RFgen: Open Solutions for Wireless, Mobile and Voice Data Capture

Wireless / mobile barcode data collection applications are used by workers to access your JD Edwards system's data in real-time wherever they are inside your facility. Most companies use wireless applications to improve the efficiency and accuracy of their manufacturing and warehousing operations. While most JD Edwards systems contain a robust set of capabilities, wireless applications typically require a significantly different user interface and/or program flow than those designed for workstations. Wireless applications also need to address issues such as licensing costs, session management, network security, out-of-range conditions and more.

RFgen enabled applications help you to achieve anywhere, anytime access to your mission critical data as well as providing extended, off-line capabilities just the way you want it.

Here are just a few of the reasons why RFgen Software lets you develop, customize and deploy bar code data capture applications 90% faster than any other product on the market today!

Why Use RFgen For Wireless / Mobile Applications?
Developing bar code data collection applications can be quite an imposing task. For a typical project, a developer should be familiar with disconnected TCPIP protocols, device specific API's, OLEDB programming, data synchronization methods, and more. Due to the complexity of these issues, most wireless installations experience cost overruns, implementation delays and frequently include serious bugs. Attempting to modify them as your needs change can also become an expensive, if not impossible, proposition.

RFgen addresses these issues head-on. Not only does RFgen greatly reduce the complexity of creating integrated mobile/wireless applications, it also dramatically reduces development time, project costs, programming bugs, as well as post-installation support requirements. It does this because RFgen applications are built around a time-proven, tested framework that takes care of 90% of the standard programming required by all applications; from its built-in menus, to JD Edwards / database connectivity, to remote transaction management RFgen lets developers focus on the application logic, instead of the mechanics. RFgen even provides a Visual Basic interface to let developers 'step outside the box' when needed. It is these facts that cause companies using RFgen to experience the lowest TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) in the industry.

How Do RFgen Applications Work
Development of RFgen wireless / mobile applications is accomplished through creating data collection forms using point-and-click methods. Prompts on these forms can be automatically linked to data from your JD Edwards system, network database, or even a local CE database. Various properties for any prompt can be accessed to perform edits, defaults and database validation all without any coding! For more advanced requirements, Visual Basic events can also be attached to any form or prompt. These forms are then linked to menus which can be linked to users to provide a complete data collection system.

Why Use RFgen For Voice Enabled Applications?
Developing voice activated applications can be quite an imposing task. For a typical project, a developer should be familiar with very complex voice recognition, language definition, and word parsing C/C++ based APIs. RFgen utilizes redistributed, embedded voice activation components, and is able to interpret incoming voice instructions quickly and efficiently while also supporting text to speech using speech synthesis or pre-recorded voices.

Complete Device Independence
Not all hand-held devices are created equal. While one device might function well for a CRM application it might not survive in your warehouse. In other cases, a character based device might be more appropriate for specific applications instead of a graphical device. Whether graphical or character based, running under CE.Net, Pocket PC or DOS all RFgen applications are device independent. In fact, there is no need for any programming changes. RFgen will automatically render the user interface based upon the device type you're using!

On-Line Data Collection
RFgen provides users with direct, real-time access to their JD Edwards system's data, allowing for true data validation and immediate JD Edwards system updates. Devices can connect to RFgen using either a simple VT220 telnet program, our graphical thin client, or both. RFgen can even extend its data collection capabilities to your PLC devices via a simple sockets/XML protocol. Regardless of the method you select, users can be assured of a fast, reliable, and error-free connection to their JD Edwards data. RFgen also provides full support for wireless network administration, wireless roaming, out-of-range conditions, batch-failover, and more...

Off-Line Data Collection
RFgen supports continuous 24/7 data collection operations even in remote locations. If desired, your employees can continue to function even when your JD Edwards system is unavailable. Using a combination of validation and transaction tables on the CE device, data collection can continue while the device is out-of-range of your wireless network. Mobile applications can also be designed to operate independently from your JD Edwards system, then to communicate periodically with the RFgen system to upload transactions to your JD Edwards system and then to download new data validation files to the device.

Remote Transaction Management
Maintaining the integrity of your JD Edwards data can become problematic once you allow data collection to occur in a disconnected state. To minimize these problems, we developed the RFgen Transaction Management Server. With it, mobile/off-line transactions are placed into a queue for batch processing. Scripts are then executed to validate this data and post it into your JD Edwards system. A log is kept which shows all transactions waiting for processing, those completed successfully and those rejected. Rejected transactions can then be analyzed for the problem, corrected and then reposted to your JD Edwards system.

Total Systems Concept...
RFgen provides users with all the tools necessary to complete their data collection project; from data connectivity, to form design, to data synchronization RFgen does it all!