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Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions about @hand and our Mobile Solutions
Below you will find frequently asked questions regarding @hand and our enterprise
mobility solutions. If you have additional questions please contact us through our
request information page.
Who is @hand?
@hand is a software company that provides solutions for mission-critical enterprise mobility, specifically mobile workforce management. Based in Austin, Texas, @hand has been developing innovative enterprise mobility solutions for 10 years.
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What is the origin and early history of @hand software technology?
In @hand's first six years as a business, we operated as a technology company, focused on the core software architecture necessary to support mission-critical enterprise mobility. During this time, we developed our M-Tier® technology, which has since been patented for its unique design to intelligently manage distributed transactions among multiple occasionally-connected data sources.
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How has @hand emerged as a mobile solution provider?
Several years ago, @hand began to work closely with NASA and the U.S. Department of Defense. Through these efforts, @hand further advanced our technology framework and recognized the applicability of our solutions for the broader market, including commercial organizations. Since that time, @hand steadily has grown our commercial and government business, and we continue to see opportunities to help organizations address their enterprise mobility needs.
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What products does @hand offer?
@hand offers the Field Mobility System (FMS) enterprise software suite, which supports our mobile solutions for asset management, service management and materials management. @hand's FMS includes a mobile solution framework, an application configuration environment, and the M-Tier Platform. With software to support application functions, configuration, and architecture, FMS provides customers and partners with a comprehensive approach to mobility.
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Who are @hand's target customers?
@hand provides solutions to large commercial and government organizations that manage a valuable and complex network of mobile workers and assets. The typical @hand customer environment includes capital-intensive operations, a skilled workforce, and one or more sophisticated back-end software systems, such as IBM MAXIMO®, SAP, Oracle, and other proprietary systems.
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What problems does @hand solve?
Operations and processes managed by the mobile workforce have become more complex. In this environment, many organizations struggle with manual or out-dated systems that compromise data integrity, reduce the speed of data collection, and impair visibility of mobile operations.
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How does @hand address these challenges?
@hand offers an enterprise software suite (FMS) that is specifically designed to support enterprise mobility and mobile workforce management. With @hand, mobile workers benefit from easy-to-use applications that support handhelds, laptops, and tablet PCs. @hand mobile applications work online and offline, providing a seamless experience to the end-user. Application features are configured precisely to match work processes. Enterprise data is communicated securely and efficiently to one or more systems of record. All applications are supported by @hand's patented M-Tier® software architecture, which ensures the reliability and quality of the system.
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What functional solutions does @hand offer?
@hand offers a configure-to-order solution framework with a special emphasis on mission-critical mobile processes in asset management, service management, and materials management. Within these categories, @hand offers a diverse and always-evolving selection of specific solutions such as maintenance execution, asset inspection, asset audits, field ticketing, service management, and inventory management. Importantly, @hand works with customers to define the exact solution that matches business requirements, even if the solution requires a unique combination of features across multiple solution categories.
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Does @hand software work with mobile technologies like RFID and GPS?
The incorporation of high-value mobile and wireless technologies is a core competency for @hand. Our software leverages auto-ID technologies such as barcode scanning and RFID, as well as location-based technologies such as GPS. @hand works with each customer to determine the appropriate use of peripheral technologies, and we continue to track mobile technology developments so we can offer a path of continuous innovation to our customers.
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What alternative solutions have been attempted for enterprise mobility?
Many organizations have attempted to implement mobile solutions as extensions of back-end systems, such as ERP or CMMS, only to find that the mobile workforce benefits from a broader and more versatile solution designed to interact with all relevant enterprise data sources - not just a single system. Other companies have attempted to develop custom solutions, but these lack the technical quality necessary to manage the complexity of mobile workforce management.
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Why are software solutions for the mobile workforce complex?
On initial inspection, a software application running on a mobile device does not convey complexity. But, consider 100 or more devices, each with its own application and database, synchronizing at intermittent and unpredictable intervals, and you can begin to understand the complexity. How will you manage data collisions? Transmit data across low-bandwidth networks with incomplete coverage? Version applications automatically? Update application data values without a re-release? With mobility, the application is the tip of the iceberg, and it's important to select a solution that is designed to manage the underlying complexity.
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Why is @hand technology so unique and what has been patented?
