Category Archives: Mobile

Android, Canvas, Education, Instructure, iOS, iPad, iPhone, Mobile

Instructure Releases Canvas for Android

Instructure has released a new Canvas Android app, which enables mobile access to the Canvas learning platform from Android devices. Faculty and students can download the app for free from the Google Play store.

“The Canvas for Android app is designed to make it easy for faculty and students to stay connected to their courses, including courses from their institution or the Canvas Network,” said Brian Whitmer , co-founder and chief product officer at Instructure. “We’ve always pushed information to Android devices through our email and text messaging notification feature, but now users can participate in their courses through a native app designed specifically for learning.”

Canvas for Android provides an elegant way for students to access their Canvas To-Do list, Assignments, Calendar, Grades and more. It also enables them to read and compose messages using Canvas Conversations, a secure, built-in messaging system that connects participants in a course.

Since the initial launch of Canvas, Instructure has demonstrated its commitment to native apps for mobile devices. In 2011, the company released SpeedGrader for iPad, a powerful mobile grading app, and Canvas for iOS, an iPhone and iPad app with course functionality for students and instructors. With the release of Canvas for Android, Instructure is taking the first of many steps to bring a native Canvas experience to Android users.

“We recognize that the modern learner is mobile, and we believe a native mobile experience is critical to the learning experience,” said Devlin Daley , co-founder and chief technology officer at Instructure. “We didn’t decide after the fact to build mobile apps because it was a hip thing to do. We made an intentional decision to include mobile apps from the start – at no extra charge.”

Bitcasa, iOS, Mobile, Storage

Bitcasa Releases Infinite Drive Apps for Android, Windows 8/RT

Bitcasa announced today the release of its Android and Windows 8/RT apps. The new mobile apps allow instant streaming of music, photos, videos, and documents from the Bitcasa Infinite Drive™. The Android and Windows 8/RT apps are available today for new and existing Bitcasa users on Google Play, Windows Store, and at www.bitcasa.com/download. Mac and iOS apps will be available in January.

With Bitcasa, users can backup and consolidate all of their files and media into one Infinite Drive. The Bitcasa Infinite Drive acts like an external drive that users are already familiar with, except that it never runs out of space and is accessible from anywhere and any device. With the new Infinite Drive and mobile apps, Bitcasa users get immediate benefits:

  • Instant Streaming, Access Anywhere: With Bitcasa, users can
    play whole music albums, watch videos in various formats, view and
    share photo albums, and read documents from anywhere. Instant
    streaming from the Bitcasa Infinite Drive allows users to stream their
    personal jukebox of music, videos, and photos to mobile and desktop
    devices without having to sync or store files locally on each of your
    devices.
  • Infinite Storage: The Infinite Drive acts as a virtual external
    drive that expands with the user’s growing storage needs without ever
    worrying about running out of space again.
  • Safe Backup: Continuous and automatic backup gives peace of
    mind. Users can mirror their content from all their computers to
    Bitcasa, and access it anywhere. All files and backups are protected
    with client-side encryption, which means that only users can see and
    access their data. Users can easily retrieve files with time-capsule
    versioning by date.
  • Share Content: With one click, users can share any file or
    folder with their friends and family – Bitcasa or non-Bitcasa users –
    regardless of file size. For sharing on mobile devices, users can also
    set up alerts to protect against large downloads that might affect
    their mobile bandwidth charges.
  • Get Organized: Bitcasa automatically categorizes users’ data
    into Music, Photos, Videos, and Documents.
    Users no longer have to worry about managing and organizing their
    files – the same way they do not have to worry about
    storage capacity limits.

“With our mobile app releases, we are now making all of your data easily available from mobile and PC/Mac clients while taking the security of that data very seriously,” said Tony Gauda, co-founder and CEO of Bitcasa. “By announcing our cross-platform support today, we are offering our global users secure access on all computers, mobile devices, or Web browsers by streaming from the cloud while allowing them to keep the data they access more often localized on their hard drive. With an Infinite Drive, mobile users can automatically store and access their photos from any device. It also means that they can send large videos and albums to friends and family, as well as watch videos in multiple formats. It’s an infinite, organized drive in the cloud. Users don’t have to manage it and it’s much safer than their desktop or laptop.”

