Ruggedized Digital Cameras and Windows CE

Two Technologies has an interesting product strategy with their Jett-Eye handheld PDA. They have in effect created a ruggedized digital camera in the form of a handheld PDA. Their product marketing emphasizes the camera features as its most distinctive component.

Take digital color pictures in the field. Capture data on the go. Seamlessly connect with the office. Simultaneously increase field service productivity, improve customer service, and turbo charge your profits—all while improving your customer relationships. This complex scenario is now made simple with the JETT•eye. It was designed to make all of this possible at an affordable price point.

Rugged True-Camera-System- 5.17 MP color CMOS Sensor (4MP processed)
• Camera System scans bar codes and processes digital images with auto-focus and illumination

One no longer must settle for a 1.3 megapixel camera in a handheld PDA.

We at MobileDataforce get requirements weekly from companies asking for digital image integration within their mobile data collection applications. Projects involving asset management, conditional assessments, inspections, work orders, quality assurance and law enforcement and compliance often require as must data collection as possible. High resolution cameras just enhance this capability.

Furniture Delivery & Mobile Handheld PDA Solutions

I had a piece of furniture delivered this week and it was an interesting experience with a mobile software application for handheld PDAs. The delivery team had an Intermec 700C Pocket PC with an integrated data card and a bar code scanner with them. I asked them to tell me what they do with it and here is what they said.

1. They first scan all boxed furniture as they load it into the trucks. This allows the office to see where any piece of furniture is at any time.


2. The scan is synchronized with the enterprise database and the addresses of the delivery location and the customer information is pulled down to the handheld computer.


3. When they unload the furniture at the delivery location, they scan the bar code on the label of the boxed furniture and fill out an electronic delivery form on the handheld computer with the deliver driver's name, date and time stamp on it.


4. They carry the boxes into the house and remove the furniture from it.


5. They inspect the furniture for damage


6. They ask the customer to inspect the furniture for any damage and then sign their digital signature on the Intermec bar code scanner screen.
7. Any identified damage that is documented activates an additional "damage report" form on the handheld computer.


8. The driver also signs his name on the screen to verify his delivery.


9. The Intermec bar code scanner synchronizes the data via GPRS back to the enterprise database.


10. Any changes to the driver's routes or deliveries are synchronized out to the driver's handheld computer and a pop-up window with an alert bell informs the driver of a new dispatch.

The above list contains a good example of how to effectively use handheld solution for the following:

• proof-of-delivery
• scheduling of deliveries
• near real-time dispatch
• near real-time notification of deliveries
• near real-time notification of route progress
• inventory tracking
• damaged goods inspection and reporting
• work order management

The problem - the delivery man still had me sign 4 copies of paper forms. What was that all about? 2 copies of delivery forms, and 2 customer service forms verifying there was no damage to the furniture upon delivery. I also had to sign my initials verifying the time of delivery. I asked him if the handheld computer saved him time and he answered no and that it added time to the delivery because he must climb into the back of the truck and scan all of the bar codes before leaving the warehouse, and scan then all again upon delivery....plus fill out the same information on paper forms. OK, that is a problem.

The delivery company had not integrated many of the associated business processes yet. They had made a good first step, but they needed to get all the paper forms on the handheld. The driver does not want to carry a handheld computer in one hand, and a stack of papers in the other. You want to reduce work, not add another layer of it.

The furniture delivery company had automated part of the process (dispatch and proof-of-delivery), but not the customer service forms and the furniture company's inspection reporting documentation.

A complete integration of business processes would have all the data collection requirements for all the various third parties on the same handheld device. The device would synchronize the data back to the office and all the relevant "data" would be forwarded to the appropriate business partners and integrated with their IT systems. This solution would save a great deal of delivery time, internal staff resources and paper.

Appforge Selling Off Pieces

More reports and rumors on Appforge:

Appforge's website URL now re-directs to Oracle. Last week I heard that Appforge sold their customer list to a different software company, and now their website domain to Oracle?

If there were any kind of value in the Appforge business plan, it seems they would have kept the customer list and website domain together and sold them as a package. The customer list is a key asset and represents their marketing and sales efforts since 2001. Their web domain name is their key marketing real estate. Separating them seems to represent there was minimal value in the business. Anyone looking for used cubicles, desks, computers and chairs?

If this is true (I read it on the internet so it must be), they are truly selling the company in pieces rather than to a company looking to support the product line and customer base.

MobileDataforce is a mobile software solutions company that provides an alternative for Appforge customers.

Thanks for the news Arfur C!

Appforge Strategy vs Mobile Software Platform for PDAs, Smartphones and Handhelds

Appforge provided software developers with pre-built code scripts, code libraries, and developer tools for developing applications for PDAs, handhelds and Smartphones 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

Printek's FieldPro Printer for Use with Mobile Handheld PDAs

One of MobileDataforce's customers operates a parking garage management company in the SE of the USA. In addition to operating city parking garages, they also contract with municipal governments to issue parking tickets when vehicles are illegally parked. This customer required a mobile printer like the Printek FieldPro pictured here for use with their mobile handheld PDAs. It is designed to be used out-of-doors in the dust and the rain and to operate on batteries. Since most of our customers operate in these environments this is a very appealling design! Our customer's employees walk around the garage and the city filling out electronic forms on their rugged handheld computers and printing citations. They needed a rugged, mobile printer that operates on batteries and connects to the handheld computer via bluetooth.

