SynergyNow
In the face of such dismissal, one US-based software company has put its thinking cap on about how to make best use of the wireless technology available now. Evolutionb has developed a suite of nine web-based applications, called SynergyNow, that make a WAP phone of practical use to your business.
The applications, which comprise a company or project intranet, can be accessed through a WAP phone and/or a web-enabled PDA (personal digital assistant) device, such as a hand-held computer.
In addition to the nine applications, SynergyNow can also be customised to include a service called document dispatch. This means you can send multiple emails from your WAP phone or PDA just as you can from your PC, by using one of the nine applications to access the company email directory. You can also send data directly to a fax machine via a mobile device with this service.
Evolutionb provides these services through an ASP (application service provider), so it doesn't actually host them itself. Siemens and Interbel Software are among the companies who act as ASPs for Evolutionb in the UK.
When you use services that are hosted by an ASP, you don't buy software and download it onto your PC. Instead, a third party such as Siemens hosts the service on your behalf. The host buys the software from Evolutionb, then charges companies using it according to how many users are on the system. Evolutionb provides training and after-sales consultancy at extra cost.
The nine applications in SynergyNow are document manager, project manager, discussion forum, resource tracker, contact directory, noticeboard, group scheduler, task list and email. The package is customisable, so you can pick and choose which applications you require.
The document manager tool enables you to store, transfer and edit documents. To work on a file, you download it from the document manager and "check it out"; this ensures that only one version of a document is worked on at a time. When you have finished, you check in the altered version of the document. Documents from any programme can be stored here, from Microsoft Office to CAD drawings. Access to documents can be restricted for each user. Contact information for companies and individuals can also be attached to the relevant file, and you can email files as attachments from this application.
The project manager tool
The project manager tool allows the project manager to plan, assign tasks and have an overview of how each team member is progressing. Each team member is given a task list that feeds into an overview owned by the project manager. Messages and project information are also included here. The "to do" list tool links into the project manager tool to provide each user with a personal list of tasks to complete for each project.
The resource tracker allows you to reserve company facilities and equipment. You can customise the application to add any equipment or facility you require - for example, a meeting room or a van.
The email application, rather than meaning another email address to keep track of, links to your company email address. It will also sort messages in your inbox by author, address and subject. The noticeboard and discussion forum can hold company-wide messages and forums, or you can restrict them to particular users. The forum allows you to poll users on an issue and collate the results. The contact directory is a central database for company contacts. Each user can also have a secure personal directory of contacts.
Each time you log on, your SynergyNow home page will give you a list of all content that has been added since you last logged on. You can also customise the page to get alerts on emails, project messages or scheduled events.
Languages
SynergyNow is available in English, French, German, Japanese and Spanish, with plans to add Chinese, Dutch, Korean, and Italian to those options. This means different users on the same project can view the applications in different languages.
You can also add other applications or develop your own using the SynergyNow application development kit. These applications will interact with the others and have the same level of security; they can also be configured to be multilingual.
SynergyNow is currently under investigation by UK construction firms, but the third largest construction company in Denmark, KPC Byg, has already licensed the package from application service provider Intrapeople.
Peter Klaris, IT manager at KPC, says that of the four products he tested, SynergyNow proved best. "I tested a Danish product called Building Web, Lotus Notes and Xerox software, but SynergyNow was the only one that met our needs," he says. "It had almost everything we wanted, and Intrapeople helped us to customise it to meet our other needs. It was made to fit our organisation, rather than the other way round." "The great thing about SynergyNow is that you can log in remotely," says Klaris, "so people on site can access and share company knowledge. And it can all be done over the internet, without the need to install software on PCs."
Source
Construction Manager
