The "warp power" digital pen and paper form
- Jean O'Connor of Ultra Nova Coding urges us to improve our penmanship

How do you like to record important information? Chances are you spend a lot of time on the PC writing documents, on the mobile tapping out SMS messages, possibly on the PDA or smartphone dotting away with your stylus. These are all excellent methods of producing and consuming text without a doubt. But what about the really important things in life and business? Surely pen and paper remain the most natural and useful way of dealing with information?

Yes, even in today's world, the most important and legally binding documents the State and business want to process are completed and verified this way.

That leaves a gap though, between the pen-paper 'input method' and the digital devices that we commonly use to run businesses and increasingly our lives. It's our experience at Ultra Nova Coding that a weak link between ICT systems and the core forms staff in the construction industry need to process is a real block to efficiency. Cases in point are the CP12 certificate Corgi engineers use to check boiler installations and property surveys completed by estate agents.

Every time an engineer visits a boiler installation a checklist is completed with copies for all parties. But keeping a track of which installations have passed annual checks is a nightmare that can be solved with digital pens and forms, which uplift the test results electronically and also leave hard copy forms with relevant parties.

Surveyors have to draw plans and describe the state of properties on forms that are then brought into the main office to be transcribed into copy for sales brochures, web pages and advertising. Now digital pens and forms mean the results can be uploaded immediately from the premises to the individual application with only minor editing to optimise copy and save time and money.

What we're talking about here is the desire by organisations to maximise the efficiency of their people on the road. They want to streamline the travel and information access facets of their people's workdays: think how much better it is to do three or four appointments one after the other, than to trek back and forth to the office to get customer and job information and update records back at base.

What we can give staff instead is a way to link back to the office on the road by modern communications technologies so that they're now arriving at the job armed with the right data and even better, zooming that information back to the office so that there's just one version of the truth.

Of course, digital pens and pads are not the only answer. A number of excellent devices like the XDA handheld, and the new generation of smart and 3G phones are increasingly being deployed by organisations that provide maintenance and other services. They are light, convenient to handle and using web-based communications, link travelling staff directly with corporate databases and applications.

But there are times when you just need the A4 or A5 format device to work on all the information required.  What we want is a magic pen that can both write and electronically, transmit what it's writing, on the very form that is legally required to be used.

Are we talking Star Trek here, a super duper input device of the future? Not at all. They are on the market today - a range of digital pens that look like biros, feel like biros, write like biros, but have enough intelligence in them to do exactly what we want.

For instance, using the Logitech product (but feel free to check out the HP, Nokia and Epson variants) you can write on a special, but affordable, form of paper that you can load into your regular printer to produce important forms and templates. The user can then write as normal with the magic pen (as I can't help calling it sometimes) on to the paper. They can then either use wireless technologies to beam the information marked down back to HQ or download it next time they dock back at their desktop or laptop PC, which means both main forms of remote working get supported.

This won't suit everyone as some firms may prefer to keep the old quill pens scratching in the background or may feel they want to commit wholly to the 21st century and ask everyone to input data via keyboards and styli at all times. That's fine - you must adopt the technology that's right for your business, and it's almost always something you need to adapt to your specific requirements too, of course.

But we are genuinely convinced that the combination of the digital pen, other mobile devices based on Microsoft's Pocket PC OS, and the integrated back end ICT system offers a complete information processing chain. This translates in strict bottom line terms to a more efficient organisation (less time is wasted), a more secure organisation (data is protected and stored electronically), and a more compliant organisation (vital legal, regulatory and compliance documents get the treatment they need from everyone).

So take the leap, which isn't when you think about it to the Star Trek world, but a bit more "Back To The Future". Keep writing on pen and paper, but get both to talk to the PC.


Supplier of the Simplicity integrated business system and a committed user of remote and mobile technologies, Jean O'Connor is founder and Managing Director of Ultra Nova Coding Ltd, the North London based winner of the prestigious Best Use of Mobile & Wireless Technology Category in the national Department of Trade and Industry Ecommerce Awards for 2005.

