Today not only large corporations and big companies make lot of efforts to go green but even smaller corporations and medium sized businesses are putting their best foot forward in terms of going green. It has to be admitted that many companies in the beginning were using ‘going green’ as their marketing tool to project themselves as an environmentally responsible company. Today however thankfully there is a noticeable shift in the trend. Many companies today are making genuine efforts to help the environment and to leave as small a carbon footprint as possible. Many companies are becoming increasingly responsible in this area.

One of the most effective ways of going green is by using dynamic forms or digital forms instead of paper forms. It is not enough just to add notes such as, “Think of the environment before you print this email.” and “Don’t print this email unless you really need to.” Though such efforts are to be appreciated, they are just passive approaches. You need to take a more proactive and positive approach towards going green and that is the need of the hour. If your company uses a lot of surveys or questionnaires or any other form of information gathering as any part of your business for which you are currently using the conventional paper and pen method, then here is your chance to take that proactive step towards going green.

The whole idea about the ‘going green’ concept is using less resources. When we use digital forms, we will reduce the amount of paper that we use in our operations, this will contribute towards reducing the number of trees that are cut every year and reduce the carbon that is emitted into the environment. That is not everything, you will also use less electricity because you will not need a large team of back office executives processing your forms, and the list of green benefits continues.

When you choose to go green by using digital forms, the benefit is not only to you but also for your budget and profit. Except for the initial setup costs, you will save a considerable amount of money month after month and year after year. This will bring down your overhead costs dramatically. Isn’t this what every company is trying to achieve? Here again, is your chance for cost cutting. Here in this case going green also has an element of selfishness but in the good sense. Going green by the use of web forms, PDA forms and digital forms after all creates a win-win situation for you. When you have nothing to lose but have everything to gain, do not hesitate to make that shift in your organisation.

Selecting the right software development company is always a huge challenge because you will never be able to know what is actually in store for you when you are hiring a software development company to help you create custom forms or to deploy PDA forms. Here are some of the factors that you should take into consideration while selecting your software development company to create web forms or digital forms for your organization.

The most important factor here is the experience level of the organization that you want to work with. Your software company should have very specific experience in creating PDA forms, digital forms, mobile forms or survey software. There are many software development companies in the industry but not all of them specialize in this niche. You will be able to get more reliable solutions by choosing a software company that has worked with digital forms solutions.

The second important factor that you should consider is the reputation of the organization. The software development company that you choose may have experience in creating PDA forms or digital forms but they may not be good service providers. Experience alone does not make a service provider a good company, there are number of factors that go into the making of a good service provider.

Your software development company should be able to provide you with customized solutions. They should not give you some off-the-shelf software with little customization. They should be capable of creating custom forms that suits your specific needs. Besides that, you should be able to get good pre-sales and post-sales support. Many companies offer excellent pre-sales support but once the payment part is over, you will get very little or no attention from them. You should therefore review the reputation of your software development company in terms of their post-sales support. For instance, we respond to all your concerns and queries in 60 minutes or less during regular business hours. Only when you can get dependable support, you will be able to deploy and manage your digital forms successfully.

The solutions they provide you should help you increase your profitability by enhancing your productivity. Look for a company that will not try to meet your requirements but exceed your expectations. Your software company should be committed to helping you achieve financial success through their solutions.

Above all, your service provider should provide you with cost effective solutions. Higher the cost of your digital forms deployment higher the overhead costs. When the overhead costs are too high, it will certainly minimize your profit. So it is vital that you get your solutions within your budget. Added to that timely completion of the work is also important so that you can start enjoying the benefits of the digital forms solution that you are deploying in your organization.

2010 will be a key transition year at the start of the mobile decade — not only will we start moving toward more mainstream mobile services audiences but a strategic shift will also take place. Companies of all shapes and sizes as well as governments and local authorities will start integrating mobile into their overall approach, rather than simply launching a few mobile initiatives. Expect new application stores and mobile payment solutions, significant innovation in the mobile social and location spaces, and another round of interest in mobile TV for the FIFA World Cup. One big question will remain: Will fragmentation be reduced? Unfortunately, the answer is no: It is here to stay. That's why everyone needs a mobile strategy in 2010.

Forrester have announced what mobility trends can we expect to see in 2010.Forrester, believe that 4G networks will continue to grow, along with the deployment of mobile apps. Devices based on Google's Android operating system may capture up to 10 percent market share. Employees will pressure IT departments to support their personal smartphones and other devices for business use. In addition, cloud-based apps that support the mobile workforce will become more popular.