Crittercism, Customer service, iOS, iPad, iPhone, Mobile, Partnerships, UserVoice

Crittercism, UserVoice Partner for Customer Communication Platform for Mobile App Developers

Crittercism announced that it has partnered with UserVoice to deliver a customer communication platform for mobile app developers. As a result, developers can now monitor and manage app performance, as well as communicate directly with customers in real-time through a single, easy-to-use dashboard on upcoming upgrades, support issues and more via the cloud.

App crashes and user support are the top two issues affecting user retention and in-app purchases. As such, customer support is critical and has a direct impact on app store ratings, reviews, customer engagement and revenues.

With UserVoice for iOS, mobile app developers using Crittercism’s robust Mobile APM solution can now easily insert a customer support contact form into iOS mobile applications, giving users the ability to provide direct feedback from an iPhone or iPad.

Furthermore, mobile app developers can now access hosted feedback forums that allow users to create, discuss and vote on ideas to help prioritize order of importance, giving developers an easy way to collect critical feedback and improve their apps in a timely manner. As a result, developers are able to benefit from a complete customer communication and support service that not only increases customer satisfaction as well as retention.

“Crittercism’s mobile APM solution is extremely flexible and we are able to easily integrate new technologies into our system that make developers’ lives easier,” said Andrew Levy, Crittercism’s co-founder and CEO. “We are pleased to expand on our platform to offer our developers new, unique ways to reach their customers to offer the best user experience possible and provide actionable ideas on how to improve their products.”

“Consumers today expect a seamless mobile app experience, and will often abandon an app based on continued crashes or other issues, especially if they aren’t able to quickly report and resolve them,” said Richard White, CEO of UserVoice. “With Crittercism, we are extending our customer communication, support and feedback capabilities to mobile app developers, giving them the most comprehensive, flexible and intuitive support solution for mobile applications.”

Business Processes, Enterprise resource planning, Mobile, SYSPRO, SYSPRO Espresso

SYSPRO Launches ERP Mobile Solution for Mid-Market Manufacturers

SYSPRO announced today the availability of SYSPRO Espresso mobile ERP platform for mid-sized manufacturing and distribution companies. The new mobile solution is purpose built and leverages leading edge HTML 5, Microsoft technology and tools. The announcement was made here today at the company’s Winter 2012 analyst roadshow before 32 leading technology analysts. SYSPRO Espresso applications are available from the SYSPRO App Store.

SYSPRO Espresso is targeted at executives who require immediate access to c-level information as well as all users who are not office bound and who require secure access to real time data. The SYSPRO Espresso architecture is one of the first platforms of its kind to use a single source codebase (for the business logic) to create native applications for any mobile device, with built-in powerful customization capabilities both for the end-user and for developers to engage.

SYSPRO supports multiple mobile and desktop devices, provides easy user customization and an easy growth and change strategy via its component-based Quantum Architecture. The company has a strong mid-market presence with 14,500 customers and value-add industry expertise in the food, medical devices, machinery and equipment, electronics and pharmaceuticals/chemical sectors.

“We have been very careful with our new mobile solution to preserve what is one of our most acclaimed advantages, which is easy customization,” said Phil Duff, CEO SYSPRO worldwide. “The Power Tailoring tools that SYSPRO users have come to expect have not been compromised. SYSPRO Espresso users will be able to access and tailor SYSPRO applications that will work on-line and off-line on any popular device, while retaining the native look and feel of these devices, as well as for the look and feel of their personalized interface to SYSPRO. SYSPRO solutions feel like ‘home grown’ software solutions – as if they were built by their own technology development team.”


Airclic, Business Processes, Cross-docking, Logistics, Mobile, Shipping, Stevedore, Supply chain, Third-party logistics

Airclic Helps Dock Workers Stage, Load Shipments from Multiple Suppliers

Airclic, a global provider of cloud-based software for mobile supply chain and logistics operations, today announced that it has released the latest version of Transport Perform® (version r12.4), its cloud-based 3PL transportation solution that improves order accuracy and operational efficiency. With this release, Airclic has expanded its support for high-volume cross-docking, allowing dock workers to receive, stage and load shipments from one or more suppliers in parallel and validate received items or shipments in real time against Advanced Shipment Notice data.

