RMS 5.1 Creates Media Buzz

The release of RhoMobile Suite 5.1 last month has generated a good deal of media buzz. In late June it was one of Network World's New Products of the Week, and outlets as diverse as AD Trends, Beta News, Mobile Advertising Watch and Software Mag have helped spread the word about the new APIs and device support in 5.1. The reporting also touted Live Update, RhoMobile's ability to see the results of code changes in real time. Some also covered one of its most-demanded features--the ability to print via USB. Android apps made with RMS 5.1 now have a non-wireless means to output to Zebra printers that support USB printing, a list that's growing all the time. If you're interested in USB printing, be sure to check the RhoMobile Printing Guide for details and restrictions.

Zebra's ZD500R printer, one of the latest to support USB printing from Android apps.

Taking a deeper dive into the trend of mobile-device usage in bricks-and-mortar retail stores was CIO Magazine, which included a quote from RhoMobile product manager Alison Clark as it described "9 ways mobile and social tech improves the retail shopping experience."

Also of interest, Zebra's ever-prolific senior director of enterprise software Mark Kerstein penned a pair of pieces recently worthy of your attention. In "Fast, Cheap and More Controllable," Kerstein methods for building enterprise apps more quickly, for less cost and with better performance and control over data assets. And in a piece published this month in SD Times, Kerstein points to Android's roots in consumer devices to explain "Why Android is Poised for Industrial Mobility," and provides some best practices as action items.