Mobile Applications Built for IBM Maximo
Mobility promises many things: improved efficiency, enhanced ROI, or the freedom to capture meaningful data in the field and on the fly. Unfortunately, many organizations struggle to reap these benefits because the mobile solution they have chosen limits them to a small fraction of the capabilities of the Maximo system they have built their business processes around. This means that years of enhancements and customizations can be left behind on the road to mobility, and the opportunities to move forward can be lost.
The best mobile solution is one that fits your business and delivers useful solutions where you need them. Mobile Informer’s user of native Maximo Business Objects (MBOs) to manage and manipulate data - in the same fashion as the core Maximo system - ensures that any and all Maximo data is available to Mobile Informer, including any customizations, add-ons, or industry solutions that have been configured. By making MBOs available to mobile applications, Mobile Informer can easily deliver the full capabilities of Maximo, including features such as linear asset management, offline GIS, HSE, and more.
Mobile Informer makes it possible to realize the full potential of Maximo and deliver it to a mobile device.
Implementing Maximo mobility does not have to be hard. That’s why Interloc offers our framework mobile applications for Maximo that deliver job-specific standard functionality, with individual tailoring capability.
Work Management is for any maintenance organization that wants to get their workers mobile quickly, enhancing field workers access to needed information, like manuals or process descriptions, while also allowing them to collect reliable data seamlessly whether disconnected or connected.
Inventory Management allows you to simply manage and track your assets as they are moved in and out of storeroom inventory. By providing up-to-date data of inventory levels and item locations, you can make better decisions about order replacement parts, and ensure that the necessary parts are where they are needed most.
Bin Counting is a simple, easy to use app designed specifically for speedy ease of use in supporting physical inventory counts. With barcode scanner and printer integration, Bin Counting has never been easier.
Service Requests is ideal for airports, facilities, universities, local government or any public or private enterprise that seeks to empower their customers or constituents to easily issue, track, and monitor work requests.
Informer Inspections is a simple, turn-key, out-of-the-box Mobile Inspections app that’s completely integrated with Maximo and powered by the Mobile Informer platform. Informer Inspections was designed from the ground up specifically for the IBM Maximo Inspections Work Center.
At Interloc Solutions we understand that every business is different and no two Maximo implementations are completely identical, which is why Mobile Informer offers customized Maximo mobile solutions with your unique industry and business at the forefront. Whether modifying one of our Framework applications or starting from scratch, with Mobile Informer custom-built solutions, mobilize any Maximo configuration, Maximo industry solution, Maximo add-on, or any of your business’ Maximo modification or customizations.
Improve productivity, empower your workers, access your asset data and manage Work Orders in real-time, online or offline with a custom solution built to maximize efficacy in your operations from the premier Maximo mobility solutions provider.
Robert Marano
Executive Vice-President and Chief Information Officer
New York City Housing Authority
Dale Mann
Group Lead Maintenance Management Systems
Georgia Transmission Corporation
Lev Berkovich
Project Manager
Southern California Gas, Sempra Utilities
R.T. Carter, PMP
Leidos
Sr. Program Manager | Transportation and Border Security Solutions
The Mobile Informer platform runs entirely within Maximo, and is managed via the standard Maximo administrative interface. With extensive user management capabilities, and basic device monitoring and management, Mobile Informer puts you in control of your mobile Maximo implementation, and, can deliver 100% user adoption and fast ROI.
Other benefits of the Mobile Informer platform include:
Installation of the Mobile Informer platform typically takes less than two hours, while requiring no separate server software or hardware infrastructure. This means that your workforce could be out in the field experiencing productivity gains with a Mobile Informer application with 100% user acceptance in days, rather than weeks or months.
The guiding principle for Mobile Informer applications is to keep everything simple and intuitive for the users as opposed to requiring extensive training.
Because they are native apps, Mobile Informer apps use the familiar swipes and gestures that users are accustomed to using on their mobile device. Whether they are purpose-built or turn-key, Mobile Informer applications look and feel like the other applications on the user’s device, while delivering all of the power of a robust enterprise application, which results in maximum user adoption with minimal training.
The Mobile Informer platform currently supports:
iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) running iOS 5 and later
And, because Mobile Informer applications are native applications, no matter the platform, barcode scanners, camera, and mobile maps are just some of the features your Mobile Informer application can leverage. Easily attach video or images to an application, or even consider the ability to integrate FaceTime or fingerprint detection.
