MobileFrame Blog

A note from our CEO, Lonny Oswalt 

It’s been a busy year here at MobileFrame.  Gartner’s inclusion of MobileFrame in the 2017 Mobile Application Development Platforms (MADP) Magic Quadrant speaks volumes about the quality and sophistication of our code-free platform; a feather in our cap for our core focus and committed dedication to excellence for the past 16 years and counting.  During this time we’ve seen a great many changes in our industry, with many mobile platform solution providers coming and going, as well as large swings in the use cases for apps being deployed across the enterprise in a multitude of different environments spanning every facet of business vertical and industry.

Our platform has continued to evolve to meet the challenges of changing mobile operating systems with the release of version 6, our next generation code-free platform supporting iOS, Android and Windows.  MobileFrame has a long history of addressing the many challenges facing enterprises as they have sought to digitize their mobile workforce.

For more information on those lessons learned DZone recently published an article written by MobileFrame, “Why Most Enterprise Mobility Projects Fail”.

While MobileFrame has been solely focused in code-free mobile computing technology since our founding, Gartner has now also come to adopt and recommend that same approach to mobile projects, “if you don’t already use a MADP, evaluate and deploy one as a cornerstone product supporting your mobile development strategy, especially if your organization is starting to develop and deploy mobile apps at high volume (for example, more than six apps per year).”  While getting the right product in place is an important factor, supporting customers has continued to be an area of emphasis for MobileFrame as well.  In the Gartner MADP surveys, our reference customers gave MobileFrame one of the higher overall customer satisfaction scores; identifying speed, simplicity and ease of development as key strengths, a great source of pride for our team.

To get a complimentary copy of the Magic Quadrant, you can visit our hosted copy here.

Also, we continue to strive to move our industry to the forefront of bleeding edge technological advancements in mobility, so look for new technologies like conversational BOTS to be immersed into our code-free platform in the near future.  We also continue to blog about important events and factors to stay on top of in the mobile marketplace.  A recent Blog on hidden costs in mobility can be found here. 

I hope you will enjoy reading further on upgrading to MobileFrame version 6, Field Service events and upcoming Webinars, as well as some new customer wins. Take care, and we look forward to helping you put MobileFrame on the devices your customers love.

MobileFrame 6 is Available. Have You Upgraded?

MobileFrame version 6 brings all of your native apps to today’s most popular platforms –  Apple iOS, Android and/or Windows – so that you can put your MobileFrame apps on the devices your customers love.  MobileFrame’s patented Intelligent Rendering ensures your Apps will run pixel perfect on any size device — build once, run anywhere.

MobileFrame also provides for design schemes, so your apps can maintain a constant theme with one click.  As always, MobileFrame version 6 is a 100% code-free platform, allowing customers to take charge of their mobile initiatives and deploy new applications as well as make changes on the fly. If you are a MobileFrame customer or partner, contact your Rep and upgrade now!

New Customer Wins!

If you are competing against home grown custom coded apps, or Xamarin accounts you don’t want to miss reading about these two most recent MobileFrame customers wins at InterStates and Christensen Farms.

Interstates
Specializes in turnkey electrical engineering, construction, instrumentation, and control systems solutions for industrial and commercial clients. Interstates meets the electrical and automation needs of hundreds of clients and working in diverse markets across the nation. The IT team had used several products before, but wanted to find a single solution that they could standardize on across the enterprise.  

Objective: Achieve a zero-error environment and maintain accurate records for auditing purposes. One of the highest priority apps that they needed was one to track the details about which motors they installed and to ensure the proper configuration of multiple motors that have different horse power, grounding and wiring requirements. They have a long list of apps they’d like to deploy as well so a platform approach was exactly what they needed.

