Rugged mobile devices and device and application management systems allow for high-technology functions to be deployed in tough environments and remote areas, subsequently improving the performance of people working in these conditions, says mobile device software company Mobile at Work MD Barry Saunders.

Devices that are designed to withstand dusty, moist, hot and abrasive environments, such as those encountered at mining projects and in remote areas, can be deployed to provide remote monitoring and reporting systems. This will enable companies, nongovernmental organisations and government to manage and improve the performance of their representatives in these environments.

“We have seen a significant increase in the use of our rugged devices in agriculture, mining, healthcare, nongovernmental aid and broader government work, including census surveys and service delivery.

Combined with a device and an application management system, these devices can provide information on their location and current battery life, as well as on the activities of the user. These monitoring tools help to ensure that the workers perform their functions properly.

“Service levels can be measured and action can be taken to ensure that good levels of service are delivered, even in the remotest parts.”

For example, the rugged device, even when out of signal range, can log global positioning system (GPS) coordinates to track the movements of civil servants and remote workers. The coordinates can then be uploaded and relayed to the relevant department once it regains the signal.

GPS coordinates can also be used to control official work that must be done at specific sites or locations. The device can also be programmed so that specific documents, applications or information can be accessed only when the device is close to a specific GPS coordinate, ensuring that the remote field operators actually visit the sites.

Broad Functionality
Mobile at Work develops applications and device management software for the Android platform, which is often open source and enables the third-party development of applications.

“The open nature of the Android platform means that applications can be developed that can connect to or draw information from many different systems, particularly in agriculture, where an application can draw information from a wide variety of data sources, such as irrigation management systems and weather services, and provide the information for farmers or a community of users on their devices.

“The design of Android applications can also invoke various parts of the device’s capabilities and functionalities to enable application-specific functionality or broader integration of various applications and data sources across different applications used by different organisations or companies,” says Saunders.

Further, Mobile at Work has noted significant interest in its Vulcan rugged smartphone, which has an integrated two-way radio, from the farming community, as farmers and their senior staff can receive emails, perform work functions and talk to workers and machine operators using a single device.

Meanwhile, the affordability of the devices, the cross-device compatibility of solutions they facilitate and ease of application development mean that departments, organisations or companies can deploy broad-scale, affordable solutions for large user populations while maintaining control over the activity of users on the devices.

The applications developed by Mobile at Work are being used throughout Africa.

“While we do not have a direct presence in other countries, the effect of the development of applications, specifically for environments common in Africa, is having a positive impact to ensure that work is done by field operators, aid arrives at the intended destination and that government services are being delivered, even in areas historically underserviced,” concludes Saunders.