Mobility Solutions

Infotech has successfully helped many businesses improve productivity by extending email access and familiar applications to mobile workers.

Mobile devices enable an organisation to extend its traditional computing infrastructure to the farthest reaches of its business and to its mobile work force in these fundamental ways:

• Personal information management (PIM). Almost everyone benefits from having their current calendar, contacts, and e-mail available wherever they are.

• Documents. Productivity applications such as Microsoft Office Word and Microsoft Office Excel have been broadly used to create documents on the PC. Now these documents, along with Web pages and multimedia data, can be readily available in one’s pocket or even on one’s phone. Even voice and written notes can be synchronised from Windows Mobile-based devices to Microsoft Office OneNote 2003 on PCs.

• Line-of-business applications. Replacing paper-based business processes with forms-based applications on mobile devices can result in significant advantages for a business. Because data is captured at the point of origin in a digital, electronic form, the accuracy of that data increases and business reporting time is consequently reduced. These changes can result in faster, better-informed business decisions. Efficiencies in data collection can also reduce operational costs. The launch of the Microsoft .NET Compact Framework has opened many new possibilities to application developers. By using the .NET Compact Framework, developers are creating rich, robust mobile applications for devices with Windows Mobile 2003 software and allow for reliable data transactions and working with disconnected data sets. Users can also access full PC applications using Terminal Services on a Windows-based server, as the Terminal Server client is incorporated into Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PCs.

Mobile professionals span many job roles including corporate executives, sales representatives, construction engineers, health-care professionals, field service technicians, warehouse employees and vehicle drivers. No matter where someone works, mobile devices enable them to access the information and services they need to respond to customer’s needs or inquiries, get their jobs done faster and with more efficient and higher-quality results.

Two horizontal application areas that experience measurable business improvements when extended to mobile devices involve the areas of an organisation that are directly responsible for bringing in the revenue and for managing internal supply chain operations: Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), which provides for an integrated solution that combines key areas of an organisation’s mission critical applications such as accounting and financial management, supply chain management, manufacturing, HRM and payroll and CRM.

The reach of an organisation’s computing infrastructure can be significantly extended through the use of Windows Mobile-based devices, placing information and services in the hands of those making critical business decisions and serving customers anytime, anywhere.