It is obvious that the hardware side of technology for mobile applications has exploded in recent years. Although many new applications are technically feasible, the critical success factor is the user’s "gloves-on" acceptance. This requires software to effectively harness the tools in a manner that is easily used and controlled by the field user or dispatcher, and easily interfaced to other, multiple, disparate information systems. Obviously, a truck full of gadgets will be rarely used, difficult to support and impossible to integrate. Thus, the fundamental work tasks need to be supported together and fully integrated. If software is not carefully architected for compatibility and expandability, we can easily end up with a jacket full of individual mobile hardware apps, which of course would not be used.

Reprinted with Permission from har*GIS Field Information Systems