Sept/Oct 2003

Dexterra's innovative Field Service application (m.logistics, issue 4) has been upgraded. Version 2.0 is designed to give businesses more visibility and control over mobile workers; to offer seamless integration with corporate information functions; and to speed up deployment.

Dexterra's core philosophy is that mobile working should be an extension of corporate activity, not a separate business area. To facilitate this, it says enterprises need greater visibility and control over their mobile workforces, who in turn need their activities to be integrated into corporate functions such as CRM and finance, in the same way as happens with office-based workers.

To this end, while retaining the ForceFlow and FieldFlow business and work-control processes of the earlier version, the new version of Field Service also allows companies to model mobile applications-based business process needs, rather than focusing on separate mobile applications for, say, sales, service and delivery workforces.

Field Service 2.0 runs on the Dexterra Mobility Platform, which is designed to exploit XML, Web services and Microsoft .NET technologies. It comes with Mobility Connectors, which are said to provide seamless "out-of-the-box" integration with a range of enterprise data sources including SAP, PeopleSoft, Siebel and Oracle.

Dexterra says the connectors ensure the information on the mobile devices remains up-to-date without intrusive programming, or requiring a constant Internet connection while jobs are being progressed.

Dexterra has also upgraded the SmartClient software that resides on the handheld device. It now incorporates a Business Object Controller that eliminates the need for separate data coding, which can be time-consuming and costly.