In 2009, most companies reduced new technology investments in response to the uncertain global economic recession. However, the enterprise mobility picture was more positive as many firms continued to pursue mobility solutions to help them cut costs, improve worker productivity, and enhance business process efficiencies. We predict a more stable economic environment in 2010 and expect mobile network operators to implement programs to drive application development for fourth-generation (4G) and long-term evolution (LTE) networks not only for consumers but also for business. In addition, expect increased vendor and service provider focus on offering machine-to-machine (M2M) solutions to improve business process efficiencies in specific industries (e.g., healthcare, utilities, and the supply chain). More employees will also bring personally selected and purchased mobile devices (e.g., Android smartphones) into the office and use them for work-related mobile applications.

So 2010 is set to be a good year for paper forms to be brought into the new decade by being used electronically.

82% of housing departments and associations have stated that mobile working is a priority for them in 2010, yet only 38% have a mobile working strategy in place.

 Integration with other IT applications is the main bug bear faced by housing departments in developing a mobile working strategy. Applications such as Micrsoft SharePoint and Microsoft Dynamics CRM can be intergrated with a mobile IT solution, such as Dynamic Forms. However, according to the poll, the greatest benefits in implementing a mobile working strategy are to provide flexible and innovative ways of working for housing staff (33%) and higher service to citizens (36%).

Housing associations face immense challenges (NHF, 2009). These range from being able to generate tangible savings in 2010, improving ways of working for staff and enhancing service for citizens. Housing associations are coming around to the idea that mobile working strategies can deliver innovative, yet practical, ways of solving these challenges.

An example of mobile working initiative is to give field staff handheld devices to carry out updates on repairs and timesheets while they are out visiting customers which are logged on completion. Immediate benefits in achieving efficiency improvements.  In addition to reducing levels of manual data entry, fuel and inventory costs will decrease and there have been significant gains in productivity.

Housing Associations belong in the community, not behind a desk. Many housing organisations are already reaping the rewards of today’s technologies. According to the Future Work Forum, one in three UK workers does at least part of their work each week away from their desk. Millions of working hours each day are spent working in the community, undertaking surveys, assessing houses fit for purpose.  With growing awareness of flexible and remote working, the challenge is to enable workers in the field, or at remote locations, to be as productive and efficient as they possibly can be in the housing sector.

One part of the solution is to deploy mobile technology to provide the housing sector workers with access to job-related information wherever they are based. The potential benefits of mobile working are positively compelling: the UK government estimates the public sector could save up to £336 million a year through mobile technology.  These savings would be generated through reduced office costs, efficiency savings, service improvement and improved quality of data.

Rob Bamforth, research analyst with Quocirca stated that “the ‘real’ work is outside the office” meaning that housing associations could benefit enormously from mobile working. “Providing access to IT on the move saves time, and therefore makes the individual more productive.”

For example, the London Borough of Sutton achieved 47% efficiency savings when it provided staff with tablet PCs to record the results of interviews. Computerising the process has reduced errors and also means the results can be processed more easily – a typical house survey can now be processes in less than one week, compared to five weeks previously.

In Sheffield, 84 local councillors have been provided with PDA’s allowing them to electronically record requests, complaints and repairs, which are automatically sent back to the council’s contact centre. This system saves each councillor around three hours per week in paperwork and administration, translating into a major financial saving for the council.

Achieving the benefits of mobile computing isn’t always straightforward. One of the biggest challenges with mobile computing deployment is a lack of knowledge and a lack of planning. Local authorities can access expert advice and support for mobile project from igroup ltd, which has successfully completed a number of mobile projects in the housing sector/ public sector.

CN50 Mobile ComputerThe Industry’s most advanced rugged mobile computer 

The CN50 is the ONLY wireless mobile computer that combines small and light-weight form factor with a rugged design to deliver that most advanced, high performance voice and data communication solution specifically designed for the HIGHLY mobile field worker.

The CN50 is the first device in the industry to offer a 3.75G wireless WAN Flexible Network™ Radio, the CN50 allows enterprises to finally standardize on a single hardware platform that can be configured for either CDMA or UMTS wireless networks. This gives enterprises the flexibility to choose the network that provides the best geographic coverage and the lowest cost

Intermac introduced the CN50 mobile computer as “a new class of device” and “game-changing product”, referring to the small, light and rugged computer’s support of 3.5 G and 3. 75G wireless wide area network HSUPA radio technology that can result in data upload speeds up to five times faster than any other mobile computer available.

The Intermec CN50 stresses secure standards, customer satisfaction, maximized ROI as well as total cost of ownership, all mandating a new generation of smaller, lighter mobile computers with advanced performance and features.

