Mobile Techlink - So Much More Than An Application
With the service department being looked at as a profit center and the final point for customer service/satisfaction, mobile field service has gained more popularity and importance over the years. Many vendors, including Metrix, started introducing mobile solutions to meet this demand. However, all mobile solutions aren’t the same. You have to be careful when choosing a solution because some are hard-coded, inflexible mobile applications, while others are “so much more”.
Metrix’s mobile solution, Mobile Techlink, falls in the category of “so much more”. It’s more than an application - it’s a framework for mobile solutions. If you buy Mobile Techlink “out of the box”, you’ll get a turnkey field service backend and a template that’s field service optimized for your mobile clients (i.e. laptops, handhelds, etc).
This framework includes the Metrix Mobile Studio, which allows you to administer devices and users as well as build customizations into the framework. Your customizations won’t jeopardize future upgrades or updates, thereby protecting your investment. All of this works seamlessly with the Metrix 4e service automation suite, but is not dependent on it.
Now for the “so much more” part that makes Mobile Techlink a framework rather than just an application. First, you don’t need to use Metrix as your backend - you can use virtually any system as your backend (SAP, Oracle, homegrown, etc.). In fact, you don’t even need to use Mobile Techlink for field service. With the Metrix Mobile Studio supplied as part of the Mobile Techlink framework, you can develop a new template for your mobile clients that fits with your business needs. Essentially, Mobile Studio gives the framework for defining, building and configuring your mobile solution without extensive programming.
Another difference of Mobile Techlink versus other applications is its ability to store-and-forward data when users are disconnected. This mobile synching capability allows mobile users to continue working (i.e., entering data into their mobile device) while they are disconnected from the Internet. Mobile Techlink will store this information and, once reconnected to the Internet, forward it on to the backend system.
Metrix recently announced the availability of subscription-based pricing for Mobile Techlink. When you purchase Mobile Techlink on a subscription-basis, you’ll be charged a set amount per user, per month. The pricing doesn’t require a large up-front investment like many software installations and maintenance and support are included in the pricing.
So when you’re out there weeding through the fields of mobile solutions, make sure to consider how your company plans to use your mobile service and what your future needs will be. Chances are, you’ll start seeing the differences between mobile vendors and how a framework versus an application can benefit your organization.
Originally from the October 2006 Metrix eNewsletter