MobileDataforce's PointSync Mobility Platform printing module enabled them to connect via cable or bluetooth to these kind of rugged mobile printers.

Other MobileDataforce customers need a portable mobile printer that prints on standard sized paper forms and often turn to mobile printers that are designed to stay in the vehicle like the HP 450. The big difference is this printer is portable and lightweight, but is not designed to be wearable on a belt and suffer the effects of rain and dust. Here is HP's description -

• High-performance printing virtually anytime, anywhere with photo-quality resolution, minimal, user intervention and a wide range of wired and wireless connectivity options, including Bluetooth wireless technology.

Often our customers want to leave a paper forms at their customer's location such as a completed "service request" or a "proof-of-delivery" form. If their vehicle is close to their worksite, an HP 450 may be sufficient, but if you need a ruggedized mobile printer that operates on batteries, fits on your belt and is connected via bluetooth with your handheld computer, then the Printek FieldPro is a great option.

MobileDataforce® Expands in Asia with New Singapore Reseller

Boise, Idaho— April 11, 2007 – MobileDataforce®, a leading provider of business critical mobile software applications for use on handheld PDA and smartphones, 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 for use on smartphones, industrial handhelds and PDAs using the Windows Mobile OS. 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/.

More on Appforge's Demise

I had the chance to speak to another industry mobility expert yesterday about the recent demise of Appforge, and his opinion was that Appforge competed too closely with Microsoft and lost.

Appforge's original business plan seemed to assume that the business community would adopt the Palm and the Symbian operating systems in significant numbers, but that simply did not happen. Companies that were seeking to mobilize business solutions were using Windows Mobile or Windows CE operating systems. This left Appforge with only the Microsoft developer community as a sizable target market, and this community tended to stick with the Visual Studio and .NET development environment for programming tools.

Appforge found themselves competing head-to-head with Microsoft's VB .NET. At some point the VC funding stopped and Appforge failed to find a buyer. Now that they have shut the doors, rumor has it they are selling off the remaining company assets brick by brick.

MobileDataforce offers an alternative approach to mobile solution development. They develop RAD tools (rapid application development tools) for quickly designing, developing and deploying mobile solutions with minimal programming required. They target enterprises who are mobilizing their business processes on the Windows Mobile and Windows CE operating systems.

Dead - Dell Axim Handheld 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

Inspection Failure & Handheld PDAs

NON-COMPLIANCE! REJECTION! There are so many different ways to fail an inspection. If you could see the stacks of inspection forms that sit on the desks of my professional services teams you could barely sleep at night! Have you ever thought about how many different ways you could fail an inspection?

If you were an elevator in Broward County, Florida - you could fail the following inspections: 7010, 7900, 7020, 7040, 7060, 7030, 7050, 7070, 7090

And believe me...you don't want to fail 7070.

In each of these inspections - you could end up in violation in so many different ways. You could receive "Danger Sign", "Ascending Car Over Speed", "Alarm Bell", and "Door Closing Speed" violations.

If you were a commercial establishment that sells medical narcotics legally, there are inspections completed by the State Board of Pharmacy. If you are a commercial establishment that sells narcotics illegally, then you have other problems to worry about.

In a juvenile corrections facility you could fail the nightly bed check inspection.

If you are a pest, you could fail a huge list of different inspections.

Termites, mold, water, soil, food, vehicle, safety, OSHA, fire equipment - there are thousands of different inspections you could likely fail at any point during the day.

In the electrical utility industry you could fail the following inspections before lunch:

Padmount transformer inspection
Manhole inspection
Pothead inspection (don't ask)
Vault (Substation) inspections
Station inspections
Padmount station inspections
Pole inspections
As-built data collection
Line patrol inspections
Ground rod inspections
Underground Splice inspections
Network secondary transformer inspections
Underground secondary network inspections
Customer equipment inspections
Sub-transmission insulator inspections
Switching center inspections
Farm metering inspection

The thing all these inspections have in common is that you can fail them all on a handheld PDA using inspection software, and the failure can be synchronized wirelessly back to the central database where your wife can immediately be notified.

Psion Teklogix's WorkAbout Pro Handheld and RFID

Over the last couple of weeks I have highlighted a lot of handheld PDAs that I have found interesting, however, when I walk the halls of our offices and look on the desks of our professional services teams, I see a whole lot of the Psion Teklogix WorkAbout Pro. I know my team has loaded our PointSync mobile software client onto hundreds of these handhelds recently. They are popular with companies that need a rugged handheld that can be opened up and configured with a large variety of different add-ons. For example, if you want a basic pocket pc in a rugged case today, but will soon need to add a GPRS wireless card, or a GPS receiver, or a RFID reader, the WorkAbout Pro is a good option. It can be reconfigured at will with in minutes. The WorkAbout Pro shown in the image above has an add-on RFID reader attached. This one was used for tracking cattle IDs using passive RFID ear tags.

The ability to reconfigure your industrial/rugged device should not be taken for granted. Most industrial grade handhelds come pre-configured and do not allow you to change the configuration once they are purchased. The WorkAbout Pro is the one industrial grade handheld that I have seen that gives the user the flexibility to change and upgrade after the purchase.