Mobile Software Solutions and Breakfast in Boise

The sales team at MobileDataforce prepared a delicious breakfast for the rest of the company this morning. They served "New York" style muffins (fried muffins with butter) and wonderful omelets! The photo on the right shows Jody Sedrick (in the red apron) making an omelet, while Sean Robideau supervises.

MobileDataforce is having a record sales year developing mobile software solutions for use on smartphones and handheld PDAs and the growth keeps everyone very focused. The sales team wanted to thank our customers, and all the other departments in MobileDataforce for the hard work that goes into supporting this growth.

This photo was taken from the back door of our office on the Boise river.

Otterbox and the iPAQ Handheld PDA Drop Test

Question - What does MobileDataforce do with old HP iPAQs?

Answer - We place them in a variety of rugged Otterbox cases and drop them to see if these handheld PDAs will break.

Details: We dropped the HP iPAQ many times from 8 feet. We used 2 different Otterboxs and we could not break the iPAQ inside. We then used a rugged iPAQ case from HP. The rugged case shattered, but not the iPAQ. So if you had a large number of HP cases, the iPAQ would be fine.

TDS Ranger & Trimble Ranger Rugged Handheld Computer

The TDS, or Trimble Ranger pictured here in the development screen of the PointSync Mobility Platform, is an interesting and very usable device. It is designed around the concept of a landscape view that makes it easier to read long data fields. This particular device is water proof and comes with more buttons than you could ever use. It has a full alphabetical keyboard and a full number pad plus navigation buttons.

Although one of the larger rugged handheld computers, the shape is very agreeable to the grip and the weight is reasonable. One of our customers is currently using this device in the context of mobile autobody services.

Unscientific Analysis of the Mobile Software Market for Handheld PDAs

If you are looking for a scientific study, with verifiable statistics, on the trends to be found in the enterprise mobile software application market, this is the wrong place. What I can share is the following examples from the past few days in Boise, Idaho, USA.

Last week I looked out of my office window (I do this a lot to appear contemplative), and see a mobile dent repair van in the parking lot. We have been involved with many mobile dent repair business application projects - my sales team swarmed him. Later that day the paintless dent repair technician visited our website to download information on our mobile solutions for paintless dent repair.

Yesterday, I visited Starbucks (this was not my first time), and saw a gentleman wearing a shirt that had a "Carrier" logo. Carrier is a manufacturer of Air Conditioning equipment. We have been involved with numerous mobile software application projects with HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) companies.

I said, "Howdy! I work for a company that develops software applications for handheld PDAs used in the HVAC industry." He looked at me with surprise (I get that a lot when I talk to people) and then he said, "I am looking for mobile work order software for my HVAC business right now."

Later, I was working in my tomato garden (a world class production) last week and my neighbor came over. He leaned against my fence and said the software company he works for is interested in mobilizing their work order management software application. I know just the company I told him. He is coming over to the office later this week.

Again yesterday I was returning to the office after having visited a unique, one-of-a-kind place called Starbucks, and there in the parking lot was a van with the words "Mobile Windshield Repair" on the side. I went down the hall to our sales department and pointed out the window. With an explosion of papers and headsets the room cleared. The Mobile Windshield company has many locations and vans operating across multiple states. They are interested in mobilizing their dispatch and work order processes.

My truly unscientific analysis suggests the market is very interested in mobilizing business processes today. I want to be the first to raise my hand and say - talk to us here at MobileDataforce. We have operations in North America, Europe and in Australia. We are helping companies achieve inspiring returns on their investments in mobile solutions and providing significant competitive advantages around the world.

Handheld Computers & Rugged PDAs Everywhere

When you walk the halls of MobileDataforce you will see desk's covered with PDAs, rugged handheld computers, bar code scanners, cradles, satellite domes, etc. On a pass a few minutes ago I saw the following:

• Intermec CN3
• Psion Teklogix's WorkAbout Pro (different sizes)
• Socket SoMo (and Socket Bar code Scanner)
• Symbol MC70
• Palm Treo 750 (700, 650...)
• HP iPAQ
• Dell Axim
• Symbol 9000
• T-Mobile MDA
• Samsumg
• Casio
• Mobile Mapper CE
• Itronix Duo-Touch
• TDS Nomad
• Mobile Printers of all kinds

A paradise of mobile gadgets, Windows Mobile applications,cradles and cables that we are testing or deploying at sites around the world.

Two weeks ago one of our senior engineers had a Psion Teklogix WorkAbout Pro on his desk. It was sent to us from a customer in the UK, shipped from the Netherlands and manufactured in France. It contained a specialized RFID radio in it that we configured to work with the PointSync Mobility Platform. This solution was going to be used on RFID enabled "wheelie bins" or large trash containers. What could be more fun?

For those of you pondering how to choose the right hardware for your company's needs, please follow this link and download the document called, "Selecting Appropriate Handheld Computers."