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Accela Offers New Version of Mobile Inspector App for iPhone and iPad

Enhanced functionality in iOS m-Government app benefits agency workers and administrators

SAN RAMON, Calif., May 17, 2012 – Accela, Inc., the leader in solutions for government-citizen interaction, has updated the iOS version of its Accela Mobile Inspector™ app for government inspectors and investigators, which is free for download and now available on the iTunes App Store.

Accela Mobile Inspector is the latest in Accela’s growing roster of line-of-business mobile apps targeted at governments using the company’s flagship Accela Automation® enterprise software. Integrated with Accela Automation, Accela Mobile Inspector connects inspectors and investigators with their back-office accounts, enabling them to perform all of their most critical tasks from their desk, vehicle, or the field, using their smartphone or tablet. Accela Mobile Inspector also prevents remote data loss in areas with limited or no cellular service by saving all work locally to the device and seamlessly submitting the information when a connection is available.

The new version delivers extensive ease-of-use benefits to both agency users and IT administrators through the app’s flexible features and its connection to Accela’s recently announced cloud-based Accela Mobile Hub™.

• Users can now view permit details and inspection history; monitor the status of transactions between the app and Accela Automation; and e-mail and print inspection information.
• Administrators will find tools to simplify the transition of deployments between their internal test and production environments; configure job-list settings; and easily install highly secure gateways between their on-premise systems and the Accela Mobile Hub.

“Effective m-government apps should easily integrate into a worker’s daily routine and effectively address an administrator’s deployment and security requirements” said Bowen Wang, Senior Vice President of Product Management at Accela. ”We’ve structured the newest Accela Mobile Inspector to be the easy option for agencies wanting to empower their inspectors using iOS devices.”

Accela Mobile Inspector provides numerous capabilities for easy and efficient onsite inspection or investigation management, prior to synchronization with an agency’s Accela Automation system. Users can execute complete inspections—from initial log-in to submittal—and view and update details such as comments, attachments, and relevant historic inspections. Additional key features include: comment management; image annotation; ability to view inspections on GIS basemaps from Esri; batch or individual update capability; single-click calling; and a preview mode enabling users to “test drive” the app before using it in a live setting.

In Oklahoma City, where the government serves a population of 580,000 over an area of more than 600 square miles, inspectors in several departments have begun to use Accela Mobile Inspector on their routes. “We’ve found Accela Mobile Inspector as simple to use and as intuitive as the iPad itself,” said Stan Reichert, IT Project Manager with Oklahoma City. “It’s easy to comment and get results on inspections, and the app is very fast and responsive. Being able to take and attach pictures automatically saves our inspectors a lot of time in the field.”

REQUIREMENTS

Accela Mobile Inspector requires a registered user account on Accela Automation 7.0.5 Service Pack 3 or higher, and purchase of a mobile license from Accela. The license provides access to all Accela mobile apps, as well as Accela Mobile Office™ software. Accela Mobile Inspector for iOS supports any device running iOS 4.3 or higher, with iPhone 4 or 4S and iPad 2 (3G) recommended. Versions for Windows Phone 7 and Android are in development.

M-GOVERNMENT AND ACCELA

Accela takes a comprehensive approach to m-government, enabling local, state and federal agencies to access cutting-edge mobile technologies that both empower their workers and enhance citizen engagement. Accela provides an accessible and cost-effective ecosystem that includes apps, devices, and Accela data, all connected through the Accela Cloud™ and strengthened through the participation of third-party developers using the Accela Mobile SDK (software development kit). To build and support a large roster of mobile and social solutions for governments, the Accela Mobile SDK features a collection of APIs (application programming interfaces) and tools for third-party developers, enabling them to build productivity and citizen-engagement apps for iOS, Windows Phone 7, and Android mobile devices that interact with an agency’s Accela Automation system.