"This is a huge achievement for Ultra Nova Coding," said O'Connor. "This recognition at a national level shows how our innovative work in making mobile technology work for real businesses today is being acknowledged. We think we won because we have demonstrated a cost-effective, workable solution."

The firm's product, Simplicity, is a sophisticated project management tool that has proven to be highly adaptable and useful to customers in a range of sectors, from construction to property management to life sciences as well as education and local government.

The firm has also attracted great interest from major international corporate users - a step up from its heartland customer base - thanks to its leading-edge work on integration with remote working and a range of mobility options, from PDAs to digital pens. 

"We are seeing increasing interest in our new applications like the IO House Wizard and Keep-In-Touch which let clients in a range of industries work better and more efficiently, especially in those contexts where real time contact and updates are important and information needs to be instantly downloaded or transmitted," comments O'Connor. "We are particularly excited by the reaction to our digital pen extension, which is letting people use the most natural form of 'data entry' - pen and paper - in the digital environment."

O'Connor sees the next step in Ultra Nova's progress as continuing the same kind of hard work and dedication to innovation that has led to the award. "This is no time to sit on our laurels - we see even greater need for the timely application of usable technology to business problems," she notes.

3G makes document management even easier
Document management system, OfficeNet Workplace, can be accessed from just about anywhere on the planet that has an internet connection - and that includes mobile phone technology.

Workplace operates in a familiar web browser and can be used with GPRS mobile phones and PDA's for e-mail and basic tasks, but it's the explosion of new 3G (third generation 3GSM) mobile phone networks across the globe that is driving change.

3G technology means you can log-in using just a laptop computer and 3G card to access your documents in exactly the same way as a hosted user would through a fixed broadband line.

Larger bandwidth
The 3G network provides a much larger bandwidth for data transfer and has seamless handover between cells; this allows you to open and download documents from literally anywhere you have a signal - even on the move and at relatively high speeds.

Using a 3G card to transfer small to medium size files (1Mb - 50Mb), rates can be achieved around 250Kbit/S and even with large files over 270Mb average rates of 160 Kbit/S have been achieved.

Security
The boom in low cost broadband access and 3G technologies has made high-speed data access readily available; which is great news for project management but a major concern for data security.

It's not just broadband availability at site offices and homes you need to worry about, mobile data storage devices such as MP3 players, mini HDD, USB memory sticks and even mobile phones have added to the melee, and make it nearly impossible to stop a determined member of staff from copying critical data.

Audit trail
OfficeNet Workplace has introduced a visible audit trail into their document management system that is displayed on the opening page of the system to act as a visible deterrent and the audit trail provides irrefutable evidence should an offence occur.

Every user has to log-on using their own secure password and username in order to access the system (including remote off-site users) and every action by every user is stored indefinitely in the audit log should you need it.

Case study: OpenHand specialises in delivering mobile email software for business use
In the heart of London's West End some of the most popular areas have been undergoing a renaissance over the last decade.  Covent Garden, Carnaby Street and Chinatown have all received a new lease of life, with distinctive shopping and entertainment facilities replacing tired and old fashioned outlets.  One of the primary players in this revival is Shaftesbury plc, a property investment company that uses its specialised and intricate blend of skills to create a distinctive environment and regenerate the buildings within it. 

Communicating on the move
Shaftesbury is based within a few minutes walk from its properties, which ensures staff have an exceptionally detailed knowledge of the location and helps keep the right mix of tenants and services.  The company's professional teams of surveyors, architects, lawyers and project managers are constantly on the move, meeting clients and visiting sites, so the ability to communicate while on the move is particularly important.

Gareth Field, IT manager at Shaftesbury explains: "The nature of our business means that we have a very mobile workforce so we need to be in touch all the time. Email has become the most used communications tool in the office - it suits the property business because it enables team communications.  As a result there's plenty of information bouncing around the email system that is critical to the organisation - so we wanted to find a way of enabling our staff to use email when they are away from the office."

