OTM 5.5: Wireless Functionality (WAP)

[ianlo]

Hi all,

I understand that OTM 5.5 has out-of-the-box functionality for WAP. Has anyone implemented the wireless functionality for OTM 5.5? Would appreciate if anyone can share information on how to:

1) Setup wireless WAP access for OTM
2) How to use the wireless functionality within OTM
3) What are the configurations available for this functionality

Thanks!
Ian

[bob_romijn]

Re: OTM 5.5: Wireless Functionality (WAP)

Hi Ian,

This presentation I found explains perhaps a few parts of your queries.

Presentation is from Oracle which we used on a delta training.

According to Oracle, all you need is to enter the URL as you would on your computer. That should bring up the mobile interface with the limited mobile options.
I never tried it, because of fire-walls and all kind of network @#$% of our network.

Best regards,

Bob

[ianlo]

Re: OTM 5.5: Wireless Functionality (WAP)

Hi Bob,

Thanks for this! Appreciate it.. will check it out. Do you know if a specific ports that needs to be opened?

Thanks!
Ian

[bob_romijn]

Re: OTM 5.5: Wireless Functionality (WAP)

Hi Ian,

I just went through my emails regarding the testing/certifying of 5.5 what we did earlier this year.

You don;t have to open a certain port as they (Oracle) told me. In a later email I saw that the guy that had a PDA available, was able to connect.
Because your mobile doesn't talk like a normal Browser, OTM knows to show another page (mobile) in another language then HTTP.

Succes in testing....

Best regards,

Bob

[ianlo]

Re: OTM 5.5: Wireless Functionality (WAP)

Hi Bob,

Thanks for the quick reply. I just managed to login to OTM via WAP and was able to view my shipments! WOOT! but now I need to find out how to configure to allow me to enter shipment events.

I think there are some preference settings that I would need to do .... Do you have any documentation for configuration of wireless on OTM?

Thanks!
Ian

[chrisplough]

Re: OTM 5.5: Wireless Functionality (WAP)

Bob,

Thankya Funny - I haven't tested this out in years and it's improved a good bit. Just tested it out on my BlackBerry.

My next curiosity is how usable this is in the real world. It looks great and is very demo-able, but I'll have to use it a bit to figure out how much we can accomplish via this interface.

--Chris

[ianlo]

Re: OTM 5.5: Wireless Functionality (WAP)

Hi Bob and Chris,

Yep, it looks very good for mktg folks ... As a matter of fact, I am now creating a POC demo specifically to find out the wireless capabilities vis-a-vis our business model.

Hopefully I will have something to share in the coming month!

Stay tuned!

Ian

[bluesdude]

Re: OTM 5.5: Wireless Functionality (WAP)

Bob,

Thankya Funny - I haven't tested this out in years and it's improved a good bit. Just tested it out on my BlackBerry.

My next curiosity is how usable this is in the real world. It looks great and is very demo-able, but I'll have to use it a bit to figure out how much we can accomplish via this interface.

--Chris

Hi Chris,
I agree with you that it looks nice and very demo-able, but in the real world, it's another story altogether. You're at the mercy of Telecom companies (Telcos). Ian, being my ex-colleague can testify to such horror stories when we did a WAP implementation in Singapore and China sometime in 2004 before I joined G-Log.

Specifically speaking, some of the issues that were faced included:
a) Response times, esp when the driver is out of the telco's GPRS range, POD timing is no longer in real time.
b) The China telco (can't remember with one) not being fully compliant on WAP protocol. So WAP pages work on phones in SG but not in CN and we had to tweak our pages just so that it got displayed correctly on the China phones.
c) Somehow the implementation does not work with CDMA networks in Korea- could be a problem with our implementation, but it's pretty embarrassing when I was attempting to do the demo then, LOL

Just my two cents' worth, but that was way back in 2004. I certainly believe that the wireless technology and mobile devices are more stable and reliable by now.

Ian - do you have anything more to add?

Simon.

[ianlo]

Re: OTM 5.5: Wireless Functionality (WAP)

Hi Simon,

Yes totally agree with you ... implementation of "bleeding" edge applications (then in 2004) often leads to much bloodletting... and thats No Good (TM). Thanks for reminding me to test it with a Chinese handphone!

However, I noticed that the wireless module now is using WAP 2.0 specifications (the WAP page cannot be viewed with a WAP 1.x browser). How that translates to a more consistent / stable implementation of WAP protocol by the telcos remains to be seen.

As of now, I have tested the WAP pages on some clamshell Sony Ericsson phones and they *suck*. Don't know if it is a browser issue or layout issue or form factor issue, but the words are too small and text entry was really painful (you have to switch out to another text entry screen to enter the user id and password and then switch back to login - *terrible*)

I have not tested the pages on a Nokia phone as apparently all the phones now come with HTML browser and when you login to the URL, you see the HTML login page for OTM - and thats No Good (TM). So I have to find a Nokia phone with a WAP 2.0 browser. And surprisingly its not that easy

Anyway, I still have many doubts about the feasibilitiy of such an implementation - but thats what POC's are for ...

I hope to be able to come up with some scenarios where the implementation works well and will share it once I have completed the POC.

[weichet]

Re: OTM 5.5: Wireless Functionality (WAP)

Hi all,
After login to OTM5.5 using a WAP emulator, I get the below options (regardless of the user profile).
1. Shipment Event
2. Order Visibility
3. Appointments
4. Logout

Question:
a) How to include additional option into the list above? Is it through the Menu Manager? I couldn't find any related User Menu Layout.
b) By default, all the options above are Read-Only, where can I configure to Write-enable?

Thanks.
WeiChet

[bob_romijn]

Re: OTM 5.5: Wireless Functionality (WAP)

Hi All,

I know it is working and it very good for demos and functionality list comparisons in my opinion. At the end there will be some use cases for this, but I have my doubts about the usage in the cases I'm involved.
But....., that is why I'm very interested in the POC of Ian. When he is done and wants to share it.... I would really appreciate it.

Don't forget, Oracle was mentioning that it is almost the first release without too much functionality. The items now configured are also the only items available. To be honest, I don't know what you want to add to this list, because it will only be for very limited func. You don't want to use it as a workstation. THere are better was of working at home.
But for adding events by a driver etc. it can be usefull. But I'm not doing implementations currently where drivers/owned fleets are involved.

However it works quite well.

Best regards,

Bob

[weichet]

Re: OTM 5.5: Wireless Functionality (WAP)

Hi all,
After login to OTM5.5 using a WAP emulator, I get the below options (regardless of the user profile).
1. Shipment Event
2. Order Visibility
3. Appointments
4. Logout

Question:
a) How to include additional option into the list above? Is it through the Menu Manager? I couldn't find any related User Menu Layout.
b) By default, all the options above are Read-Only, where can I configure to Write-enable?

Thanks.
WeiChet

Hi,
Please ignore my question b). It's actually write-enabled. You just need to click into Shipment ID after the Shipment search in order to add in the Shipment Event.

Thanks.
Wei Chet

[rj5316]

Re: OTM 5.5: Wireless Functionality (WAP)

Wei,

after shipment search i dont see where you can click on the shipment ID... pls advice

[anupam]

Re: OTM 5.5: Wireless Functionality (WAP)

Hi Guys..

This is 2012, I logged in through the web browser of my Android device. OTM worked absolutely fine on it, though slight modifications are required in the screen sets to slow only relevant information on small screen devices.

Thanks,
Anupam