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Overview |
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Industry Trends |
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Making Wireless Data Relevant |
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Form Definition Tools |
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Linking Field Operations with Enteprise Systems |
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Code Generators |
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FAQ |
JumpStart Technology FAQ
Aren't carriers and manufacturers always coming out with new wireless devices? Will the JumpStart Wireless BusinessSuite™ work on those, too?
JumpStart has been architected to accommodate the growth path of carriers and device manufacturers. BusinessSuite saves you the cost and resources necessary to stay abreast of changes in technology. So if carriers switch to 3G technology or device incorporate faster processors, or databases switch to Web services, JumpStart will incorporate those changes into its technology at no additional cost to its customers.
Does BusinessSuite run on every carrier?
There are differences from carrier to carrier (e.g., standards and protocols) but JumpStart has undertaken the performance tuning necessary to work with each.
What about the security of my data and information?
All JumpStart Wireless BusinessSuite™ data resides on a secure server housed in a state of the art hosting facility. BusinessSuite deploys all current security capabilities of wireless systems. Data sent over the airwaves can be encrypted if desired. JumpStart supports 128 bit, Secure Sockets, and triple DES security. In addition the BusinessSuite dashboard includes a variety of provisioning features which enable management to carefully specify who has access to specific rights and data. Managers can “wipe” data and applications from handhelds remotely if necessary, denying truant employees from accessing the data on their handhelds. All employees are required to enter IDs and passwords to access JumpStart applications on the mobile devices.
My existing in-house system provides capabilities for billing and work order tracking, but does not handle wireless communication with my field force. Can JumpStart Wireless BusinessSuite™ work with my in-house system?
The JumpStart Wireless BusinessSuite™ can easily be set up to work with your in-house systems. In particular, it can import work order data and export data for billing and inventory management. BusinessSuite has a built-in Connector that integrates with many of the major enterprise products. It also communicates via the APIs offered by many leading enterprise platforms. BusinessSuite’s preferred method of communicating with enterprise software is via Web Services but it also uses ODBC and other file interchange technologies. BusinessSuite communicates with most major database technologies such as SQL (MySQL and SQL Server), Oracle, DB2, etc.
What's the difference between BusinessSuite and wireless email? Why can't my field staff use email instead of BusinessSuite?
The JumpStart Wireless BusinessSuite™ provides a structured format to capture information critical to your company and your customers. Consider that with email, each field staff will use their own words and description, and may omit important information. Moreover, if an office worker must sort through every email received to determine what transpired, then manually type that information into your billing or service management software, the efficiency of wireless is lost. JumpStart Wireless BusinessSuite™ uses a form-based design, so that your field staff will always receive and send data according to your standardized methods and that data can automatically flow into the existing software used at your headquarters without a data entry operator translating it to machine readable form.
I need regular access to my data both in the office and in the field, if it's on your server, how do I get access to it?
The data continues to reside on the customer’s servers. BusinessSuite is only a traffic cop that routes pertinent data from customer servers to hand held devices. It does not archive the data that it mediates between the mobile devices and the enterprise server. You can access the data precisely as you have in the past, now with BusinessSuite it is more current, more accurate, and more valuable.
How do we integrate our existing computerized information like customer lists and software into BusinessSuite applications?
JumpStart's BusinessSuite™ is designed to work closely with existing software and systems. When a customer starts with JumpStart, we create a Connector that moves customer data from enterprise software such as Meridian, Primavera, Maximus, TMA Systems, Mater Builder to the field and then back again as it is updated by mobile employees. Imports and export can be performed daily, hourly, or even every few minutes. The customer specifies precisely the data to be routed to the field and exactly how it is to be displayed to and updated by the mobile staff.
Do I require a BES server in order to use BusinessSuite on BlackBerrys?
BusinessSuite does not require the customer to install a BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES). It can work either with or without a BES. The BES is primarily for email processing not data processing on the handheld.
Do I need a Microsoft Exchange server to use BusinessSuite?
BusinessSuite does not require MS Exchange server in order to operate.
What peripherals does JumpStart support?
JumpStart supports a wide variety of peripherals in the field including printers, digital cameras, bar code readers, signature capture pads, and credit card swipe. The devices can connect to the handheld via Bluetooth, USB cable, or asynchronous connection. The data captured (such as signatures and pictures) is incorporated in the data stream just like any other data and stored on the database.
