Getting Started In Handhelds

Rick Sommer is CEO of Intellitec Solutions, a Wilmington, Del.-based solution provider and Microsoft Gold Certified partner. The private company provides solutions in the mid-Atlantic ranging from CRM to small business accounting, delivering the design, planning, implementation, training and ongoing support for these midmarket solutions, according to the company. Sommer discusses the customer engagement on delivering handheld solutions. He responded to an online request for thoughts about what matters in delivering a handheld solution to customers.

On picking a technology and customer standardization:
We looked at BlackBerry, Treos, XV6700, etc. We standardized on the Motorola Q with Verizon. I was originally concerned about going back from Windows Mobile 5 to a Windows smartphone. Our experience has shown that getting rid of a stylus, and going with simple e-mail and a good phone was the right way to go for us.

On assessing a customer's need to access data and applications via a handheld device:
Reviewing documents is all that you should need to do on a phone. If you are creating or editing, you are using the wrong device and should just boot your notebook and connect through wireless.

On assessing both hardware and carrier partners:
We have had a few folks experiment with different PDAs. We have been very happy with the Q with Verizon.