The hype surrounding TOP-PDA
Given the fact that many system administrators work with TOPdesk offsite on a regular basis, what could be more beneficial than TOPdesk in a PDA? Not so long ago we began appropriating TOPdesk Enterprise into PDA format. The result? An appealing, practical and user-friendly version of TOPdesk Enterprise, targeted to those TOPdesk users who spend much of their time responding to calls on location. 
Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) have become increasingly popular since their release onto the market 13 or so years ago. The first PDAs functioned as a sort of personal organ-
iser, yet nowadays they more or less resemble a ‘mobile office’. PDAs now have the capacity to incorporate wireless and multimedia functions and can even be used to access the internet. Most importantly for TOPdesk, there is the possibility to install software and applications.
Getting started
AFor his final project Robert Kroon, Graphic Multimedia Technology student and System Integration team member at TOPdesk, decided to take on the task of configuring TOPdesk Enterprise to PDA format. He began by determining the features of TOPdesk which would be most useful for a user on location. The challenge was to alter the familiar interface as little as possible, as users are used to a certain style and way of working. This can be seen in Incident management, the first module to be developed for the PDA. A call can be entered on location, in much the same way as the desktop version. Due to the live connection; changes are then carried through directly in the TOPdesk database.
What’s in it for me?
When developing TOPdesk for the PDA, two main target groups were considered. Firstly large organisations such as universities and hospit-
als, whereby the administrator is often required to travel either from one side of the building or grounds to another, and secondly organisations with external locations, whereby calls need to be attended to offsite. Using the TOPPDA system administrators can log calls ‘on the spot’ and continue processing these when they return to their workstation.
When can I get my hands on it?
TOPdesk Enterprise in PDA format is still in the testing stage. Release, of a pilot version at least, is anticipated for the end of this year in the Netherlands. The development of modules, in addition to Incident management, is on the cards; several clients have already revealed their desire for a Configuration management module. In fact feedback for the PDA module in general during last month’s Symposium and via the TOPdesk Community has been most enthusiastic.
Your comments and suggestions regarding TOPdesk Enterprise in PDA format are more than welcome. Please contact TOPdesk’s Sales department on +44 (0)20 7803 4200 for more information.
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