Transport Perform is a third-party logistics (3PL) mobile transportation management product that works with any device or carrier. It has been designed specifically to improve the efficiency and accuracy of cross-docking and delivery within a logistics operation by providing visibility into the mobile supply chain and giving an organization the features and functionality it needs to enable a more scalable and reliable workflow. Costly and time-consuming paper-based processing can be eliminated alongside received versus loaded versus delivered errors, reducing overall costs and increasing customer confidence that their shipments have been executed correctly. Transport Perform is intuitive and easy-to use, ensuring a seamless deployment and rapid ROI, as customers have reported saving an average of $400 per route, per month.

With Transport Perform r12.4, the full and accurate data required to process shipments from suppliers is captured, validated and assured from the first point of contact on the dock. Inbound shipments are validated in real-time against advanced shipment data (at item level, order level and supplier container level) and automatically direct the dock worker to the correct outbound container and route based on shipment details, such as end destination or customer location. It also boasts highly configurable workflows to ensure that dock worker activity is based on the requirements of the original supplier.

“Organizations that have automated their transportation logistics and delivery systems have improved customer satisfaction while reducing the cost of doing business,” said Pól Sweeney, CTO, Airclic. “Improved accuracy and better efficiency have increased customer confidence and given 3PL providers using Transport Perform an advantage over the competition. The new capabilities announced today will help them accurately record items received on the dock, staged and loaded all at the same time, in real-time.”

The key features of Transport Perform r12.4 include:

  • A graphical interface for administrators, enabling them to fully setup
    and configure workflow forms for dock workers and drivers to ensure
    the accuracy of information captured during receiving and staging
  • Data validation and post-processing behavior definition capabilities
  • Customizable Perform Reports designed to support cross-dock receiving
    and post-receiving reconciliation with supplier systems based upon the
    unique rules of each
  • Allowance for the upload of custom attributes as part of the customer,
    depot or supplier location bulk upload process


Android, Mobile, QuickBooks

QuickBooks Mobile Now Optimized for Android Tablets

Intuit reports that design updates to QuickBooks Mobile for Android optimize the app for tablets, and make it easier to navigate and use on any mobile device. The app is available to download for QuickBooks Online subscribers on Google Play at no additional cost. QuickBooks Mobile enables small businesses to access customer information, create, send and review estimates and invoices, and record payments from Apple and Android mobile devices.

QuickBooks Mobile offers Android tablet users the same functionality provided to Android phone users, but with a native tablet experience. The app serves small businesses that want to accomplish more work on mobile devices. Industry analysts say the trend is on the fast track, with Android claiming a significant share:

  • 32.5 percent of small businesses currently own tablets, and 31.6
    percent plan to purchase tablets in the next 12 months, according to
    an IDC report published in October.
  • 31.9 percent of small businesses purchased or planned to purchase
    tablets in 2012 to substitute laptops, according to an iGR study
    released in March.
  • The number of global tablet and smartphone users will surpass the
    number of PC users by July 2013, based on projections from KPCB
    partner Mary Meeker in a November presentation. She also noted that
    Android adoption is growing six times faster than that of iPhones.

“Small business owners want to get more done everyday, so mobile apps afford them a fantastic way to stay organized and productive from either their computers or mobile devices,” said Dan Wernikoff, senior vice president and general manager of Intuit’s Financial Management Solutions division. “In the past year, we’ve seen our QuickBooks Mobile users triple, and adoption amongst Android phone users outpace iPhone users.

“With tablets becoming pervasive, we’re creating QuickBooks Mobile experiences that take full advantage of the devices’ unique capabilities to help small businesses save time managing their finances. Today we’re giving customers what they want – a native tablet experience for our fast-growing population of Android users.”