Can JumpStart BusinessSuite handle images and support digital cameras?
If the mobile device handles digital cameras or connects to digital cameras by Bluetooth, USB cables, or asynch, BusinessSuite will handle images as data. The connection technique depends on the camera used.
Can JumpStart use GPS data? Can I combine both location data and enterprise data?
Depending on the carrier and the mobile device, JumpStart can handle GPS data. Using a mapping service such as ESRI, BusinessSuite can display location based data together with enterprise data.
Can the BusinessSuite wireless application on the handheld device interface with the phone log or the email log on the wireless device? How about the Address Book?
Connectivity to PIM like functions depends on the PDA. The most recent versions of the RIM BlackBerry running the 4.0 Operating System does support communication between applications. Therefore BusinessSuite can monitor email and voice logs and update the Address Book.
Can you send faxes from the handheld device?
A mobile device using BusinessSuite can send faxes to third party recipients. The most popular scenario is to maintain a library of standard faxes on the server and to initiate them from the handheld. Email addresses are selected from the Address Book.
Can you send notifies and alerts to one or more third parties from within the JumpStart application?
BusinessSuite can be used to initiate notifications and alerts from the handheld device.
What integration technologies and approaches are available to connect BusinessSuite to enterprise software?
JumpStart communicates with enterprise software and databases via multiple methods including Web Services, ODBC, JDBC, text files and FTP, CSV files, and proprietary APIs from enterprise software products. JumpStart also has its own proprietary API which allows it to communicate with a variety of enterprise software systems.
What backend databases does JumpStart connect to?
BusinessSuite communicates with a variety of databases including Microsoft SQL Server, My SQL, Oracle, DB2, and Access. It can update any database supporting ODBC or JDBC SQL
Can JumpStart combine enterprise data from multiple software platforms on the handheld application and update data to multiple systems (e.g., accounting, work order, inspections, and payroll)?
BusinessSuite, like many Java applications, is a many-to-many model. In other words, multiple applications will be integrated into one user experience on the handheld and the data captured in the field will be used to update a variety of enterprise databases. Thus a form on the handheld may capture timesheet data as well as material disbursements and update both a payroll and inventory system in head office.
Does JumpStart run on WiFi networks as well as WAN networks? Can it operate in dual mode and switch between the two environments?
BusinessSuite runs on TCP/IP. Therefore it is an Internet application that can run on either WAN or WiFi. Switching between the two technologies depends on the switching technology employed by the customer. BusinessSuite would not be aware of changing from one to the other.
Is BusinessSuite a store and forward or a data replication model?
BusinessSuite is a data replication model. It keeps the local data store on the handheld in exact synchronicity with the enterprise database.
Does the JumpStart software lose data if the handheld is dropped or broken or if the battery dies?
BusinessSuite is a “self-healing” system that ensures that no data is lost during the replication process. Once the handheld is powered up again (if a new battery were installed for example), the software determines the last packet successfully transmitted and picks up from that point.
If the user’s handheld is maintaining a local database that replicates a portion of the enterprise database for each user, how much data can be maintained on the handheld?
The amount of data stored on the handheld is really only limited by the amount of memory on the device. The latest BlackBerrys have 64 megabytes of RAM, for example. From a practical perspective, the size of the local data store is limited by the processing speed on the device. In our experience, 2 megabytes of data is the outer boundary for current devices.
How long can a drop down menu or a pick list be? Can I include my entire inventory on the handheld device?
A drop down menu can reach hundreds of items. Using the ability to sort the list on various fields and the ability to cascade the list based on specific fields, the practical limit to lists on the handheld exceeds a thousand items. With this capability, entire inventory lists can be synchronized between the handheld and the asset management server.
Can I sort a long list to make it more accessible? Do you support cascading menus for complex lists?
JumpStart supports both list sorting and cascading menus.
What operating systems are supported by Jumpstart?
JumpStart supports a variety of Operating Systems, including:
Does JumpStart run on .Net and other Microsoft systems?
JumpStart runs on or is compatible with Microsoft programs and environments including .Net, SQL Server, SmartPhone, PocketPC, Access, and Microsoft Web Services
Should you have more questions than what was listed above, please feel free to review our extensive FAQ list.
| Click on the image to see a larger diagram of the three worlds of wireless apps. |
