Today’s mobile office — the tools and software needed to conduct business in the field — has evolved into a myriad of wireless hand-held devices and programs.

While there are many wireless devices that field personnel use to stay in touch with other people and access information, it seems that the most popular device remains the cell phone.

“App” has become such a common word that it will likely find its way into the dictionary soon. It certainly has found its way into everyday personal and business use by millions of Apple iPhone or Google Android smart phone users.

The NEWS’ eighth annual Dealer Design Awards’ Contractor Services and Software category brought ease, accessibility, and free to the table with its winning lineup of an online training course and two brand new apps.

With a down economy, customary tensions at a workplace can be magnified, making now a vital time for those in the construction industry to analyze the potential for workplace violence, and how to prevent it. Awareness and communication are vital, said Rick Maltz, president of the Maltz Group.

HVACR instructors are facing a host of challenges these days, from teaching with new technologies to recruiting for full enrollment to dealing with funding cuts. Yet many are rising to meet these challenges with success and are optimistic about the future.

Recent industry trends have given rise to a new generation of building design tools known as building information modeling, or BIM. BIM goes further than traditional CAD drawings by providing intelligence to building components (such as HVAC) as well as providing system- and building-wide information and awareness (system flows or building loads) in addition to spatial relationships.

While service marketers are paddling diligently to stay ahead of the changes in online marketing, a new wave is about to come crashing in. Those who see it coming and act on it quickly will ride it to the top and leave the competition in their wake.

In North Carolina, contractor Greg Crumpton likes to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to technology. His company, AirTight, is based in Charlotte, and serves commercial, industrial, and mission critical customers within a 100-mile radius.

As more and more consumers are purchasing smartphones and tablets for both business and personal use, more software applications are being developed specifically for these devices. One company that has decided to focus solely on designing mobile applications for the HVAC industry is Carmel Software Corp.