Mobile, Mobile application development, SOASTA, Tools

SOASTA Launches Mobile Services Division

Cloud and mobile testing provider SOASTA today announced the launch of its Mobile Services Division (MSD) to help companies deliver  quality user experience for their mobile and web apps. SOASTA’s MSD, headed by mobile testing and big-data industry veteran Mahesh Gidwani, focuses on helping its customers build and manage mobile test labs by combining SOASTA’s best practices and proven test methodologies to ensure successful mobile application delivery using the company’s CloudTest, TouchTest, and mPulse products.

In addition to SOASTA’s own MSD, SOASTA is also introducing a Mobile Test Automation Network made up of mobile test professionals from around the world that will be accredited to deliver SOASTA’s mobile test methodologies. Joining this network today are partners focused on Mobile Test Automation including ProtoTest, Total Performance Consulting and Utopia Solutions, that extend SOASTA’s services reach to clients across geographies and industry verticals.

“The explosion of mobile development has created a capability gap in the services market that SOASTA uniquely fills with our elite team of experts and partners who have pioneered mobile test automation and cloud testing,” said Tom Lounibos, SOASTA CEO. “We launched the SOASTA Mobile Services Division after our customers told us that they often lacked the expertise to implement and execute effective mobile and cloud-based testing strategies.”

“As enterprises struggle to match the pace of consumer demand via mobile and web properties, they are finding it hard to adapt their quality processes,” said Tom Murphy, Gartner Research Director. “Gartner sees the growth and expansion of specialized professional services as a natural response to the market need.”

The new Mobile Services offered by SOASTA span strategy, methodology, accreditation, implementation and ad-hoc services focused on:

  • Mobile Test Automation Architects (On-Demand, On-Premise)
  • Mobile Test Automation Experts (On-Demand, On-Premise)
  • Mobile Performance Engineers (On-Demand, On-Premise)
  • Continuous Integration Test Methodologies
  • Building and Management Services for Internal and External Mobile
    Application Test Labs
  • Mobile App Testing Accreditation

“The demand for mobile testing expertise, coupled with the compression of delivery cycles, drives growth for our specialized services,” said Lee Barnes, the founder and CTO of Utopia Solutions. “With this expansion, joint SOASTA and Utopia customers will experience rapid return and expert guidance of seasoned mobile testing experts resulting in the highest quality mobile apps to their end-users.”

“I’m excited to be leading the charge into mobile test services for SOASTA,” said Mahesh Gidwani, SOASTA’s new VP, Professional Services. “SOASTA is excited match our product innovations with equally innovative services that help our customers with mobile automation.”


Business Processes, Intuit, Intuit QuickBase, iPad, Mobile, QuickBase

Intuit’s QuickBase Goes Mobile

Image representing QuickBase as depicted in Cr...

QuickBase from Intuit Inc. now enables information workers to  build and  deploy QuickBase applications across tablets, smartphones and desktop computers.

QuickBase is a cloud platform that empowers do-it-yourself workers (DIYers) to create their own applications and solutions that improve productivity. It’s easy to use so anyone can create custom, collaborative business applications with no coding knowledge needed. DIYers have built more than 3 million QuickBase applications since the platform launched in 2002.

Intuit refreshed QuickBase to make it even easier to build and access apps with user experiences designed specifically for desktop computers, tablets and smartphones. A simplified design, enhanced search and reporting functionality, and a more intuitive navigation make QuickBase easier to learn and to use on desktop computers. A mobile version of QuickBase.com enables tablet users to create new or improve existing apps, and smartphone users to access their mobile business apps on the go.

A September 2012 survey from QuickBase found that information workers aren’t satisfied with today’s off-the-shelf options.

  • 53 percent said they would build their own mobile app if they could do
    so easily.
  • 33 percent of respondents said the mobile apps they’re using are not
    currently meeting their needs. Nearly all (95 percent) said they
    obtained their mobile apps from IT or purchased them from an online
    app store.
  • 76 percent cited the inability to write code or lack of approval from
    IT as reasons that would keep them from developing their own apps.
  • 40 percent would build apps that serve business management and
    collaboration functions.

