MobileDataforce & Military PDA Devices

Several month's ago we got an order to support Microvision's Nomad Display System. This is one of the most unusual Win CE devices we have ever worked on. It uses a helmet, or headset display system with the Win CE device strapped to your belt. The intent of this device is to enable you to see the Win CE screen through an eye piece display that allows you to keep your hands free for other tasks.

One of the featured uses of these kind of displays is demonstrated in Microvision's advertising literature. It shows a soldier with an M16 rifle in his hands and a helmet mounted eye piece.

I think the concept is interesting, but there are also some challenges. It is quite easy to get dizzy, or to get eye strain when one eye is sighting down the rifle barrel and the other eye is viewing a moving GPS map. It kind of makes you feel like a Budweiser lizard.

None-the-less, our PointSync software now supports these headsets. You can query all kinds of database information, diagrams, maps, etc while pretending to listen to your girlfriend or spouse across the table.

TDS Recon - The Humvee of Pocket PCs

If you are working in wet and rugged environments you may want to consider the TDS Recon. I have seen them running underwater and they fit nicely in the hand. Some devices feel like they would shatter if dropped to concrete, not the Recon.

Our PointSync software, for data collection and inspection applications, is used on many of these devices in outdoor environments where water and durability are an issue. Recons are about 3-4 times more money than a consumer grade Pocket PC, but will certainly last 3-4 times longer in rough conditions.

The waterproof Recon weighs just 17 ounces, meets military specifications for drops, vibration, and both high and low temperature operation, and runs Windows Mobile 2003 software for Pocket PCs. The Recon works wherever and whenever you need it.