Experion and Java

Experion Goes Mobile with the Help of Java

An early mover in providing mobile solutions, Experion offers enterprise mobility systems aimed to enhance the efficiency of its customers’ field staff and operations. FieldMax, Experion’s flagship product, is a fast-growing, Java-based order-management solution being rapidly adopted by consumer packaged goods (CPG), pharmaceuticals, automotive lubricants, and telecom, among other verticals. The application is designed to run on any Java/GPRS-enabled mobile handset available in the market.

Experion chose Java Platform, Micro Edition (Java ME) to build Field Max, its mobile field force and order-management solution. Java ME turned out to be an ideal technology for developing a mobile solution that enabled field staff (including non-smartphone users) to exchange data in real time with their back office/enterprise systems. It enabled the application to be deployed across a variety of devices and operating systems. Experion put Java ME to good use to build a simple user interface; this enabled field staff on the move to access information very easily. Ease of deployment was also important, as was the fact that Java technologies enabled Experion to develop a uniform user experience across multiple devices by exploiting Lightweight User Interface Toolkit (LWUIT) capabilities. Experion is also using Java Messaging APIs for text-based messaging from within the application and Java Location APIs for tracking location of users.

Looking ahead, the company is leveraging the flexibility of the Java ME framework and the robustness of the FieldMax platform to develop different versions of FieldMax for specific industry verticals. Experion is planning to host the application on the cloud, as it ensures scalability and optimizes infrastructure costs. The company has also utilized the Java ecosystem to support its development activities, including the Java libraries, the Oracle Java Wireless Toolkit, and the Java ME support forums.

Experion test launched FieldMax in 2010. Nearly 40 customers have signed up and are using the solution. In 2011-12, Experion is gearing up for an exponential growth in users as more large companies are beginning to pilot and do a full rollout of FieldMax to their field staffs.