@hand has developed its software technology using a model-driven approach where solution designs are captured in the form of mobile data models that are de-coupled from other application components, such as the user interface and workflow, as well as physical data sources. This approach allows @hand and our customers to define application requirements, and specifically data distribution behavior, through entity attributes, relationships and logical rules, versus scripts and source code. All @hand solution components, including mobile applications, data transactions, and integration adapters are driven by a mobile data model, allowing it to serve as the universal currency of structure and communication throughout the system.
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How is @hand's architecture different from data synchronization tools?
Synchronization technologies maintain record-level consistency among databases on separate devices. Relationships within the database and across databases must be managed with a separate layer of scripted or coded logic. In contrast, @hand solutions communicate by using mobile transactions. Each transaction represents a data event on a mobile client or server and is intelligently processed based on the relationships in the mobile data model.
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Why not use a "wireless web" architecture for mobility?
A connection-dependent, browser-based mobile solution is attractive on the surface, since it is technically less complex than store-and-forward. However, this approach is effective only for mobility scenarios with pervasive, high-bandwidth wireless connectivity or without the need for disconnected operation. The reality of field operations and mobile environments is that applications are most effective when they are connection-independent, meaning that they can adapt to the occasionally-available network environment. This adaptive ability to work in any connectivity environment is a core quality of @hand's technology, and it provides the best solution for most customers.
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Is wireless connectivity required for an @hand solution?
@hand solutions work with wireless and wired networks, and they can support a combination of the two in the same solution environment. Our store-and-forward software design provides an effective application experience even in low connectivity environments, and this experience improves as you add more connectivity. Many @hand customers begin with a cradle/sync process and then evolve to wireless communications when their business is ready.
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Why do organizations typically choose @hand over alternatives?
@hand's history of research, development, and technology innovation provides us with a unique software product for enterprise mobility, as well as an unmatched level of expertise in the delivery of mobile solutions. @hand's early experience with NASA and the DoD accelerated an existing path to provide customers with the advantages of packaged enterprise software along with the benefits of custom-tailored solutions. The ability to balance these competing principles has been essential to our success. The same software attributes that provide this ability also allow @hand to thrive in the most complex organizational and technology environments.
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What operational benefits do customers typically realize with @hand?
@hand solutions provide improvements in data integrity, process optimization, and decision support. By adding value in these areas, @hand allows customers to establish a stronger connection between frontline work execution and back-end work planning and processing. Ultimately, @hand helps customers to make progress on the strategic objective of total work visibility.
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What returns have been documented for specific mobile solutions?
@hand has worked with many customers to establish a business case along with projected returns. We respect the confidentiality of the analysis performed with customers, but we can share common themes. Measurable benefits include:
- In asset management and maintenance environments, @hand solutions have introduced annual savings of $6,000 to $7,000 per worker.
- In field service environments, @hand solutions have reduced field ticket processing times, accelerated billing cycles, and reduced drive time and corresponding energy costs.
- In materials management and warehouse environments, @hand has increased efficiencies ranging from 65-75% for certain mission-critical data entry processes.
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What does @hand cost?
@hand offers a competitively priced enterprise software suite, including a volume discount structure. @hand believes that pricing should be transparent, and customers should benefit from short-term and long-term investment visibility.
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Do I have to license each mobile application separately?
Unlike most competitive products, @hand offers a unique licensing model that allows customers to access all @hand FMS software features for each device seat. Customers pay a flat fee for each device and can add as many application features as needed.
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Does @hand sell mobile hardware?
No. @hand is a software company, but we have relationships with leading hardware resellers that offer competitive pricing for the industry's most trusted mobile hardware solutions.
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How long does it take to implement an @hand solution?
@hand offers an efficient and effective solution delivery process that emphasizes results. Typically, within 3-6 months, the @hand Solution Delivery team can analyze your mobile work processes, define the appropriate solution, and configure our software to align with your immediate needs and long-term business objectives.
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Can @hand customers get involved in the configuration process?
Absolutely. @hand encourages customer participation during solution configuration, to best prepare for long-term support of the solution. With @hand training and common technical skills, customer resources are able to configure and deploy new features with minimal to no oversight by @hand.
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How do I get started?
@hand recommends a detailed and thorough evaluation of alternatives before deciding on a plan for mobility. Whether you're engaged in initial research or starting a selection process, @hand can offer resources for guidance and specific solution recommendations.
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To learn more, contact @hand.
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