Brown says: Give me Windows CE please.

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://www.computerworld.com/storyba/0,4125,NAV47_STO70133,00.html">http://www.computerworld.com/storyba/0,4125,NAV47_STO70133,00.html</a><br /><br />UPS has signed a $50-$100 million deal with <a href="http://www.symbol.com/">Symbol</a> to build a wireless communicator and handheld computer for its fleet of drivers. Rather than going with the Pocket PC operating system, they chose Windows CE, which makes some sense. First, I am sure they will use CE .NET, which is more advanced than the CE 3.0 underpinnings of today's Pocket PC and second, they will likely have some custom app that will provide the user interface totally obscuring whatever either Pocket PC or Windows CE provides natively.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/ups-truck.jpg" /> <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/ups-truck2.jpg" /><br /><i>Update: Notice the <b>before</b> and <b>after</b> shots of the UPS truck as a result of switching to Windows CE in their handhelds.</i> ;-)<br /><br />"Craig Mathias, an analyst at Farpoint Group in Ashland, Mass., called the UPS decision to use a Microsoft operating system instead of Palm Inc.'s Palm OS an example of how "Windows CE is going to beat Palm" in the enterprise environment. Mathias said enterprise users are increasingly choosing either Windows CE or Pocket PC because those operating systems are "more tightly coupled with the Microsoft desktop," which predominates in corporate IT environments."<br /><br />I don't know the specifics of this deal. Few do in fact. Both Symbol and 'Brown' are keeping quit about it, but I suspect the choice of Windows CE has little to do with desktop integration in this case. Last time I checked, UPS drivers didn't have destkops. :-) I think this is more a case of having an operating system that can walk and chew gum at the same time (GPS tracking, route updates to and from the base office, truck inventory, etc.) and integrates with Microsoft's <i>backoffice</i> products, such as SQL Server.<br /><br />Thanks to Peter West for delivering this article to us.

[/dev/niall]

When I left UPS (about 3 1/2 yrs ago), they were moving most database applications to Oracle. It's also the practice for most user-applications to not talk to databases directly; they usually go through some sort of front-end server. So I doubt they're going this route for integration purposes.

UPS employees make use of all sorts of handheld tools, not all of which are customer-facing. If I had to guess I'd say they're going with Windows CE to standardize on a device platform and leverage the growing pool of development experience out there.

[Ed Hansberry]

When I left UPS (about 3 1/2 yrs ago), they were moving most database applications to Oracle. It's also the practice for most user-applications to not talk to databases directly; they usually go through some sort of front-end server. So I doubt they're going this route for integration purposes.

I wonder if they are using the SQL Server CE databases? It would be a bit easier to use a database that is just another SQL based database, whether it went directly to Oracle, SQL Server or another front end database.

[fmcpherson]

I think the integration link with desktop is in the area of developer tools and languages.

[/dev/niall]

I think the integration link with desktop is in the area of developer tools and languages.

That's not what pops into my head when I think of "integration". I always though of CE development tools as "hosted" on the desktop computer, but not "integrated".

[Ed Hansberry]

I think the integration link with desktop is in the area of developer tools and languages.

That's not what pops into my head when I think of "integration". I always though of CE development tools as "hosted" on the desktop computer, but not "integrated".

I think the integration Frank speaks of is the dev tools for the PPC/WinCE OS are integrated with the desktop dev tools. With Visual Studio .NET, it is in the basic install.

[/dev/niall]

I think the integration Frank speaks of is the dev tools for the PPC/WinCE OS are integrated with the desktop dev tools. With Visual Studio .NET, it is in the basic install.


Ahh... (light dawning)...

Guess I'll have to shell out for VS .NET. &lt;grumble>

[Will T Smith]

While walking my pooch one evening, I was flagged down by a UPS van. He was looking for a particular address and couldn't find it.

I personally had no idea where it was, however, I pulled out my Jornada and spun up Pocket Streets. In 30 seconds I had a map for the guy.

His comment ... "Neat, where can I get one of those?".

I'm personally surprised that they don't have navigation units built right into their consoles. Perhaps that's part of the package.

[rfischer]

If I could drive that "flamed" truck, I'd quit the IT Hosting business and work for "Brown" ;-)