This week, Apple announced its eagerly-awaited upcoming product changes, operating system upgrades and feature additions at their WWDC Keynote. The new iOS 6 will be released in the fall.
Have you been paying attention? It may be worth considering the announcement in the context of your mobile strategy.
Field techs equipped with iPhone 4S, 4, 3GS, iPad 2 and the new iPad can take advantage of dozens of upcoming iOS6 features, and some notable ones in particular:
- Geo-fence will remind you to call someone specified when you leave a specified area. Leaving to the next customer on the schedule? Set this feature as a reminder to contact before arrival.
- DO NOT DISTURB allows you to ‘instruct’ the phone to hold alerts; messages do get through without an alert. You can also allow contact exceptions when in this mode. Useful for avoiding disturbances while on a job, without having to shut off the phone or put it on silent – and possibly miss an urgent message from the home office.
- Maps – Apple’s new homemade version, after dropping Google’s – will include a traffic service displaying traffic conditions and incidents. The feature operates off of anonymous crowd-sourced data and will be updated in real-time. Turn-by-turn navigation is planned, and Maps will include real-time ETA. In addition, there will be a 3D mode and a flyover view to see a route from the perspective of a helicopter.
FieldOne’s mobile app for iPhone and Android actually incorporates similar features, and as a tailored solution for field service businesses, includes much more. Along with including maps and turn-by-turn directions (on Android), techs can call and email contacts directly from the app, update work schedule status in real-time, capture customer signatures on-site, among dozens of other features.
FieldOne Mobile is available for iPhone and Android. Learn more about it here.
Do your techs use iPhones? Will you plan to start?