Native apps are comfortable and familiar for your users. Additionally, Mobile Informer native apps have virtually no data latency while online, deliver very fast user interface interactions while offline or online, and allow for large data sets – giving your users fast, reliable performance.
Native to Maximo, the Mobile Informer platform is installed as a Maximo application, so all administration, including user and device management is performed within the standard administrative console. With no separate infrastructure requirements, Mobile Informer’s server components have a very small footprint within your technical environment. Even better, because Mobile Informer leverages your existing Maximo infrastructure - including customizations and industry add-ons - Mobile Informer can mobilize any process for any industry.
Mobile Informer deploys a unique “offline-first” approach, and opportunistically synchronizes data in the background with no user intervention, providing seamless transitions, and ensuring users are prepared at any moment with the latest and most complete data always available to them. All data used by Mobile Informer applications is synchronized to devices in a background process transparent to the user, allowing users to focus on completing their work rather than worrying about whether they are online or offline at any given point.
From security to functionality, Mobile Informer’s features are designed to optimize your operations:
All configuration and management of mobile devices and applications is done via the Mobile Informer server application within Maximo. This is a native application installed as part of the Mobile Informer platform installation, and is available via the Maximo Administration menu.
All data is read from and applied to Maximo MBOs; no other access mechanism is used. This means that all Maximo validations and business rules are in effect and follows IBM best practices of integration with the MIF.
You no longer have to worry if your data is protected. Mobile Informer encrypts data all the way from the device to Maximo. And because Mobile Informer apps support multi-factor authentication like PIV-CAC cards and RSA devices, you get an added layer of security - a security posture that has been accepted by DoD and other government clients.
Mobile Informer has specific support for users sharing devices. The local data stored on the device is separated into user-specific data (typically transactional data, such as work orders) and shared data (typically supporting or lookup data).All user-specific data is secured from visibility by other users, and all system data is secured to ensure that it is not available to any unauthorized device users.
The Mobile Informer platform provides clear and detailed support for error handling. The combination of direct device-to-Maximo communication and the command/transaction model for updates via the MIF web services provide clear visibility for error resolution.
Mobile Informer gives you the added capability of providing built-in Mobile Device Management, including the following key features:
The Mobile Informer application avoids the traditional data synchronization model and instead uses a push-based architecture for delivering data updates to devices combined with a command-based transaction-driven model for applying changes to Maximo.
While the device is in a connected state, when it receives a push notification indicating that there are updates available, the device will connect to the server and download the update. If it is not connected, updates will be retrieved upon reconnection. This provides the following benefits:
No one wants their data compromised, and, in some organizations, it is imperative that security is built in to any solution. Interloc built the Mobile Informer platform with security at the forefront. Consider these factors:
Additional servers mean additional points of failure. They also mean additional vulnerabilities and exposure to cyber attacks. Mobile Informer interacts directly with Maximo through the MIF (Maximo Integration Framework) web services that are secured over TLS (Transport Layer Security).
Causing data to bounce between additional servers introduces a security risk. Consider at which points the data is encrypted. For instance, while data might be encrypted from the mobile device to the mobile server, is it equally encrypted from the mobile server to Maximo?
Mobile Informer sends data directly from the device to the Maximo MIF, thus keeping vulnerabilities at bay.
Multi-factor authentication is defined as a “security system that requires more than one method of authentication from independent categories of credentials to verify the user’s identity for a login or other transaction.” Common practices are using your username/password plus an additional method such as an RSA key or a Personal Identification Verification (PIV) card, all of which Mobile Informer is prepared for.
Your IT department does not need any more middleware servers or software to maintain. That’s why Mobile Informer sits inside of Maximo as a Maximo application.
Mobile Informer simply extends Maximo’s own functionality and operates within its framework. It is built entirely within Maximo itself, using standard IBM Maximo development practices, and communicating with Maximo business objects. Maximo then manages all data transactions and system integrity as normal. No communication occurs directly with the database.
Mobile Informer uses a push-based architecture to communicate with devices. All differences are managed within the application server, which allows large numbers of records to be synchronized very quickly.
Mobile Informer’s architecture supports HTTP and HTTPS communication leveraging MIF web services and full, seamless off-line functionality. Informer supports the standard IBM clustering and failover configuration.
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