We are charged with developing and deploying applications for field based processes that need to adapt dynamically with the changing needs of our business, replacing paper and spreadsheet based workflows. What are the challenges associated with developing and maintaining field based applications that need to change regularly?
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Kate Gerwig, Editorial Director
First, unless you can guarantee 100% availability of a wireless network with full broadband capability, you'll need to develop applications that reside locally on the mobile device (some combination of laptop/Tablet/PDA/Smartphone) and refresh data, content and application infrastructure periodically. The timing of the refreshes will vary, depending on network availability and the business process requirements. Secondly, the refresh of each of the components of an application on the remote device requires a methodology to update data/content, schema, application logic, security and access controls and user interface logic simultaneously with each change to any or all of the above layers. This is a highly specialized capability that is best managed consistently with a distributed application platform. Distributed application platforms provide a consistent, unified way to build, deploy and manage all of the components of a distributed application, enabling the application developers to remain focused on the ongoing needs of the business, rather than highly specialized synchronization and refresh protocols.
This was first published in September 2004