With all the talk about the great PowerBuilder exodus, this new monthly column will focus on how PowerBuilder has remained at the forefront of client/server and mobile computing. Although no longer the flavor of the month, the downfall of PowerBuilder has been seriously exaggerated, and rumors of its imminent death are outright wrong.

A popular misconception is that PowerBuilder is only used to support old creaking client/server applications, and then only until they can be converted to something more modern. This is far from the truth. In fact, PowerBuilder remains the tool of choice for new (yes, I said new) wireless and Internet systems. Many organizations, both large and small, are betting on PowerBuilder to launch their new software systems of the future.

Mobile FM
From their office in San Antonio, Texas, the Asset Solutions division of MAXIMUS, Inc., specializes in the development of complex facilities and asset management software solutions. Using Sybase Pocket PowerBuilder, MAXIMUS has developed and deployed MobileFM, a PDA-based extension of their FacilityFocus product line. MobileFM is a handheld solution that vastly increases the efficiency of warehouse inventory tasks and maintenance technicians in the field.

MobileFM is a wireless, add-on solution that extends the reach of the facilities and asset management system to the field and remote workforce. MobileFM was designed specifically for the maintenance technician. With the MobileFM solution, field personnel use handheld computers to receive, process, and update the facilities database, thereby eliminating paperwork, improving the availability of more real-time information, and increasing the overall productivity of the field workforce. MobileFM employs industry-leading wireless middleware technology to synchronize portions of the FacilityFocus database, enabling technicians to generate work orders in the field using location-based and equipment-based, drill-down menus. MobileFM takes advantage of industry-standard handheld technology from Hewlett-Packard, Toshiba, Dell, and other palmtops that operate on Microsoft's Windows CE or PocketPC environments. Information flow in the MobileFM application follows the actual workflow in the field. Information is made available to the field workforce on demand, turning the handheld into an "electronic clipboard." Because MobileFM is designed specifically for field technicians, they find the system both easy to learn and valuable. Maintenance organizations find it easy to deploy and maintain.

MAXIMUS had previously built their handheld mobile application using another technology. That technology had a major drawback: there was no capability for supporting a database local to the device. Because maintenance technicians are often working on equipment in subbasements and far afield, their handheld devices may not receive a signal for extended periods of time. If the technician spots another maintenance issue, there's no way to generate new work orders and capture data on location. This inability to capture data when disconnected severely limited the utility of the prior application.

Developing the application's predecessor took 10 months and contained less functionality. "When we built the earlier iteration of our handheld product we were using state-of the-art technology for the time," says Ken Slaughter of MAXIMUS. "Going into this project, I had concerns about using a 1.0 Beta version. But once we tried Sybase Pocket PowerBuilder, we knew we had a winner. Even the early version of Sybase Pocket PowerBuilder was solid. Our two developers built a complex application in four months - not a trivial accomplishment."

So when MAXIMUS heard about the pending launch of Sybase Pocket PowerBuilder, they joined the Beta program, quickly built a prototype, and demonstrated its functionality. Sybase Pocket PowerBuilder provides connectivity to the Sybase SQL Anywhere database residing on the PDA. This small footprint relational database solved the problem of storing data while disconnected. In addition, MAXIMUS was able to tap their existing knowledge base for the application's development. Because they have been a PowerBuilder shop since 1993, the familiar code environment allowed MAXIMUS to be up and running in a short period of time.

Time Card Management
MobileFM also manages time and job-cost tracking. Traditionally, maintenance organizations lose an average of 43 minutes per technician per day to complete time and cost paperwork. Depending on the size of the organization, the task of deciphering and entering this written information into the billing system can translate into multiple full-time clerical jobs at the home office. MobileFM has eliminated the time spent capturing and entering the information, as well as associated errors.

Inventory Management
In addition to facility maintenance functions, MobileFM is also used in warehouse environments to manage inventory. Using a bar code scanner-wand attachment, the mobile device can track outgoing inventory, returns, cycle counting, and receiving. If a wireless connection is unavailable, the transactions are stored in the handheld's SQL Anywhere database until it can be synchronized with the host database. According to Shawn Sande, director of marketing for the Asset Solutions division, MobileFM provides a huge boost in warehouse worker productivity, "One of our state government customers maintains 17 warehouses statewide. The central warehouse in the state capital is comparable in size to a Home Depot or Lowe's home improvement center. And Pocket PowerBuilder is up to the job.

Final Look
MAXIMUS has created a handheld application with local intelligence and an onboard database so it can remain productive and autonomous when either connected or disconnected. When a network connection is available, bidirectional synchronization (without the risk of information loss) exchanges timely, high-bandwidth information between the user and the home office. By using Sybase Pocket PowerBuilder to create MobileFM, MAXIMUS has built a commercial-grade enterprise application that truly delivers on the promises of wireless and handheld technology. Says Paul Watje, principal analyst, MAXIMUS, "Just like PowerBuilder, you can't beat Sybase Pocket PowerBuilder as a rapid application development tool for the PDA. It is top of the chart; nothing else comes close." Well said, Paul.