Mobile / HO Link Up [RESLOVED]

Our sales people currently out on the road telephone through the details of each appointment back to HO so a team can record the customer details on the HO database. Could this problem be solved by giving each of them a PDA i.e is it possible for the PDA toregularly update our central database with the appointment details. The problem is the Sales people are always on the road and dont ever come back to HO or may not have Internet connections at home etc. If it is possible or any other sollution I would be hoping to use vb.net. Does anyone have any experience in such projects.

Im thinking I would have a Pocket Pc application which the salesman takes on the appointment, whilst on the appointment fills in the details on the form based app. From reading on the subject I assume i should store data on sql ce on the app until the opportunity arrises that the data can be syncd back to our central database. Does this seem correct so far?(I dont own a PDA myself and dont know their full capabilities)
With regard to the sync is it viable that this would be done via the intranet? If so would the sales person have to wait until they are by a hot spot thingy? I presume the transfer syn would have to be invoked by the user and is not automatic?
I also assume this would carry security risks opening our central system to the mobile world?

You could do this over GPRS or else WIFI it you want to have an application on the device.
Since you are not gonna to be syncing these devices physically you will need use some ftp or ras classes which you can buy, but are expensive or you can write yourself but are very difficult and time consuming but worth it in the end,
to transfer the data if its files or else use mergre replication on the device with sql server as a backend and sql server ce working behind the front end app


Other way you could do it is through mobile ASP.Net for the device and have web forms for the user to fill in over the next and get details from

check out
Mobile ASP.Net
to see if its of any use to you

ASP would be reliant on being being connected to the internet at all times right? I dont think this is possible.

WIFI would require the Salespeople to have an available internet connection nearby such as at home or a hot spot? Would probably be inconvenient.

I presume PocketPcs cannot just connect to the internet standalone.

GPRS sounds more interesting can this be active anywhere at any time?, how would the central database receive the GPRS sent data?

look here for info on merge replication.
sqlce merge replication

if using mobile asp.net all they need is to have a sim card on the pocket pc/device then they can connect to the net throught GPRS, when ever they need to check latest info or submit lastest info all they need is to connect via gprs and go to the website

if using wifi card, as you said if they encounter wireless hotposts then they have access to the net.

OK i think Im getting this now ! So I would create an ASP.net website hosted centrally which the mobile people can connect to via gprs to send and receive information. Is it difficult to make a mobile app connect to a site this way using visual studio? Do you have any idea of the reliability of using this method?

All you need do is create a mobile asp.net application, run it on a server. Then get the users to login into it from the web browser on the handheld, view/submit whatever data they need to.

i have never got round to doing one myself but it should not be that different to normal asp.net.

here are some links to get you started:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/mobility/o...c/default.aspx

http://www.wwwcoder.com/main/parenti...8/default.aspx

http://www.wirelessdevnet.com/channe...mobilesdk.html

Cheers strider