CloudLocate GPS reduces location tracking costs by 50%

“CloudLocate GPS”, from CloudSync, Inc. is a Google-mapping console that anyone can access using a browser. At $6/month (undiscounted) it costs about half the expense of other GPS mapping solutions.

CloudLocate GPS routing in traffic

After CloudLocate GPS software is downloaded to a fleet of Windows Mobile devices, CloudLocate GPS tracks them all on the same map from an eye-in-the-sky point of view.

The good news is that CloudLocate’s  GPS tracking is very inexpensive, provides basic tracking, history, and dispatch services.  Enterprises wishing to cut costs or those who want to begin using GPS at a low cost may want to consider it.

Enterprises may also enjoy the ability to consolidate cell phone, GPS receiver, and rugged scanner with application into a single device (the rugged device).

The bad news for those wishing to track stolen vehicles location with GPS is that CloudLocate tracks only the Windows Mobile device, so can’t reliably be used for that purpose.

Note: The estimate of 50% may be too low in many cases, based on $6/month for CloudLocate. Competitive solutions range from $12 – $20/month for the software components. Also, Enterprises use CloudLocate to determine devices are using their cell plans (voice and data) or not.  Significant savings are realized when unused cell plans are dropped.

What Google Android Dev Phone could learn from Windows Mobile

Fed-Ex delivered the unlocked Google Dev phone 4 hours before my flight to New Zealand was about to leave. Perfect timing, I pulled it out of the generic white box, plugged it into the charger, fired it up, glanced at the not-helpful included instruction sheet, and waited.

The cool looking Android logo came up on the bright display, and then some instructions about needing a data card and signing into a Google account.

No worries, we had some data (SIM) cards in our lab, I toss in an AT&T 3G card, fired the device up again, it showed good signal strength, I typed in my google info, and waited… After a minute or so I get a generic message that it couldn’t connect with the Google servers and maybe the SIM card didn’t support data, and that I should contact some non-specified customer support (I’m para-phrasing the message from memory).

I try other SIM cards which were working perfectly on Windows Mobile devices, still no luck.

To cut a long story short I take the Google phone to NZ, confident that I can get it to work on a non-T-Mobile network (Vodaphone), alas I was wrong. It wasn’t until I got back from my trip that I found that simply hitting the menu button during start up provided a list of editable APN’s, of which AT&T was not listed. I add the appropriate data (Google Groups has information on setting this APN), and magically everything works.

So Google, a few suggestions that Microsoft gets right with Windows Mobile.

1. Don’t treat the Android Dev device like a phone with iPhone-like activation and control. Treat it as a mobile computer. Let the user have the flexibility to configure and deploy as desired.
2. Don’t tie a device to a Google/user account. Many of the enterprise mobility deployments we see, the device is not used for email/calendar, but rather some type of field service application, whereas the device is not necessarily tied to any specific user.
3. Let me choose what data/network connection I want to use on my unlocked mobile computer, many enterprises will run their device populations on multiple networks based on regional availability, some may be WiFi only.
4. Lastly, include a “How to set up an APN” with the dev phone in the shipping package, with settings to common APN’s, or at least a link where you have that info. This will greatly improve the initial experience.

With all that said, I think the Android user interface is pretty impressive given the youth of this product. We look forward to seeing more of these devices out in the field and definitely plan on adding support to this product within our CloudSync management platform.

CloudSync partners speak European and Asian languages

Because CloudSync mobile device management platform is web-based, live demonstrations have long been available in English from any browser. CloudSync partners in the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark, Spain, the Philippines, and Hong Kong can demonstrate CloudSync in European and Asian languages.

Under “Contact Us” on the CloudSync home page http://cloudsync.com/, complete the short form and specify the language you’d prefer to communicate in.

CloudSync partners can communicate in Espanol, Deutsche, Francais, Danish, Portuguese, Italiano, Filipino, 汉语/漢語, pinyin: Hànyǔ; 华语/華語, Huáyǔ; or 中文, Zhōngwén

PR Newswire Article about CloudSync

Recently our CEO Nigel Thompson was quoted in an article by PR Newswire about CloudSync and Odyssey Software.

Read More Here: Odyssey Software and CloudSync Partnership Delivers Mobile Device Management Outside the Four Walls

Odyssey Software and CloudSync Partnership Delivers Mobile Device Management Outside the Four Walls

Device Management Leaders Sign ISV Licensing Agreement to Deliver Best-In-Class Solution for the Mobile Workforce

WEST HENRIETTA, N.Y., Jan. 20 /PRNewswire/ — Odyssey Software, Inc., a leading provider of enterprise-class device management software products, today announced that it has formed a technology partnership with CloudSync, a leader in mobile device management technology. Under this new partnership, CloudSync will integrate Odyssey’s award-winning Athena(TM) technology into its console for a best-in-class mobile device management solution ideal for use “outside the four walls.”

Because no server infrastructure is required, the CloudSync solution enables organizations to quickly setup, manage, support and secure its remote devices anywhere in the world through their web-based Device Manager console. CloudSync’s partnership with Odyssey Software enables it to leverage Athena’s flexible, modular and easy-to-integrate software products to provide a comprehensive mobile device management solution perfectly suited for mobile line of business applications such as field sales and service, and pickup and delivery.

“We strive to develop a highly intuitive and pain-free mobile device management experience for our customers, many of whom use Windows Mobile(R) based devices,” said Nigel Thompson, CEO of CloudSync. “Odyssey Software provides the best mobile management extensions for Windows Mobile on the market. Beyond functioning as an essential component of our solution, Odyssey’s support, when needed, is rapid and responsive to meet our needs.”

Athena is uniquely designed to integrate directly into the native infrastructure of existing management consoles without the need for proprietary Odyssey Software servers, unlike all other device management products, which require their own proprietary server, console and database infrastructure. Specifically architected to be flexible, modular and seamless to integrate, Athena is the only comprehensive mobile device management solution that enables organizations to take advantage of their existing enterprise management investments, thereby leveraging the inherent scalability, security, reliability and fail-over capabilities of these industry-standard platforms.

“Mobile devices have moved beyond the traditional four walls, and the market is calling for mobile device management solutions which can adapt to meet the complexities this presents,” said Tom Robinson, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Odyssey Software. “We are dedicated to working with our independent software vendor partners to deliver highly relevant, leading edge mobile device management solutions, which is why we designed Athena to be adaptable to suit the needs of each individual customer and to integrate seamlessly into existing device management platforms.”

The CloudSync mobile Device Manager solution, featuring integrated Odyssey Software Athena technology, is available now. For more information about CloudSync’s offering, visit http://www.cloudsync.com. For information on licensing Athena technology, visit http://www.odysseysoftware.com or contact Steve Harrison at +1 585-214-2409 x120.

About Odyssey

Odyssey Software is a leading provider of enterprise-class device management software products for Microsoft Windows Mobile, Windows Embedded, and other Windows-based platforms. Our mission is to provide industry-leading software technologies, making it efficient and cost effective for IT organizations to manage and support the complexity of mobile enterprise deployments. More information is available at http://www.odysseysoftware.com or by calling +1 585-214-2409.

All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.