Mobile Apps needed:

• Motor Installation Work Orders
• Installation Quality Inspections
• Safety Inspections
• Engineering Field Testing

Solution: They did a thorough bake-off and commented afterward that they accomplished two times more than what they expected with MobileFrame and half of what they expected with the competitors. Some of the deciding factors in the selection of MobileFrame were:

• Integration to main homegrown SQL database completed during evaluation
• Support for all major operating systems included, so future-proofed
• Complete software solution vs. piecemeal approach

No coding required was the key differentiator. Developers preferred this method so they can be more agile deploying more apps. Out of the box multi-language support for their diverse workforce (single code base for both English and Spanish) was paramount. We’re happy to welcome Interstates to the MobileFrame team and we look forward to hearing more about the apps they deploy.

Christensen Farms

One of the largest pork producers in the U.S. and they’re known for responsibly providing wholesome, safe, nutritious food to nearly 15 million people around the world. They are one of the largest, family-owned pork producers in the United States with a reputation for industry leadership, a commitment to ethical practices and a team of passionate people invested in bringing high quality pork to family tables. They market over 3.5 million hogs per year and manage hundreds of farms, so they collect a vast amount of data in the field.

Objective: The leadership team assembled an evaluation team to consider their options for their mobile initiative, which included custom coding, point solutions and mobile platform vendors. Their mobile project was designed to meet several objectives:

• Reduce lag time from point of data capture to updating business systems
• Improve farm efficiencies
• Reduce labor costs by redeploying their office clerks who entered the data manually into their business systems

Mobile Apps needed:

• Track animal production at the farms
• Traceability
• Truck Inspections, Cleaning
• Quality Assurance
• Proof of Delivery

Solution: After an exhaustive search, we’re pleased to say that MobileFrame came out the winner. They have a very talented development team who’s writing their own apps with our platform, so they’re off to the races. In particular, the development team liked MobileFrame’s no-coding approach because they have such a long list of apps on their to-do list. They wanted support for iOS, Android and Windows in one platform. Some of the deciding factors in the selection of MobileFrame were:

• They wanted support for iOS, Android and Windows in one platform
• Devices selected (iPads with Android to be added in future phases)
• Integrations to business systems had to be easy
• Homegrown SQL database integration completed during evaluation
• Improved Developer productivity
• Single product so no need to do their own integration of parts

Large ROI and leverage of existing developer resources were key differentiators. They would need to add another developer had they selected an SDK approach. MobileFrame’s no code required platform definitely was instrumental to winning this account.

No coding required was again a key differentiator.

Webinars

Upcoming

• Mobile Strategies for DSD Companies. Learn how Direct Store Delivery (DSD) companies can drive greater efficiency (and revenue) by modernizing their mobile strategy. A great webinar for those with large field service teams too, many of the same principles apply.
• Mobile DVIR Apps – Keeping Your Compliant. If your organization relies on delivery vehicles, Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports (DVIRs) are a way of life. Learn how to move them off the clipboard and onto the devices your drivers are already carrying.

On Demand

• The End of the Line for Paper Forms and Spreadsheets.
  If your organization relies on paper forms or spreadsheets for critical data entry points in the field, you’ll want to check out this webinar.

Field Service East 2017

Our team recently returned from the Field Service East 2017 show, held at Amelia Island, Florida. It was a tremendous gathering of thought leaders in the field service arena, focused on driving greater efficiency for the mobile enterprise. Were you there?

Contact your MobileFrame representative to find out where we’re exhibiting next.

Share Your Thoughts on MobileFrame

For MobileFrame customers, we’d appreciate you lending us a hand. Gartner has invited us to participate in their Peer Insights program, which allows our customers to share their opinions on our performance. You can learn more here: http://gtnr.it/2rjRRwa

Your name and company name will not be publicly attached to your review. Demographic details (your role, industry, and size of your organization) will be the only identifying details displayed with your comments. Gartner only accepts email addresses from corporate domains – no Yahoo, Gmail, etc.Those reviewers who only select star (or numbers) ratings might not be accepted. Multiple reviews of MobileFrame by different employees are encouraged. Thank you for your support!

A New Demo App for Your Library

We have a new Field Sales Demo App that our sales team is using to show off the MobileFrame platform. If you’d like to see what we’re up to and get some ideas on a progressive user interface, we’re happy to provide it at no charge.

Email your rep, or contact us at [email protected] today.