Selection criteria
Shaftesbury had a number of criteria that its chosen solution had to meet. Not only are staff on the move around London but they also need to be in touch when they are on holiday or out of the country. Consequently, the service needed to be available whether it was used in England, Egypt or Estonia. 

It also needed to be quick and easy to install and intuitive to use. "Not all people are IT literate" explains Gareth, "Some people don't have time to learn how to use complicated new technology.  I was looking for something that could be set up really quickly and that staff could pick up and use straight away."

Shaftesbury was also looking for a secure solution.  The company does have sensitive information being transmitted, and while this is not at the same level as a bank, for example, it is important that it remain confidential.

One of Shaftesbury's regular resellers recommended OpenHand mobile email. A free trial of OpenHand's software was arranged, and quickly demonstrated that it was exactly what Shaftesbury were looking for. 

Device independant
Having made the decision to go with OpenHand, Shaftesbury was able to install the software almost immediately.  "We use Palm Treo 650 smart phones for our mobile staff, and because OpenHand could be installed on them we didn't have the expense and inconvenience of acquiring new hardware.  It works really well with the devices we already had," says Gareth. "Thanks to OpenHand's simple server administration we were able to download the software in a minute or so, enter the necessary settings on the client devices and be up and running straight away.  The whole process took about five minutes from start to finish."

Security
Shaftesbury was also impressed with the security levels offered by OpenHand. To prevent unauthorised access, the server sits within the company's firewall and uses 128bit Advanced Encryption Standard which scrambles information being transmitted from the server to the device. 

No data is ever stored on the smart phone but it remains on the Exchange server instead.  "If one of our devices is lost or stolen - and it does happen - OpenHand really comes into its own. I'm confident that no important or confidential data will be compromised, and I can reassure the senior management that important data won't get lost or stolen with the phone," explains Gareth.

Swift, real time access
OpenHand mobile email was installed at Shaftesbury in September 2004.  Since then Gareth has received nothing but positive feedback from his colleagues.  It has proved to be incredibly swift and offers users access to their email whenever they need it.  And because it provides real time access to appointments there is no risk of double booking - allowing users to stay in control of their working day. 

OpenHand has also proved to be cost effective.  There are no monthly charges, so Shaftesbury only paid the initial purchase price plus the mobile operator's ongoing call charges.  In addition, its data compression facilities ensures that emails are transferred very quickly, which keeps the call costs down. 

MobileDataforce opens European office, aiming to capitalise on demand for cost-effective mobile applications
MobileDataforce, a provider of rapid application development solutions for mobile environments has announced the inception of MobileDataforce Europe, B.V. and the appointment of Mr. J. David Savage as Vice President, EMEA. This move is designed to solidify the company's European presence through local representation and a European executive who has extensive experience in the mobility space.

As vice president of EMEA for MobileDataforce, Savage is tasked with managing the hyper-growth currently occurring in Europe for MDF through developing partnerships and direct sales efforts for both PointSync and Intercue product lines provided by MDF.

"Savage has proven himself to be a mobilization visionary as well as an executive that can execute on plan." said MobileDataforce's Executive Vice President David Hofacker. "His participation on the management team of MobileDataforce and his focus on developing the EMEA market for the Company are vital to MDF's growth plan. His impact will be felt immediately."

The Company's European presence will capitalise on MobileDataforce's offering to the vertical mobile application space and help it to capitalise on the unaddressed demand for cost-effective mobile applications designed specifically for individual businesses. MobileDataforce's software solutions are primarily targeted for the "hardhat" industries including engineering, utilities, facilities management, heavy construction, and inspection services. 

According to Savage: "Mobility is not a product, it's a process.  MobileDataforce has the vision and unique product offering necessary to be successful because their combined solution set is essential to the process. I'm looking forward to being an integral part of it through driving European operations and establishing bi-directional value added partnerships in the European marketplace."