The client is a Washington D.C. based organization that provides political consulting services to candidates, businesses, organizations, and individuals directly involved in the political system.

Business Case
The customer was looking for an offshore software company experienced in mobile development to create a solution designed to meet the unique needs of political campaigns and party organizations. The challenge was to allow users to effectively organize and track supporters for their candidates or campaigns. The goal was to have the software that allows the data gathered by the canvasser via a PDA to be uploaded and integrated into the online database, processed, and displayed to authorized users.


Solution
After carefully analyzing customer's requirements, SolovatDesign developed a solution that combines a PDA based data collection system with a database driven back-end application that stores and analyzes the collected data and displays it on the web as well as the user's mobile device.
The application developed by SolovatDesign achieved the following:

• All necessary functionalities, including area assignment, user management and reporting were integrated into an easy to use, intuitive user interface.
• Qualified users are able to transfer search results to and from handheld devices, selecting from a list of prepared scripts.
• Password protected reporting system that allows anyone with an Internet connection to access details of the walk program including program totals, nightly totals and walker totals.
• Ability to show video, flash animation, or power point type presentations on the PDA.

Features
Additional features of the PDA software include:

• Download specific data from the online field database onto each Canvasser’s PDA into a customized palm format
• Sync the new/updated data back to the online field database for immediate use by the entire campaign.
• Ability to download video, audio, or a power point presentation to the PDA
• Provide the ability to select and show video clip or a presentation or hear a audio clip at the door
• Show a map screen of the canvass area.
  

Additional features of the PC software include:

• Ability to upload up to 300,000 records with 20 to 60 fields from various sources and create a database.
• Module that allows user to “mine” the database and create a variety of reports, including statistical reports from the database.
• Module that allows PC to sync with a PDA.
• User interface module that will allow the administrator to create a list of questions, upload series of videos and audios.
• Administration package to handle: Logins, User access, Ability to add, edit and delete users

Tools and Technologies
C#, ASP.NET, MS SQL, Windows Mobile 5.0, Palm OS 5, Crystal Reports XI