We recently discussed the Motorola ET1 Enterprise Tablet, and how it’s bringing Android to the workplace. And earlier this year, we noticed that Blackberry usage
had been declining amongst government agencies. While nothing is certain, as Android usage continues to soar in the consumer marketplace, it has a growing interest amongst enterprise businesses, especially with enhanced security features.

Perhaps you already knew all that, but did you know that Barcoding Inc. offers Android application development? Recognizing the possibilities of the Android operating system, Barcoding Inc.’s Mobile Development Team now develops and deploys full-service Android solutions that can be customized to fit your organization’s exact needs, including:

• Porting existing applications to Android compatible devices
• Android enterprise application development
• Android application maintenance and upgrade
• Android application testing

Learn more about incorporating Android applications into your small business or enterprise.

Cook Children’s Health System developed a way to scan barcodes on vaccine bottles for instant data transfer

Cook Children’s Health System, a Fort Worth, Texas-based non-profit healthcare system, has began to use 2D barcodes on vaccine bottles in order to streamline data into electronic health record (EHR) applications.

But why 2D barcodes now? The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently lifted the requirement to use only 1D barcodes on vaccines. Within the next year, 2D barcodes will become more prevalent on vaccine bottles, allowing more information to be stored in a smaller amount of space.

Once scanned, vaccine barcode data will be transferred to EHRs, allowing heath care workers to better manage vaccine supply and ensure that the proper vaccine is given to the right child and the date, time and dosage are all tracked. “In health care, the ability to not only more effectively track vaccines but to build this data into an EHR platform that can follow the patient is an absolute game-changer, and we are confident that the forward thinking of Cook Children’s to again utilize the power of our cloud-based clinical network is going to lead to an invaluable level of improved patient safety,” said Jonathan Bush, CEO of Aetnahealth.

Learn more about 2D barcodes at Cook Children’s Health System, or find a healthcare solution to meet your needs.

It’s no doubt that Apple has revolutionized the consumer experience, but how have they affected the enterprise?

Our friends at Software Advice recently posted an intriguing article on how Apple has influenced enterprise software development.

Before Apple’s consumer innovation, enterprise software would drive consumer software, but now, the tables have turned. Today’s enterprise developers are now looking to Apple for inspiration in both design and user experience. The age of IT only approving Apple products for designers is over—today, 92% of Fortune 500 companies are testing or deploying the iPad.

Because of this, enterprise software developers are turning to Apple for:

• A mobile user experience that mirrors the look and feel of Apple iOS
• Creating an ecosystem of mobile app develops
• Selling apps in their own enterprise marketplace

When it comes to design, Apple has set the precedent for look and feel, influencing everything from typography, to minimalistic style. With the advent of mobile apps, Apple design started the “Web 2.0” look—rounded corners, glossy buttons, and who could forget, reflections. Once the Apple look was mimicked by designers, developers began to mimic the user experience on Apple’s belief that everything should be intuitive.

Today, enterprise developers such as Salesforce and SAP provide app developers with a native platform to expand upon. In fact, Force.com developers have created more than 1,300 apps for Salesforce customers, mimicking the idea of opensource development and the app marketplace.

While Android phones are gaining popularity in the consumer marketplace, Apple’s iPhone was still the first popular consumer-grade smartphone that now drives the way we live, work and play.

How have you seen Apple’s influence within your enterprise? Share your thoughts by commenting below, or on our Facebook or twitter pages.

Barcodas, a barcode scanning app for the iPhone, reads EAN and UPC barcodes and translates them into musical patterns. Users can pick the scale they desire, scan and listen. In order to incorporate social media aspects, Barcodas allows users to easily share their tunes with the world via Facebook.

Watch the video below to see Barcodas in action, or download the app here.

If you’ve used Barcodas, we’d love to hear some of your tunes! Share them with us on Facebook or Twitter.

If you read our “Barcodes in the News” post, then you know that barcodes were going to be featured for the first time at New York Fashion Week. After the weekend, it turns out that the barcodes were a great success!

In years past, Fashion Week attendees had to RSVP by e-mail or phone, then wait in long lines to receive their handwritten seating assignment from staff.

This year, in conjunction with the events’ relocation to the Lincoln Center, Fashion GPS was implemented. Fashion GPS allows attendees to click Yes or No to their website, check in at a kiosk, and then scan a barcode to receive their seating assignment.

By using barcodes, long lines were eliminated, in addition to the manual labor of handwritten invitation. In addition, Fashion GPS allows attendee tracking. For example, if someone who RSVP’d yes, but did not show up to the event, there is now full visibility.

The success of barcodes at Fashion Week is just another example of how barcodes and automation can perfect any process.

For more information on barcode systems, learn more here.