ADD Systems’ VP of Engineering for Mobile Products, Ed Debrot, has watched technology in the energy distribution industry evolve tremendously during his 25 years with the company. When he started with ADD Systems, the company was using VT220 terminals, PCs running Windows 3.1 and our Raven® mobile delivery product was running on a DOS handheld. Today, we have modern PCs running Windows 10, Raven operating on Panasonic Toughpads and Pegasus®, our mobile service product, running on the new Microsoft Surface Pro for Business. Ed has been through some leaps and bounds in technology.
In his role at ADD Systems, one of Ed’s main responsibilities is making sure that we take advantage of these latest technologies, both hardware and software, to give the user a complete product, capable and robust. As one of Ed’s first bosses told him, “It’s not enough for the software and hardware to work when conditions are ideal; you must anticipate problems and provide the best means possible for determining the cause of an issue.” Ed’s team works to create enduring, reliable products, and maintain them with exceptional technical support. “We put a lot of thought into designing our applications to be intuitive, and to ensure that if a problem arises, we can get it resolved quickly.”
Trends and Expectations
One of the biggest trends Ed has seen in mobile technology is the evolution of the expectations of our clients. Over time, as our clients have grown more knowledgeable, their expectations of our products have increased as well. Ed explained, “I believe this is because almost everyone has a smart phone these days and they expect things to be done a certain way.” And Ed’s team delivers.
Today, the end user of mobile technology expects:
- Intuitive applications
- Quick startup time of both hardware and applications
- Touch screens instead of a mouse or stylus
- Applications that interact well with others, like mapping, email, and media
Looking Forward
In the future of mobile technology, Ed expects an emphasis on even tighter integration between mobile and office technologies, along with an expansion of capabilities for field devices. Social media, and the growing desire for companies to maintain a constant connection with their end consumers, will continue to be big drivers of change in the industry and the expectations for mobile devices. Ed also predicts that “compliance with government regulations and reporting will be something that will continue to grow, and mobile technology will play a large role in that.”
Final Thoughts
As the energy distribution industry continues to embrace mobile technology, there are bound to be even more exciting advancements. Ed and his team are dedicated to ensuring that our clients operate at their highest capacity with efficient software, on the best hardware.
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