When you start working with a customer, some time needs to be spent trying to determine what model they will follow for using devices with their subjects.
There are two primary models:
- Customer supplied devices
- Bring your own device
Customer Supplied Devices
In the customer supplied device model, the customer is purchasing and providing the device to the subject for the subject to use. There are a lot of considerations to this model:
- Which technology platform will be used?
- How will the devices be configured for use?
- Who will distribute the device to the subject?
- How are returned devices to be handled?
Selecting a Technology Platform
It is not common for a customer to select more than one platform for use when they are providing the technology. Rather, they typically select and standardize on one platform.
With m.Care, they can choose from any of the following:
a) iOS
b) Android
c) Web Browser
d) Hub based
Each of these platforms have their own advantages and disadvantages. In m.Care, we currently develop first for iOS and trickle down changes to Android. As such, the iOS code may be more advanced than the Android code.
Android however typically has better affordability than iOS and has a lot of different vendors to choose from. The challenge with the Android world is that the devices tend to fall out of support very quickly and may not represent the same quality of build as you would see with iOS.
Web browsers work with m.Care via the web site named LSTAtHomeWeb.com. This web site lets a user sign on and do many of the functions available on the iDevice platform. There are some limitations though including lack of integrated biometric devices
The hub models provides the customer with a hub that connects to the biometric devices. Typically this model does not provide a iDevice for use by the client. It can be used effectively in combination with the web browser application though to provide a cost effective way of monitoring subjects without having to provide the iDevice.
Bring Your Own Device
This model depends on the subject to supply the device. This model is supported by m.Care. The subject is responsible for downloading the m.Care application onto the device and then doing any necessary signing on and device configuration.
Device configuration can be a bit of a challenge but if a subset of devices to be supported is specified, it can keep it a little easier to manage.
Biometric Device Selection
Please see the following article for information on biometric device selection.