iPhone: a game changer for business

As a developer, I really enjoy working on the iPhone software because it's just such an innovative platform.  It's continuously evolving and extending its capabilities, allowing business users to work in ways that weren't really possible before. The iPhone has been such as game changer when it comes to mobile devices that it's hard not to get excited at the possibilities of this always connected tool. The physical interaction that the iPhone allows also makes for a very different user experience. In a nutshell, it's intuitive.

When I first looked at the iPhone and what it could do for Access, and its customers, integration with our web-enabled Focalpoint was the obvious choice. This solution is all about accessing information on the move so there was a clear opportunity to extend some of the functionality from Focalpoint to the iPhone.

I found the iPhone operating system relatively simple to develop native applications. I essentially used the SDK, which is extremely versatile; whilst there are a great deal of default behaviours, it does have the flexibility to be customised and extended. iPhone also provide an Application Programming Guide, and there is a great deal of online assistance to encourage the development of apps.

It's this accessibility to be able to develop custom software easily for the iPhone that's making it such a success. For our customers, it means they can access their information anywhere, from a really compact device.  You can connect to your data, approve timesheets or expenses and run reports without the need to have a laptop with you 24/7. It's the ultimate wireless office in your pocket. 

As we further develop the Focalpoint for iPhone application we're adding more and more functionality to help organisations and their staff operate more effectively. In fact, I'm working on the next release right now that will be out very shortly, so please check back here to see what we have in store!

David Humphreys
Mobile Services Developer

Visit iTunes to download FocalPoint for iPhone.

Screenshots of our FocalPoint application can also be viewed on the Access Flickr page.