Cary, January 2012:  Mobility, today more than ever, is key to operating in the field at peak efficiency.  Companies such as Cityworks, Tech Edge and Mobile311 are working together to enable direct communication between field workers and administration, while reducing costs in the process. 

Recently featured in a Cityworks publication, was the story of neighboring cities Kannapolis and Concord, North Carolina.  They had been using Cityworks for their GIS needs for over ten years, but had recently converted selected field employees to ruggedized laptops in an effort to mobilize the technology.  Each truck was loaded with the laptop running Cityworks software, a camera, cell phone, and other devices they may need.  This experiment was proving to be expensive, with a large learning curve.  Tech Edge, who handled the cities IT services, searched out a solution that could be a better fit for the two communities.

The solution came in the form of a Mobile311 demonstration.  Mobile311 is a GIS-based, downloadable app that allows service orders to be created on a mobile device such as a tablet or smartphone.  By arming field employees with inexpensive smart-phones to create and track service requests, each city was able to mobilize the technology at a fraction of the previous cost, with very little trouble teaching the employees how to use the software. 

Truly, the notion of mobile or field computing is fast becoming less about technology and more about the evolution of the workplace.  For Kannapolis and Concord, North Carolina, the workplace is now in the palm of their hands, utilizing the Mobile311 smartphone app to meet their growing needs. 

About Mobile311, LLC

Mobile 311, LLC is known for creating user friendly software and applications with a modern edge.   Leading the way in field tracking software and public-facing GIS data, Mobile311 makes flexible, affordable solutions that adapt to your needs.