PointSync Professional 2.6 Ready - Adds Android Support

We are pleased to announce the release of PointSync Professional 2.6. 2.6 was created with one thing in mind, to offer our customers and partners the ability to support Android devices.  This rounds out our existing support for iOS (iPhone/iPad), BlackBerry and Windows Mobile devices.

In case you missed the 2.5 release in February 2011, there were a handful of fixes, device support (iOS and BlackBerry), and features which includes support for 64-bit Windows servers.

Want to know more about where PointSync fits into your organization or as a partner possibility? Visit our website or call us at 208.384.1200.

MEAP and the Mobile Enterprise...

If you've been around enterprise mobility, you might have seen the term MEAP come up from time to time.  Since our PointSync product is a "MEAP", we're pretty comfortable using the term.  But, for those who are not familiar with what a MEAP is and does, here is a 5 minute crash course.  Enjoy!

What Is A MEAP?

MEAP stands for Mobile Enterprise Application Platform.  In laymen’s terms, a MEAP is a server-oriented software that provides specific tools and functions targeted at the deployment and management of the mobile devices in an organization.  Mobile devices are generally viewed as handheld devices and smartphones, but can also include tablets and laptops.

Why Is It Important?

Mobile devices have become a necessary component in business.  Where email was once the “killer app”, today's “must have” apps extend business functions like inventories and customer details to almost anyone working outside the office.  A MEAP is responsible for making sure the sales, inventory, customer, etc data makes the one or two-way trip between the office database and mobile devices.   On a more granular level, a enterprise-class MEAP will know exactly where to place data, where it came from and how to avoid database conflicts.  If you're thinking, "yeah, that's all important stuff!"...  We completely agree!

Where Does PointSync Fit Into the MEAP Product Category?

First, PointSync is a mature product that was introduced in 2005 and includes over a half-million lines of code.  Second, its synchronization technology (the most vital for mobile solutions) is based on industry leading technology from Sybase.  PointSync’s main function is rock-solid data synchronization.  Whether you have 10, 100, or 1,000 mobile users, PointSync masters incoming and outgoing data like a super-powered traffic cop, making sure your data gets to its destination.  Along these lines, PointSync includes special features that roll back data when a sync encounters problems, makes sure devices use unique record ID’s, can restart a problem sync where it left off and allows users to work, even when an Internet connection is not available.  In addition, PointSync contains app deployment tools, database viewers, report generators and allows quick add/delete of synchronized fields.  On a device level, PointSync supports all the popular mobile platforms, including iOS (Apple), Android, Windows Mobile and BlackBerry.

Who Uses A MEAP?

The following three types of organizations can benefit from using or deploying a MEAP:

1. Companies can use a MEAP internally to manage their own fleet of mobile workers
2. For System Integrators, a MEAP is a positive way to provide full solutions which include mobility
3. ISV’s who are looking to increase revenue from a new product stream

Thinking About Building Your Own Synchronization Engine?

We did this and have a great story to tell in a future blog.  If you’d like the details contact our Marketing department for a sneak preview of the details.

Got questions about MEAP's or PointSync?  Please let us know and we'll be happy to give you all the details.  After-all, we've been in the mobility space for over 10 years!

Thanks for reading...  Tim Cerami, Information Architect

“So You Want to Use Your iPhone for Work? Uh-oh.”

Just the kind of issues we affordably resolve today for iPhone, iPad, Android phones and tablets, BlackBerry, and Windows Mobile. The key differences from some of the approaches mentioned are that we focus on the field worker, not an office worker in the field. Honestly, who needs 100% access from the field.  For that, give someone a laptop and Citrix for remote desktop access.

We aren’t focused on email or mobile web either. There are major players doing those things well.  Rather, we provide multi-platform support for access to enterprise systems through a mobile app layer on iOS, Android, BlackBerry, and Windows Mobile. Your developers – our middleware, PointSync Professional. We do it securely with some of the features and designs discussed in the article, including unique login to company app(s), encrypting info on device and in transit, leaving no sensitive data on the device, and centralized control through PointSync Manager of access and apps on a user and device basis. All the tools an IT manager might need to take advantage of mobile solutions in the field today, all major platforms, all through a *single* management interface.

The reality is that email and internet access rarely are the business solution. There is a real cost to losing data, having to repeat tasks, or partial syncs as a result of connectivity issues. There is a real cost to using email or paper forms as the first step in data collection, requiring further data input, calculations, and effort. There is a real cost to the delays of business processes that don’t have a real-time or near real-time impact on the organization.

Will simplicity, lower cost, and greater capabilities emerge and evolve overtime? Absolutely! But can you afford to try it on the cheap today and fail? Or ignore mobility, the ROI, and the other advantages mobile solutions offer until everyone is doing it? Most of our customers experience ROI of less than 6 months, with some recovering the costs of Enterprising their App™ on a mobile platform in less than 3 months.

Not sure about AT&T being consulted for a MEAP. Here is the Gartner Magic Quadrant in the space.  No AT&T to be found and some pretty big names struggling. Our system is based on Sybase, in its 6^th generation, very stable, and installed at some of biggest names in business, so we are feeling pretty good about our capabilities to support the enterprise in this space.

The reality today is that businesses, government, and other organizations need enterprise class technology to stay competitive, manage costs, and mitigate risks. We bring those capabilities to small- and medium-sized businesses, enterprise divisions, government projects, and SaaS mobility providers. They need to support mobile operating systems other than BlackBerry, provide the security and integration necessary to truly extend the existing systems and computing infrastructure, and to resolve the still very prevalent issues of mobility – enterprise sync challenges, working in and out of connectivity, performance, storage, and centralized management.

Check out the article by clicking on the title above and let us know if you’d like more information to Enterprise Your App™!