Appforge Discussion Group

I found this online discussion group on the subject of Appforge. It is mostly Appforge developers trying to determine what to do next, and how to activate their existing licenses when no one answers the phone at Appforge.

http://81.149.78.146/Appforge/default.asp

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