Intermec saythat the device is 25% smaller and lighter than similar mobile products, with dimensions of 6.05 x 2.9 x 1.1 inches and weighing about 11 ounces. That's very compact by rugged handheld standards without a doubt, and the CN50, on top of including more functions than a Swiss army knife, is amazingly tough. It can survive 5-foot drops, operate in a wide temperature range of 14 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit, and is sealed to IP54 specifications, which means its pretty much dustproof and can survive water spray from all directions. Further proof that this is a state-of-the-art device is the integrated 3.1-megapixel coloured camera with auto-focus, flash, an integrated digital compass for enhanced GPS functionality, and an accelerometer that handles display orientation and much more. For data capture, there is an integrated 1-megapixel area imager with laser framer and aiming that supports omnidirectional scanning and decodes of 1D, 2D, composite and postal codes as well as signature capture.

The CN50 also supports eMDI (Enhanced Mobile Document Imaging), an optional Intermec software application that lets mobile workers capture full page paper documents with the CN4's imager and convert them into electronic documents right at the point-of-transaction. These high-quality document images can then be transmitted to back office applications in real-time, potentially simplifying workflows, shorten billing cycles, and providing customer service and shipping operations ready access to documents for faster processing.

The CN50 is available with either a numeric or QWERTY with backlit keypad. Among other accessories are a vehicle holder, quad battery charger, four-bay multi-dock for charge only or charge and Ethernet, as well as various RAM mount options. Whereas mobile computers almost exclusively used Intel XScale processors in the past, there are now other options.

The CN50 uses a multi-core architecture with a 528MHz ARM11-based main processor and an ARM9-based radio processor, likely a Qualcomm combo. It runs Windows Mobile 6.1, has 128MB of RAM and 512MB of Flash ROM, a 3.5-inch 240 x 320 pixel transflective displays with LED backlight, but apparently no expansion slot(s). The device is powered by either a standard 3.7V, 1,950mAh battery or an extended battery that packs 3,900mAH, but does not add to the size of the device. In summary, the Intermec CN50 packs an awful lot of data capture, computing and communication functionality for mobile workers who rely on "hold & carry" customer interaction and appreciate a single device that combines all their needed tools into a single, rugged, compact package.

See http://www.ruggeddirect.co.uk/ on details of how to purchase and for more information.

- Despite the global recession 26% of enterprises are planning to increase their IT budget in North America, Europe and the Middle East in the fourth quarter of 2009 and into 2010.

- Adoption of enterprise mobility solutions is set to increase in 2010.

- A survey of 1110 IT decision makers in 2009 found that in the next two years 38% of enterprises will have deployed a mobility solution, up from 29% in 2008.

- Healthcare will lead growth in mobility solutions adoption

- Mobile technology is evolving to suit the changing demands of mobile workers

- Investing in mobility solutions benefits the whole organisation, not just the mobile employees.

Has your organisation developed a mobility solution?

Mobile computing: powering public service

Today’s technologies support workers on-site through suites of products devoted to connectivity, security and productivity.

According to the Future Work Forum, one in three UK workers does at least part of their work each week away from the office. Millions of working hours each day are spent working in the community, travelling to meetings and remote offices, or working from home. It’s a scenario that’s especially familiar to anyone working in the public sector, says Nick Umney, a technical specialist working in Microsoft’s Public Sector team. “Today, very few people spend five days a week working at a desk in the office, particularly with the growing awareness of flexible and remote working,” he says. “The challenge is how we enable those workers in the field, or at remote locations, to be as productive and efficient as they possibly can.” 

 The ‘Real’ work is outside the office

One part of the solution is to deploy mobile technology to provide public sector workers with access to job-related information wherever they are based. The potential benefits of mobile working are certainly compelling: the UK government estimates the public sector could save up to £336 million a year through mobile working. These savings would be generated through reduced office costs, efficiency savings, service improvement and improved data quality. “I agree that the public sector could benefit enormously from mobile working because for many roles, the ‘real’ work is outside the office,” says Rob Bamforth, a research analyst with Quocirca. “Providing access to IT on the move saves time, and therefore makes the individual more productive.”For example, the London Borough of Sutton achieved 47% efficiency savings when it provided finance staff with tablet PCs to record the results of home-based interviews with individuals requesting financial support. Staff used specially designed forms on the tablet PCs to record vital details, and generated the required paperwork for an application on the spot. Computerising the process has reduced errors and also means the results can be processed more easily – a typical application can now be assessed in less than one week, compared to five weeks previously. In Sheffield, 84 local councillors have been provided with handheld computers that allow them to electronically record requests and complaints from citizens, which are automatically sent back to the council’s contact centre. The system saves each councillor around three hours per week in paperwork and administration, translating into a major financial saving for the council.  

See how Dynamic Forms can help your business and increase productivity in the field: www.dynamic-forms.net                  www.igroupltd.co.uk