This story was written for WRAL TechWire Innovator partner Device Magic.
We’ve all experienced a “dead zone” before.
Maybe you’re trying to make a call from a remote area, or perhaps you’re at a crowded concert and there are too many people in close proximity using their cell phones simultaneously. Connectivity issues may not be that big of a deal if you’re just trying to check your Instagram page, but when it comes to business, lack of connectivity can be a real problem.
“When it comes to broadband connectivity for businesses, it’s imperative to have fast, reliant access,” said Adam Shearin, a senior account executive at SaaS company Device Magic.
With businesses relying on daily emails and phone calls, it’s hard to argue with the importance of connectivity, but what happens when you don’t have a good connection or any connection at all?
In a day and age like now where everyone is always “online,” people may scoff at the notion that a connection may be unreachable. However, natural disasters happen, remote areas exist and sometimes technology fails.
In fact, North Carolina has 80 rural counties, only one of which has broadband internet. Those in industries like maritime and fishing know all too well about being “off the grid” for example. Additionally, something as simple as going down into a basement to check stock inventory can mean the loss of a connection.
Cloud-based applications offer a solution.
Device Magic, a mobile forms automation software, offers offline capabilities that come in handy when your business takes you to rural locations or spots without reliable connectivity. The field data collection app allows businesses to complete paperwork and more in real-time, regardless of where a jobsite is located. Information is stored on the device and automatically submitted once connectivity is regained.
“Our customers work across many different environments and locations, which often don’t have reliable network coverage,” stated Device Magic’s senior vice president of sales, Jon Coley. “Being out in the field or on a remote jobsite shouldn’t stop you from getting your work done.”
All types of businesses, from companies who perform construction inspections to retail establishments and real estate firms, have benefitted from the seamless nature of Device Magic’s offline forms.
“You think about rural areas as not having broadband, but we also have retail customers who use offline forms,” explained Nancy Vodicka, vice president of marketing at Device Magic. “In certain parts of their store, they may not have connectivity. So when they go into a meat locker, they need to record inventory correctly. When they come out, the data will sync up — but it needs to be seamless to them.”
The meat locker example wasn’t theoretical — it’s a true example of the prevalence of dead spots we may not think about.
“It’s common. Any attics, basements, metal buildings, industrial work floors, you name it — there’s a million different ways to not have connectivity,” Shearin said.
Added Vodicka, “The lack of broadband is a topic that crosses all businesses and geographic areas for sure.”
Offline mobile forms solutions can help companies combat broadband connectivity issues so you don’t have let the strength of a signal rule the efficiency of your business.
This story was written for WRAL TechWire Innovator partner Device Magic.
