and move on to something else. It is not recommended that the applica- tion relies on the user’s undivided attention for long stretches of time. Mobile applications, therefore, should enable specific tasks rather than attempt to replicate the entire LIMS functionality. Different tasks may be most appropriately performed on different devices. For example, a task like writing this article is not best suited to a mobile phone. It is much easier to complete at a desktop computer than attempting to type it into a smartphone. However, a consumer of the article could easily read it on a tablet or smartphone in a spare moment while traveling.
In evaluating the potential of a LIMS to accommodate mobile ap- plications, another concern is whether the existing desktop software provides rich internet applications with full access to the hardware and system capabilities. Mobile applications should operate on the same “back-end” platform, using the same server-side scripting and data- base, thereby avoiding the need to purchase, integrate, and maintain additional servers, simplifying validation and avoiding bugs generated because different platforms use different code to perform essentially the same tasks.
In fact, a number of key questions come to mind:
• Does the LIMS use modern, industry-standard technologies such as HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript?
• Does it have the capability to run LIMS applications that offer conventional user interfaces on a wide range of modern browsers as well as on mobile devices?
• Can the mobile applications access device hardware such as the camera and GPS, facilitating bar-code scanning or location determination?
• Does the system use the same server- side coding irrespective of whether the client-side platform is a desktop, laptop, tablet, or phone?
• Does the system support mobile devices from a range of manufacturers running different operating systems such as Android or iOS?
There are more, but I’m sure you get the general idea.
Every software application needs controls, such as buttons, check boxes, and drop- down lists. For optimal LIMS application development, it is advantageous to have multiple libraries of controls utilized by the LIMS software, some designed for forms that are to be run on desktop computers and others with touch-aware controls com- monly used on tablets and smartphones. The touch controls allow user interaction on
Elian Winstanley,
B.Sc.,
M.Sc. is Senior Architect, Applied Informatics Tech- nology, Informatics Solutions, Abbott, Crossgate House, Cross St., Sale, Cheshire M33 7FT, U.K.; tel.: +44 161 711 0340; e-mail: elian.winstanley@
starlims.com.
mobile devices in a manner consistent with what users of such devices would expect.
A major additional consideration is to determine if the LIMS offers an integrated design environment that enables users to develop their own mobile applications. This should provide integrated mobile application design capabilities with the ability to access device hardware compo- nents with no restrictions on the types of apps that could be developed. This feature means that laboratory managers can specify exactly which device is best suited to perform a specific task in their own environment.
Conclusion Laboratories vary enormously and a task that is perfectly acceptable on a desktop computer in one organization might be much better suited to a mobile device in another laboratory. For LIMS providers and users, mobile applications are the key to enhanced versatility based on the ability to select the right screen for the right task.
THE HYBRID EVAPORATOR OF CHOICE
You read about our Hybrid Evaporator in this issue’s Guide to Purchasing a Rotary or Nitrogen Evaporator. It heats the sample bottom and the incoming nitrogen while the pulsing feature throws a film of solvent against the sidewall, speeding evaporation. Ideal uses include:
• environmental organic analysis • petroleum analysis • food chemistry • forensic organic analysis
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800-452-7265 (United States) 812-235-6167 (International) AMERICAN LABORATORY • 27 • JUNE/JULY 2013
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