SmarterTools is a group of like-minded individuals who believe in bringing value to our products as efficiently and cost effectively as possible. We accomplish this using technologies that are the absolute best for solving the various problems we try to solve. We learned quite awhile ago that trying to solve issues using substandard technology and frameworks just isn't, well, fun. "Fun" is using robust, mature languages and frameworks that are built to last. Why build a house of straw when cinder blocks are available? (That may not be the best analogy, but you get the point.)
With that in mind, we strongly feel that we're at that perfect intersection of timing, technology and innovation that makes the release of SmarterTrack Mobile possible. If you haven't seen it, we have a new page on our website that highlights some of the features of SmarterTrack mobile, so check it out.
The Technology
As
developers, we keep on top of any new technology that gains traction. We're experts at evaluating what a
framework does well, and what it lacks. And, not to sound too boastful, we've been right about what's going
to stick around more often than we've missed the mark. We also know that when a company bases its business
on a platform that eventually becomes obsolete, it's doomed from the very beginning. Nothing can break a
product, a company, and even the will of developers faster or more completely than reliance on a technology
or framework that won't be sticking around. You gain that knowledge pretty quickly when you do this for a
living like we do.
Flutter is something we took
notice of right from the beginning, and we knew it would be something to keep our eyes on. We chose it for
SmarterTrack Mobile because it allows us to build one app that can work across platforms and across devices.
Plus, we only have to manage a single code base. It allows us to take the most powerful features of the
agent/manager experience within SmarterTrack for the desktop and shrink them down into a fluid, responsive,
and lightweight mobile interface. Flutter is something that will be around for a while.
Desktop Functionality in a Mobile Phone
SmarterTrack is a "robust" help desk, to
say the least. It has a lot of moving parts that have evolved over the last (almost) 20 years. It was
initially built to be used in high-volume environments, by agents using multiple monitors, and by people who
need to be doing multiple things concurrently. Our goal for SmarterTrack Mobile is to provide that same
functionality and that same usefulness, but in a mobile environment. To do that, we needed a framework that
would allow us to do just that, and we found that with Flutter.
As a result, SmarterTrack Mobile gives agents and managers as close to a complete desktop experience as possible, all from a single app. And, that "single app" model was important for us. We didn't want to fracture the product, requiring users to swap between apps to accomplish simple, and necessary, day-to-day operations or to access core features of SmarterTrack. Many of our competitors require agents to have multiple apps installed, one for each feature of their help desks. In our view, swapping between apps doesn't help productivity, it hinders it. The last thing a frontline agent needs is obstacles that keep them from being productive.
Agent/Manager Focus
SmarterTrack Mobile is built for agents and managers and is a complement to the full desktop experience. System administrators should continue to use the management interface as the administration of SmarterTrack, due to its feature set and complexity, is best handled on a desktop or laptop. Agents and managers, on the other hand, have the tools they need to be productive right in the palms of their hands.
Let's Get Started
Now that you know how we got here, let's get started actually using SmarterTrack Mobile. To kick things off, we're introducing a Beta!
As with our previous Betas, we have a public category for SmarterTrack Mobile Beta participants in our Community. Here, it's possible to interact with other participants as well as the SmarterTrack development team.
The Community has an initial announcement that includes information about how people can get started using SmarterTrack Mobile TODAY.
Suffice it to say we are extremely excited about SmarterTrack Mobile, and we feel you will be just as excited once you get your hands on it. Enjoy!