Custom Line-of-Business Apps for iPhone, iPad: Coming Soon
Formotus is expanding its mobile business application platform to include iPhones and iPads so companies can design once and deploy anywhere from the cloud onto iPhone, iPad, Android, and Windows Mobile devices.
Bellevue, WA (PRWEB) August 5, 2010
Formotus, Inc. (http://www. formotus. com) announced plans to support iPhones and iPads as part of its unique cloud-based platform for creating, deploying and managing custom line-of-business applications on a wide variety of mobile devices. The same Formotus solutions already running on Android and Windows Mobile devices around the globe will begin working on iPhones and iPads as well.
A significant obstacle hindering mobile workforce automation is the growing diversity of smart devices in the market. “It’s increasingly unrealistic for companies to mandate a particular kind of smartphone to be used by all their mobile employees,” says Adriana Neagu, CEO and co-founder of Formotus. “We want iPhone users to have the same access to their companies’ custom mobile line-of-business applications as people carrying Android or Windows Mobile devices.”
Formotus and its network of partners present customers with a whole new strategy for mobile business application design and development, according to Neagu. “In the past there have been two main choices for multi-platform apps,” she said. “Web-based apps that trap the user in a mobile browser, or multiple native application development efforts. Ours is neither, ours is a new approach.”
Design Once, Deploy Anywhere. (http://www. formotus. com/DesignOnce. html) Formotus installs rich native client software on each device, then creates custom solutions as business forms that install from the cloud and function like apps. “Our solutions already work across platforms on Android and Windows Mobile,” Neagu explains. “Now Apple device users will be able join in using the same technology.” Formotus mobile business forms are also compatible with Microsoft Office, and in fact are created using InfoPath, the Office application for form design.
Every Formotus app is as unique as a custom-coded solution, yet Formotus mobile application design requires no coding and very little initial investment by the customer. “Some customers learn to create their own mobile business forms using InfoPath,” mentioned Neagu, “while others leave that work mostly to an experienced Formotus partner. Either way, the design process is rapid and inexpensive compared to custom coding.”
Enabling Offline Productivity. (http://www. formotus. com/Better-than-Browser. html) One big advantage over browser-based forms is that the Formotus mobile client software is designed and optimized for occasionally connected devices. “We're talking about rich native client software optimized for offline productivity,” points out Neagu, “not a browser-based Web app requiring constant connectivity.” The mobile worker stays productive even without connectivity. Multiple drafts of multiple forms can be opened, edited and saved locally as XML files on the mobile device. Completed forms submit to an outbox where they queue to be sent over-the-air to their destination when connectivity is available.
Browserless SharePoint Data Connections. (http://www. formotus. com/SharePoint. html) SharePoint connectivity is built right into Formotus software + services. Enterprises already using SharePoint can easily start connecting to it with mobile devices. Formotus works with SharePoint anywhere, whether on-premises, hosted by a partner, or in the cloud with Microsoft SharePoint Online (BPOS). SharePoint connections are made directly between the Formotus mobile client and the SharePoint server – no proxy servers or add-ins are needed on the back end, and no browser is needed on the mobile device.
User, Device and Application Lifecycle Management. (www. formotus. com/http://formotus. com/TourCloud. html) Formotus provides many of the same capabilities as heavier mobile enterprise application platforms (MEAP): provisioning devices, deploying and updating custom business apps, managing and authenticating mobile users, making data connections between devices and business systems, etc. The difference: Formotus is a much lighter and more agile solution that is far less disruptive to set up and maintain. Unlike MEAP middleware solutions, the Formotus cloud + mobile platform requires no server-side installation at all. Apps are installed from the cloud and data connections are made through standard Web services or directly with SharePoint.
Custom Line-of-Business Applications for Any Industry. (http://www. formotus. com/Solutions. html) Formotus mobile business apps for iPhone, iPad and other devices can be used to automate mobile workflow and data collection in any industry, and are especially well suited to field service and repair, sales, deliveries, surveys, inventory, inspections, and mobile health care. Companies of all sizes can design custom mobile line-of-business applications such as inspection (www. formotus. com/http://formotus. com/Inspection. html) reports, signature capture (http://www. formotus. com/Inspection. html) forms, mobile work orders, proof of delivery, field service dispatch systems (http://www. formotus. com/Dispatch. html) and workflow for mobile workforce management.
About Formotus. Formotus, Inc. is the creator of the Formotus Software + Services Platform which enables businesses of any size to create, deploy and manage the lifecycle of mobile business applications on all kinds of phones. Formotus Software + Services are sold through carriers and a growing network of partners. To learn more about how Formotus makes mobilizing business data fast, easy and low cost visit www. formotus. com.
“Formotus” is a trademark of Formotus, Inc. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are owned by their respective companies.
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