“The fast and accelerating pace of business today requires enterprise employees to work dynamically, solving problems as they surface, at times on the go,” said Allison Mnookin, vice president and general manager of Intuit QuickBase. “They need tools that are easy to use, collaborative and help their teams get their jobs done faster. They need applications that solve their teams’ unique workflows and that can flex, scale, and evolve as their needs morph.

“Mobile enterprise apps on the market today don’t meet these needs well; they either solve problems with a one-size-fits-all approach or require IT resources to develop expensive custom solutions.”

QuickBase solves this need by enabling DIYers to build applications once and deploy them across any desktop or mobile device. The QuickBase platform offers unique benefits that include:

  • Empowering enterprise workers to build business apps on their own,
    reducing the IT development backlog and reducing development cycles
    from months to days.
  • Providing hundreds of templates that solve problems instantly and
    jumpstart the solution for complex apps, making it easier to address
    any business problem.
  • Offering robust permission controls to determine who accesses or edits
    specific data or the application itself.
  • Making app development collaborative and iterative so teams can modify
    their work to meet their evolving needs.
  • Interconnecting QuickBase apps to bring data together in one place,
    improving productivity and the quality of business insights, while
    reducing high costs associated with managing a patchwork of solutions
    from different providers.

“Our business lives in QuickBase,” said Will Wieder, chief information officer of Ministry Health Care in Appleton, Wisc. “We manage everything from meeting agendas to plans to IT projects across thousands of QuickBase applications.

“It’s our personal Swiss Army knife. QuickBase prepares us to address the changing needs of our teams’ work with custom solutions. The new mobile capability helps traveling members of the team stay productive, especially those who have ditched their PCs in favor of iPads and other mobile devices.”in the United States and other countries.


Android, Mobile

Basware Launches Enhanced Mobile App for Purchase-to-Pay

Basware, a provider of e-invoicing and purchase-to-pay solutions, has today announced the availability of Basware Mobile 1.2, bringing the processing of purchase requisitions into its native apps for iOS and Android powered smartphones and tablets.

As workers become increasingly mobile and accustomed to social collaboration, employees expect to be able to access and interact with core business processes and data on the move in order to maximize productivity. Basware Mobile 1.2 delivers a comprehensive purchase-to-pay mobile application to enable users to review, approve and reject invoices and purchase requisitions while on the move. Basware helps businesses further speed up the review and approval cycles of invoice and requisition processing, through the full automation of procurement and accounts payable processes, coupled with the delivery of anywhere, anytime access to processes and data through browser, tablet and smartphone apps.

On 29th February 2012, Basware launched Alusta, a cloud-based platform for business-to-business transaction collaboration. Basware Mobile 1.2 is an enhancement to the mobility function of Alusta, adding purchase requisitions to invoices already supported within in the mobile app. Basware Mobile is fully optimized for all smartphone and tablet devices including mobile web, Android and iOS platforms. It is also designed to allow social collaboration in an enterprise solution.


Bill Ackman, Business Intelligence, Carl Icahn, George Soros, Hedge fund, Investment management, Mobile, MoneyChakra, Warren Buffett, Xignite

MoneyChakra iPad App Tracks Investments by Top Hedge Fund Managers

MoneyChakra today announced the availability of its iPad app that tracks top hedge fund managers’ actions using the Xignite Market Data Cloud. MoneyChakra uses innovative data services from Xignite to reveal the portfolios and buy/sell actions for top hedge fund managers, including Warren Buffett, Carl Icahn, George Soros, Bill Ackman and other leading money managers.

The first company to offer an iPad app in this category, MoneyChakra differs from other services that post the actions of hedge fund managers by using Xignite’s web services to clearly and simply display real-time data. MoneyChakra is outshining the competition by presenting big picture perspectives with dynamic visualization that can be understood at a glance. MoneyChakra also allows users to drill down into data to:

  • View top hedge fund managers’ portfolios as soon as they are filed
    with SEC
  • Visualize top hedge fund managers’ buy/sell actions for the quarter
  • See patterns across the top hedge fund managers’ portfolios
  • Get news and other actions, such as Form 4 and SC 13 filings
  • Make watchlists for the stocks you are considering for buying/selling

The MoneyChakra iPad app, with Xignite data, is available as a free download in the iTunes Apple Store.